Exploring K-12 Competency-Based Education Implementation in the Northeast States

Abstract

This exploratory study uses data from 413 principals to examine whether and how competency-based education has been implemented in the Northeast states and the extent to which there is variation in implementation between states with different policies. Results suggest that competency-based practices that are most similar to current practices are reported more and practices that diverge from current practices are reported less. There were statistically significant differences between states with “advanced” and nonexistent competency-based education policies on three measures. Secondary principals could use this study to understand key features of the reform and the likely barriers and challenges to implementation regardless of their state policy context.

Making sense of K‐12 competency‐based education: A systematic literature review of implementation and outcomes research from 2000 to 2019

“…• Effective LMS to track student progress toward proficiency and identify students in need of remediation or advancement to proficiency levels and graduation (Stump, Johnson, et al, 2017;Stump & Silvernail, 2015) • Difficulty explaining mastery grading (Stump et al, 2018) and implementing consistently (Steiner et al, (Stump, Johnson, et al, 2017;Stump et al, 2018) • Normative beliefs about grading and work habits (Steele et al, 2014) • Difficulty selecting a grading scale and reporting system including content and work habits for parents and colleges (Stump et al, 2016) • Equity issues/disengagement by struggling students (Steele et al, 2014) • Concern that decreasing a focus on work habits (e.g., turning in work on time) works at odds with holding high expectations for students (Stump et al, 2018) • Inconsistent high school transcript expectations-procedures to estimate GPA, lack of course names, comprehensive profiles (Stump, Fairman, et al, 2017) • Variations in proficiency-based graduation requirements across schools and districts within a state (Stump, Johnson, et al, 2017) • Pressure to move students to the next grade without demonstrating proficiency ) (Stump et al, 2018) and student support services (Evans et al, 2019) • Policy on seat time/Carnegie unit/how earn credit to graduate and online or blended learning, early college, dual or concurrent enrollment, and experiential learning opportunities (Brodersen, Yanoski, Mason, Apthorp, & Piscatelli, 2017) • Policy on accelerated curriculum, early high school credit, and early graduation (Brodersen et al, 2017) • Availability of technology (Stump, Connor, et al, 2017) • Teachers reluctant to give students control of pacing, content and learning activities (Stump, Connor, et al, 2017 (Stump et al, 2016) • Different definitions of proficiency (Stump et al, 2018) and relation to class assignments (Steele et al, 2014) • Different interpretations of standards, how they relate to proficiency levels and graduation (Stump, Johnson, et al, 2017;Stump & Silvernail, 2015) • Inconsistent expectations for mastery-moving students at a certain pace…”

“…The beginning of our search timeframe marks the start of current state and district policies around CBE in the United States (Evans et al., 2019; Le et al., 2014). We only included studies conducted in the American context because the organization and structure of schools in the United States differs from other countries and we did not want this factor to confound our findings.…”

“…The current K‐12 CBE movement began around the year 2000 when states such as Rhode Island and New Hampshire added demonstration of proficiency (or competency) to their minimum graduation requirements and/or removed credit hour requirements for graduation (Evans, Graham, & Lefebvre, 2019; Le, Wolfe, & Steinberg, 2014). According to a recent overview, forty‐nine states plus the District of Columbia now permit or actively enable CBE approaches (iNACOL, 2019).…”

Teacher’s experiences in character education for autistic children

“…Teachers in providing effective teaching, of course must have the competence in teaching, as well as special education must require professional. In accordance with the special development program of the directorate of special education and special services Indonesia stated that one of the requirements in teaching autistic children is to find teachers who graduated from exceptional education departments or inclusion, so that when teaching meets minimum service standards [48].…”

Competency-Based Education: Theory and Practice

“…The CBE's aim from past to present is to improve the overall quality of education and to eliminate or reduce the learning gaps that have accumulated over the years (Lewis, Steele, Santibañez, Stecher, Hamilton, Faxon-Mills, and Rudnick 2013). Like many educational reform initiatives, CBE aims to reduce inequalities in education systems and achievement gaps among students (Evans, Graham, and Lefebvre 2019), to identify and cultivate the unique intellectual, emotional and physical abilities of all individuals to lead successful lives (Moon 2007). This set of aims is also shared by researchers who are education specialists.…”