Our Country Education System

Secondary schools should move to a competency based model of education, because it it ensures that required content is learned at a mastery level, readying them for college and other post secondary opportunities, it offers student autonomy and ownership of learning , allowing students to follow their interests and move at their own pace, thereby personalizing education, and giving them the opportunity to fine tune soft skills and personal qualities that will prepare them for life after high school

For over 30 years our countries education system has relied heavily on a time based approach, known by many as the Carnegie method, as a determination to when students can move from one grade level to the next.

Simply put, if they are in the classroom for the required amount of time, with a passing grade, they can move on to the next class. Students are moved forward in lessons and grades regardless of whether they received all A’s, supposedly indicative of understanding or all D’s, which would imply a lack of understanding for most students, but is still adequate for promotion.

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This blanket approach to learning has long been recognized as being problematic, often creating gaps in learning as students are moved up the ladder of knowledge without always fully understanding the previous rung. As Taylor County School District declared when beginning their own transformation of education, “one size definitely does not fit all.” (Friend, Patrick, Scheider & Vander Ark, 2017, p.9)

The reasons not all students learn all information presented the way has traditionally been presented are as varied and unique as each of them.

Teaching to the average or “50%” has been a standard practice for a but if you are meeting the average student then what happens to those who fall outside of average. There are lots of reasons why a student may fall in the outside of average range. For some, it is a struggle, they need more time and different approaches and resources, such as one on one or small group instruction. For others, it’s a lack of engagement, they are not interested or connected in the topic being presented, they need a way to make the learning meaningful to them personally to get the most out of the material. There is also a large number of students who find it difficult to sit in a classroom all day and be present that would thrive with the opportunity to move around and let learning happen in a way that is most conducive for them. Then there are the students that perform just fine in a traditional classroom but are not reaching their fullest potential. There is just not enough time and resources to meet the needs of students who are having a hard time being successful, let alone the students who are but could still use more. Reaching these out of the box learners has long been known as the problem with traditional models of education, but what is the solution?

The approach that offers the most sense and hope of success for each student is competency based learning. Competency based learning (CBL) has been around for several decades is some form or another, in fact it was over 10 years ago, in 2005, that “New Hampshire was the first state in the nation to eliminate the long standing Carnegie unit-a measure of the amount of time that a student has studied a subject- and replace it with a competency based system that allows students to demonstrate mastery of course content without regard for seat time.” (Hayes, 2013, p.3)

It’s easy to say that there is a solution, but what exactly is competency based learning? There are many different models that support CBL, also known as Mastery Based Learning or Deeper Learning, each has it’s own unique facet to creating this personalized atmosphere for learning. There are 6 major models that prevail in the US currently:

· Project based learning- students design and present projects around their interests to meet learning proficiencies.

· Work based learning- Students spend usually 2 days a week learning outside the classroom in a real workplace at an internship with a local business of interest.

· Blended learning- Combines traditional learning with online learning to offer flexibility and the ability to see quick data about where the student is and what they need to work on.

· Inquiry based learning- Students are educated by learning to craft questions around their interests and then seeking the answers.

· Connected learning- Connected learning also has a strong digital component but also focuses on communication, collaboration and critical thinking.

· Personalized learning- A blend of all the above, offering students complete personalized learning with Individual Learning Plans, outlining goals and slef created assignments, the chance to have the real world experience with internships and a focus on making learning meaningful to each student.

(Teaching and Learning, n.d.)

While each of these approaches had its own unique twist on how they “do school”, they are all rooted in the competency-based philosophy and share several key characteristics which not only give the term “competency based” a definition, but also explain at a deeper level how it makes the opportunity for learning equal for every student, regardless of background, ability or other factors that can affect the learning curve. These characteristics are: mastery level learning, student ownership of learning, personalized learning and an emphasis on soft skills or real life skills, and other learning processes necessary for after secondary school life.

Mastery level learning is important for ensuring that students are ready for college and other post secondary pursuits. Because of this, we need to have a clear, measurable definition of mastery that includes high standards of output and is presented in a way that students can understand and use to guide their learning. This does not mean that every school needs to have the same measure of mastery, but they do need to be thorough in their development of these standards. They need to decide what students need to know, often broken down into individual items called proficiencies, standards or “I can” statements, and build a rigorous, program around those proficiencies. Schools that have accomplished this are seeing the results in many ways. A study outlining student outcomes for students attending both CBL and traditional model schools in California and New York resulted in indications that CBL taught well to mastery achieves good results. “On average, students in deeper learning schools achieved higher scores on the OECD PISA-based Test for Schools, a test that assesses core content knowledge and complex problem solving skills.” (Study of Deeper Learning, 2016, p. 3). Students also reported “higher levels of collaboration, academic engagement, motivation to learn and self-efficacy.” (Study of Deeper Learning, 2016, p. 3). Graduation rates and college enrollment rates from this study were also prevalent, the graduation rate being 8 plus points higher in CBL schools and 52.6% versus 49.6% for post secondary institution enrollment. (Study of Deeper Learning, 2016, p. 3). Along with post secondary success, CBL also points towards a reduction in discipline issues for some schools. Sanborn Regional High School in New Hampshire reported a steady decline of incidents of discipline every year from the initiation of CBL, with a starting point of 433 incidents to only 84, 5 years later. (Hayes, 2013, p. 7)

Knowing what mastery means and what they need to know is just the first step in student ownership of learning. Along with the what and why, students can claim the how and when as well in planning their education. Giving students control over their learning allows them the freedom to follow their interests, dive deeper into a topic they didn’t even know they liked and then move on to the next learning adventure when they feel like they are ready to. They use the mastery proficiencies to develop projects, ask questions that need answering or look for guidance from a teacher, learning coach or peers in the form of large group, small group, one on one or peer to peer instruction.

Why is student ownership important? A study by the Nellie Mae Foundation says, “in conversations with students at competency-based high schools, the young people were passionate, articulate advocates for their schools. Students explained that they were engaged and motivated by competency education for a few, clear reasons: they know exactly what is expected of them, and yet exercise a great deal of control over their own learning.” (Gershwin, 2013, p. 6) This control is exactly what keeps them going, if they succeed with flying colors, the pride and accomplishment that they earn, it’s all them, and if they fail to meet expectations, well, it’s all them too.

One of the facets of student ownership that is a huge benefit to all students, but especially struggling student, is the gift of time. Without time constraints, students can take their time learning concepts that challenge them and quickly move on the next thing when they are able. This not only, “creates a powerful learning experience, learners who are behind are able to catch up, and those who are ready to move forward can”, (Friend et al., 2017, p. 7), but it gives us a solution to the learning gaps that traditional methods often perpetuates.

But what about where? Does school just need to happen at school? The gifts of autonomy and time also give the answer to the where. Without requirements or constraints on how much time is spent in a classroom seat, students can go and learn anywhere that will help them meet their goals. This may mean off campus study at a local library or university, or leaving to learn trip to locations that will help them with their goals, such as museums or factories. For many CBL schools, it means 1-2 days a week are spent at an internship, working with a mentor in a career field that interests them getting not only lots of “real life” learning, but also tying the experience into their educational goals with projects and reflections on their day to day at the internship site.

Giving students ownership of their education serves not only as a motivation for learning, but also as an important piece in giving every student a personalized education. A personalized education is just what it sounds like, a learning plan for each student that is as different as each student and executed just as uniquely. A personalized plan for each student sounds idealistic and also like a ton of work and it is, but what teachers in CBL schools have found is that freed from the time structure of traditional models and more students then they could possibly know well, they can do it. With training and careful planning, they can spend their teaching time being “ more concerned with what students are learning and how they aquire the knowledge than they are with preparing for a big end-of-the-year test.” Friend et al., 2017, p.5). Typically, at CBL schools, teachers are assigned a small group of 10-20 students that form an advisory or core group. These students are usually around the same “grade level” and spend a portion of each day all together communicating together on different topics, getting to know one another and forming a kind of school family. This chance to dig a little deeper into a more causal, outside of the classroom relationship with students is a key component to meeting them where they are at. Teachers know what is happening in student’s lives as well as their academic abilities or struggles, and can help them structure their goals and time to work in those parameters. Not teaching class after class also frees teachers up to spend time doing large group, small group or one on one instruction on topics that students need more in depth instruction on, or have an interest in. They may hold a 5 session intensive on grammar skills, or meet twice a week to do yoga. They also have the ability to collaborate with each other more freely, drawing on each other as the valuable resources they are. Students also benefit from this loss of traditional classroom structure. Outside of classroom time restrictions, it is also easier for students to schedule remediation, collaborative meetings with peers or other opportunities, like interviews with someone related to a project they are doing, to help them meet their individual goals as well.

With all this student autonomy and personalized learning, it not a stretch to see how students will benefit personally. Responsibility begets responsibility. When students are in charge of their own learning and are working at a level that not only is doable for them, but also pushes them to the next level, they will also learn a lot of other valuable skills that could be considered less academic, but are still truly important to future success. These are real life skills like personal qualities and soft skills. It takes a lot of initiative and courage to step out on your own, own your failures as well as your successes, and learn to take them in stride, and to be willing to go and ask for help when you need it. There is also a lot of integrity involved. Picture the student that has to stand in front of his teachers, peers, and sometimes even his parents, show what he has learned as well as his sources of learning and maybe saying, “I could have done better”, or “ I didn’t use my time as well as I could have.” Hard work, time management, the ability to organize a task and get it done, appropriate communication with others, these are things not often taught out of a text book, but as vital if not more vital for future success. “Society is asking our graduates for skills and fast paced communication, and schools are still giving them facts and one-way lectures.” (Littky, 2004) Another study by the American Institute for Research ( Study of Deeper Learning, 2016) supporting this claim says this:

Academic knowledge and skills alone won’t enable students to successfully navigate a rapidly changing world, participate in a complex and increasingly diverse democracy, or engage fully in the ever-evolving 21st century workplace. Students must be able to communicate their ideas effectively, think creatively, work collaboratively to solve problems, and manage their own learning. They need to develop dispositions-or mindsets- that empower them to confront new challenges, take initiative, and preserve through difficulties and setbacks. (p.1)

It has been pretty clear for some time that our system of education in America needs revising, that our approach to learning is not meeting the needs of many of our students. Not only are many students being left behind, but many of the things are we teaching are not critical for the level of success students desire for their future goals. Students need to not only have deeper content knowledge, they need to know how to apply their knowledge both in and out of the classroom (Study of Deeper Learning, 2016, p.1). Competency-based learning offers up the best chance to fill gaps, grow deep thinkers and resurrect a school system that no longer fits the bill. The proof is out there. Taylor County School District after adopting CBL, saw several years of 100% graduation rates and many students completing high school requirements early and moving into dual enrollment before they graduated.(Friend et al., 2017, p. 9). Similar success has been repeated in other school throughout the country. That data is not only something to take note of and cheer about, it speaks to the success of every student, which is after all, the goal.