Conference dial-in number: (712) 432-0075
Participant access code: 343808
Competency-Based Education and
Its Application in Rhode Island
February 13, 2014
Northeast Networks Group
New
Hampshire
Statewide Afterschool Networks
Statewide afterschool networks foster
partnerships and policies to develop, support
and sustain high-quality afterschool and
expanded learning opportunities for children
and youth.
Working with a broad range of stakeholder
groups, including state policymakers and local
leaders in education, youth development,
juvenile justice, childcare, health and
workforce development, statewide afterschool
networks develop systems to support
academic, social, emotional and physical
outcomes for youth.
Webinar Agenda
• Kim Carter
 Competency-Based Education
• Karen Barbosa
 ELO Woonsocket: How it Works for Us
• Q&A
Competency Based Learning
Kim Carter, Q.E.D. Foundation
kcarter@QEDfoundation.org
What
is a
Master?
6
What is Mastery?
Mastery is the consistently successful
application of a set of knowledge (facts),
skills (processes), and behaviors (actions)
to complex problems and novel situations.
9
In order to achieve Mastery, students
must be able to demonstrate
Proficiency through a preponderance
of evidence of attainment of the
required competencies in and/or across
content areas.
Competencies are the knowledge,
skills, and/or behaviors students must
master in a specific content or
performance area.
Competency Education
• Students advance upon accomplishing proficiency.
• Competencies include explicit, measurable, transferable
learning objectives that empower students.
• Assessment is meaningful and a positive learning experience
for students.
• Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their
individual learning needs.
• Learning outcomes emphasize competencies that include
application and creation of knowledge, along with the
development of important skills and dispositions
12
Community Based
Group Experiences
School Based
Group Experiences
Engage students by
providing rich experiences
through meaningful
contexts that
develop students’
competence and confidence
as measured by
observation and feedback
Address competencies through
guiding essential questions
explored in
authentic context supported by
content and skill development
evaluated through
learning assessments
Apply
• Graduation standards are the levels of
mastery necessary for transition to adult life
• Developed and practiced within contexts
• Applied in personally meaningful ways
Community Garden
Biology
Local Farmers/Food Pantry
Greenhouse
Where does food
come from?
Where does it go?
The local need for help with a community garden
inspired this E.L.O., where students explored
ecosystems, cellular structures, nutritional, energy,
water and nitrogen cycles. After designing their plots,
students also decided where to donate a portion of
their produce, following up on the life of local food.
Geogami
Geometry
Glass Artist
Origami
Can Math
BE
Art?
This E.L.O. leveraged a relationship with a stained-glass
artist who helped the students create “mathematically
correct artwork.” The final project was in glass, with
design work done in origami, exploring trigonometric
functions, polygons and polyhedra .
Museum Studies
English + History
Cultural Museum
Curate an exhibit
How does
immigration
impact the
community?
Students act as historians and museum curators as they
learn from and eventually contribute to a local cultural
museum. They do primary research in the larger
community, conducting interviews, and gathering
artifacts in order to design exhibits that represent
various immigrant populations.
Document
• Meaning making
• Impact
• Challenges and triumphs (successes)
• Feedback loops – iterations (met/not yet)
http://mc2school.wikispaces.com/Habits
Habits
22
Habits
Habit
23
Defend
• Portfolios
• Presentations of learning
• Authentic audiences
What does it take to get really good at
something?
Kim Carter
Q.E.D. Foundation
kcarter@QEDfoundation.org
Who:
1 - Student(s); any grade, any ability
2 – Industry Mentor
3 – Teacher of Record
ELO Office
All volunteer; no stipends
What:
Student Centered Project
Why:
Credit Recovery, Portfolio Pieces,
Demonstration of Proficiency, Life &
Work Experience, Recommendations
How:
Proficiency Based, not Time Based;
Project Planning 101
Where:
On Campus or Off Site
When:
After school or on weekends
Takes, on average, 3-4 weeks to get
projects working at full mode
Projects are completed, based on
backward planning - students have as
long as the project requires
THE BASICS
JUST SOME OF OUR
MENTORS
Learning Goals are determined by Student and Industry Mentor
•
As aligned to Industry Standards
•
Educational Standards are applied whenever possible
Learning Activities are determined by Student and Industry Mentor
•
With input from Teacher of Record
Students are evaluated based on 4 rubrics:
•
Reflection
•
Research
•
Product
•
Presentation
Student(s) present in front of panel; “defend” learning
•
Panel includes: Industry Mentor, Teacher of Record, ELO Office, Guidance, Administration, and other
key participants
•
Teacher of Record includes feedback from all panelists to inform final grade
ASSESSMENT
Individual
Self-Seeking
or
Recommended
Group
Student Driven
or
Mentor/Teacher Driven
Hybrid
PROJECT TYPES
PROJECTS :
INDIVIDUAL EXAMPLES
Language Instruction – Jacob; student taught in a Spanish Class
Conservation Biology – Nick; data collection & field work on geese mitigation
Technology – Abby; assisting district in developing a blogging policy
Engineering – Kathryn; designing and building tools to use in OT
Health Careers – Autumn; radiology
Music – Patrick ; techno music, writing and producing
Physical Education– Krystina; training for and running a 5K/documentary
Art – Bethania; using Art as a means for social change
PROJECTS : GROUP EXAMPLES
Student Generated
Law Enforcement – 5 students; in partnership with the WPD
Help 4 Animals – 2 students; creating an instructional video on how to properly care for and
interact with animals
Green Team – 2 students; improving recycling and energy efficiency at the HS
Teacher Generated
Global Citizens – 8 students; ethnography study w/ a 3 week trip to Rwanda
We reached out
URI Pharmacy – 8 students; narcotics study
They Reached Out
RISD – 12 students; Project Open Door
PROJECTS : HYBRID EXAMPLE
ESL Classes – students earned portfolio pieces not otherwise available in their class;
while helping the teacher to meet her SLO goals
Period 3 – Advanced Class
Various theater groups in RI will take turns instructing students, weekly, on basics
of play writing and stage performance. Students will take this knowledge and
apply to their version of a Shakespeare play they are reading. Each section will
then be performed and filmed, creating their own “movie” of the play.
Period 5 – Beginner Class
Working with a local performance group, students will flesh out their own cultural
story which they will then turn into a children’s book. A digital version of the story
will be created with voice recordings; stories will be presented to ELLs at the
elementary school.
Q&A
• Kim Carter
 Executive Director, Q.E.D. Foundation
• Karen Barbosa
 Director, ELO Woonsocket
Closing Information
• Northeast Networks Group Webinar Series
 Thursday, March 20, 11:30-12:30pm “Linking After
School and Summer Programs”
• Questions or for more information
 Visit our website: www.afterschoolri.org
 Email
• Michelle Un michelle.un@afterschoolri.org
• Karen Barbosa kbarbosa@woonsocketschools.com
• Kim Carter kcarter@qedfoundation.org