In this webinar, three learner-centered leaders share their journeys implementing competency-based teaching, learning, and assessment in their unique school systems. Melissa Olson (Spring Lake Park Schools), Wendy Fairon (Chico Country Day School), and Sharon Stanley (Compass Academy) describe how they shifted from traditional grading and reporting toward systems that elevate clarity, student agency, meaningful evidence of learning, and whole-learner development.

Across diverse school contexts—including a large public district in Minnesota, a TK–8 charter school in Northern California, and a student-selected high school in Illinois—each panelist highlights the conditions, structures, and guiding values that enabled these learner-centered changes. While their models differ, they share a commitment to accessibility, transparency, strong design, and ensuring every learner is known, supported, and able to demonstrate growth authentically.

Questions explored include:

• What inspired your district or school to shift toward a competency-based approach, and what values grounded your change process?
• How did you determine what to assess and how to assess it, including rubrics, learning progressions, and reporting structures?
• What strategies supported educator engagement and mindset shifts, particularly around rubric design, performance assessment, and equitable grading?
• How do you communicate competency-based practices to families, build shared understanding, and help them navigate new reporting systems?
• What tools and artifacts (rubrics, learner profiles, portfolios, reporting platforms) help you operationalize competency-based learning at scale?
• How do you balance competency-based reporting with external realities, such as transcripts, scholarships, and state assessments?

Watch now to learn how three innovative schools are redesigning assessment systems to reflect what learners truly know and can do—expanding student agency, strengthening instructional coherence, and centering whole-learner growth through thoughtful, community-driven competency-based practices.

Resources Shared During the Webinar:

• 📖 Competency-Based Reporting Playbook
• 🌐 Spring Lake Park Competency-Based Reporting Approach
• 🎨 Spring Lake Park Personalized Learning Approach
• 📊 Chico Country Day School Sample Assessment Philosophy
• 👩‍🏫 Compass Academy Course Competencies Examples
• 🗓️ Compass Academy Sample Rubric
• 🧑‍🏫 Presentation Slides

Ready to Bring Competency-Based Learning and Assessment to Your School or District?

Learner-Centered Collaborative works with schools and districts across the country that are evolving their assessment practices to align with competency-based, whole-learner strategies. Connect with us here to learn how we can support your learning community.