Blog
4 Lessons From a Competency-Based Community of Practice
No one has completely figured it out, but everyone has something to offer. This sentiment captures the spirit of this year’s Competency-Based Community of Practice. This virtual group is made up of 45 teachers and leaders from nine schools and districts across the country who are currently implementing competency-based assessment and reporting practices. They…
Blog
This is What Happens When Every Learner Can Confidently Talk About Their Learning
Shifting to learner-centered education is both an iterative process and a collective effort. Our Connections Leadership Cohort recently got an opportunity to see a learner-centered ecosystem firsthand in New York, at Mineola Public Schools, while building stronger bonds within their own teams and across schools. Beginning with 3rd and 4th grade students greeting us…
Big Moves
Exhibition of Learning
Overview Exhibitions of Learning (also called Celebrations of Learning, Showcases of Learning or Demonstrations of Learning) are events where students share their learning and any products from a learning experience or project with a broad and public audience. These events could take the form of a formal presentation (ex. play), an individual exhibition (ex.…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: The Power of Storytelling in Building Engaged Learning Communities
In this webinar, Learner-Centered Collaborative’s Marlon Styles hosts a conversation with Craig Heath, Superintendent of Mentor Public Schools, and Juliette Funes, Communications Officer for Lynwood Unified School District. Together, they explore the power of storytelling in fostering engaged learning communities. They discuss innovative strategies to amplify student voices, align strategic themes with impactful communications,…
Podcasts
Episode 36: Clark Street Community School Student Panel with Ruby & Everest
Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsEpisode Summary: In this live-recorded episode at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024, Katie Martin hosts two inspiring students from Clark Street Community School, Ruby and Everest. Together, they share their unique experiences in a learner-centered environment that emphasizes real-world learning experiences and community connections. Ruby and Everest reflect on…
Big Moves
Portfolios
Overview A school or district-wide portfolio structure supports learners in curating evidence of their learning and growth over multiple years, across multiple courses or learning experiences. Portfolios are student-curated collections of work that include a self-reflection on progress over time and why that piece was selected to include in the portfolio. They work best…
Big Moves
Student-Led Conferences
Overview A student-led conference is a meeting facilitated by students with their families and teachers. In this meeting, students reflect on their overall learning, progress towards goals, and next steps. Students who participate by leading their own conferences take more ownership of their learning and the communication between school and home becomes more transparent.…
Big Moves
Defense of Learning
Overview A school or district-wide defense of learning (sometimes called Presentation of Learning, Showcase of Learning, Demonstration of Learning or Celebration of Learning) is a way for students, at designated milestones or grade levels, to share a body of evidence of learning and reflect on how they grew towards their own and school/district goals,…
BlogWebinars
Webinar Recording: Competency-Based Assessment: From Measuring Seat Time to Demonstrating Learning
In this webinar, Bostonia Global’s Nerel Winter and School Foundry’s Jeff Petty share innovative ways to assess student learning through real-world demonstrations and exhibitions. We delve into the importance of performance assessments, where students not only showcase their knowledge but also their ability to apply it in practical, meaningful ways. Questions explored include: How…
Blog
Not All Rubrics Are Created Equal: How Competency-Based Progressions Are The Way to Go
For decades, rubrics have been both championed and criticized. This blog explores two distinct types of rubrics: traditional product-based rubrics and the emerging competency-based rubrics. Traditional rubrics, as we typically conceptualize them, are product-based. They define success criteria for specific assignments, describing gradations of quality for meeting expectations. These rubrics are assignment-specific and outline…
Blog
Report Card Redesign in Encinitas Union School District
Is redesigning a report card a technical or adaptive change? To answer this, we can turn to the model of technical and adaptive challenges developed by Ronald A. Heifetz (Heifetz & Laurie, 1997; Heifetz & Linsky, 2002). This framework provides valuable insights into the nature of change in education and other fields (Network for…
Tools
Learning Experiences BINGO card
Access actionable steps for creating personalized, competency-based, authentic, inclusive and equitable learning experiences
Podcasts
Episode 30: Empowering Learners Through Real World Challenges With Miguel Gonzalez & Meg Parry
By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.Always load Youtube videos on this site.Load VideoListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTubeEpisode Summary: Meg Parry and Miguel Gonzalez, former leaders at Embark, a learner-centered micro-school embedded in a small business in North Denver, share their experiences and insights into creating…
Podcasts
Episode 29: What Makes a Great Principal? With George Couros
By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.Always load Youtube videos on this site.Load VideoListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTubeEpisode Summary: George Couros, an innovative teaching, learning, and leadership expert, shares his insights on what makes a great principal. The discussion revolves around the five key pillars outlined…
Podcasts
Episode 28: Honoring Growth Over Time With Competency-Based Assessment With Bryanna Hanson
By loading this video, you agree to the privacy policy of Youtube.Always load Youtube videos on this site.Load VideoListen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsWatch on YouTubeEpisode Summary: Bryanna Hanson, Learner-Centered Collaborative’s Director of Learning Design, delves into her educational journey and her commitment to transforming assessment and grading practices. Bryanna’s teaching career began with…
Blog
These Pennsylvania Educators are Ready to Make Change Happen
Co-authored by Brittany Griffin and Jesse Ross Collaborative, learner-centered innovation has taken off in Western Pennsylvania. Throughout the 2023-24 school year, 23 educators from four Western Pennsylvania school districts—Hampton Township, Shaler Area, Deer Lakes, and Avonworth—are participating in a Learner-Centered Collaborative Innovation Cohort. Get an inside view into the experience in this 3-part series…
Blog
Changing how students learn, starts with changing how educators learn
As educators, we are socialized into the profession in various ways. These may include observations of our previous teachers (known as the apprenticeship of observation), our preparation programs, and especially our first on-the-job experiences. In short, our beliefs and expectations are shaped by our experiences including professional learning, which is why I often…
Blog
Reclaiming Joy at the End of the School Year
At VIDA middle school in Vista Unified School District, students in an English class give each other affirmations and gratitudes throughout the year. “Joy is the ultimate goal of teaching and learning, not test prep or graduation.” – Gholdy Muhammad, author, Unearthing Joy The end of the school year is in plain sight. Maybe…