Why we created this Guide
The purpose of this Guide is to help school districts develop high quality proficiency-based systems that will prepare all students for success in college and careers in the 21 st century. It is organized around fifteen Essential Criteria for implementation, focusing on curriculum and instruction, and captures lessons learned from working with districts, schools leaders and teachers as they strive to implement an effective system. We have selected resources and tools that have a proven track record and have provided a sample timeline to use in your planning.
How to Use this Guide
1.
Review the Essential Criteria and Evidence. District and school leaders should review the criteria for implementation to ensure that each piece has a role in the development of the district’s proficiency- based learning plan. Where are there gaps? Have steps been overlooked? Where is the district on track or ahead of schedule?
2.
Review state and district policy. Identify policy challenges/barriers to implementation of the new system as envisioned by the district.
3.
Build your implementation timeline. After assessing your district using the Essential Criteria, use the sample timeline to create your own plan. Each phase of the work needs to be considered as they are all connected and part of the overall system. Continue to use the timeline as you progress to track your progress
4.
Use the suggested resources. Committees/task forces should review the recommended resources as a starting point.
1

District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
1.
Gaining Support: The school, district and community understand and are supportive of implementing a personalized, proficiency-based system
Evidence

District and school competency-based committees are in place that represent a crosssection of stakeholders

District leaders have a shared vision of personalized proficiency-based learning
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

How to Talk About School
Improvement , (webinar)

Ten Principles of Competency-
Based Learning (pdf)

Glossary of Education Reform

NESSC15 Session: Talking About
Proficiency: What You Need To
Know (Thursday, 3:45)
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
2

1.
Essential Criteria
2.
Identification of Conceptual Plan: A conceptual plan is in place to support the implementation of a personalized proficiency-based system

Ten Principles of Proficiencybased Learning , (webinar)

Planning for Competency Based
Learning flow chart
Evidence

Faculty and district leadership have worked collaboratively to develop a conceptual plan that

What is a Proficiency-Based
Diploma (NESSC Leadership in includes essential criteria in curriculum and
Action Briefing #5)
 instruction, policy and public engagement

Sample district policies
There is a shared understanding and agreement, with common language, of what this plan will look like in a personalized learning environment
Essential Criteria
3.
Technology Platform: Each school has identified and is ready to implement a technology platform to support documentation of student achievement, student profiles, personal learning plans, and multiple, unique learning pathways
Evidence

All teachers have ready and easy access to input and read data pertaining to their students

Teachers have the capacity to analyze and interpret data to influence instructional practice

Students and parents have access to data pertaining to the student

Education Week, June 18, 2014;
Before Buying Technology,
Asking ‘Why?’

Selecting an Online Grading and
Reporting System (rubric)
3

Essential Criteria
4.
Strengthened Teacher Capacity: Teachers have the current and ongoing capacity to: o implement proficiency-based curriculum and instruction; and o assess students based upon achievement of identified standards at all levels of the system.
Evidence

The district recruits highly qualified teachers and leaders

A robust long-term professional development plan is in place, including mentoring and school coaching where needed

Teachers have job-embedded common planning time

Faculty have engaged in professional development required to establish a proficiencybased assessment system, identify content and cross curricular standards, and develop and share model units

Teachers have developed common summative assessments to assess achievement at all levels of the system

PLG Structures to Support
Proficiency (pdf)

Harnessing Teacher Knowledge
(self-assessment tool)

Using Professional Learning
Groups to Accelerate School
Improvement (webinar)
NESSC15 Conference Session:
Maximizing Professional Learning:
Taking PLGs to the Next Level
(Thursday, 2:15)
4

District
Status
2.
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
5.
Identification of Standards: The district has identified and agreed upon cross-curricular graduation standards
Evidence

Teachers work collaboratively with community stakeholders to develop crosscurricular graduation standards

Parents and the community understand and support these standards
Essential Criteria
6.
Identification of Performance Indicators: The district has identified and agreed upon performance indicators for the cross-curricular graduation standards
Evidence

Performance indicators are in alignment with
 the state standard requirements
Faculty work collaboratively across schools and content areas to reach agreement
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Sample Standards

Proficiency-Based Learning
Simplified: Developing
Effective Graduation
Standards and Performance
Indicators, recorded webinar

State standards documents

Regional secondary school accrediting agencies

Exemplar Policies : Graduation
Requirements

Proficiency-Based Learning
Simplified: Developing Effective
Graduation Standards and
Performance Indicators,
(webinar)

Verifying Proficiency-
Performance Indicators
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
5

3.
District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
7.
Assessment Development: The district has outlined criteria and schools have developed assessments to measure achievement of the cross-curricular graduation standards
Evidence

Capstone events/projects include an audience beyond the classroom and school

Summative assessments require students to analyze problems, apply knowledge, think critically and write extensively

The district monitors assessment design and implementation.

Over their high school career, students collect a body of evidence which they and their teachers agree demonstrate achievement of the standards
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Formative and Summative
Assessment (webinar)

Summative Assessment
Development Protocol

Summative Assessment Design
Guide )
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
6

District
Status
4.
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
8.
Identification of Standards: The district has identified and agreed upon content area graduation standards
Evidence

Teachers work collaboratively within and across content areas to develop content standards and to ensure alignment with state standards and required assessments
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Sample Standards

Proficiency-Based Learning
Simplified: Developing
Effective Graduation
Standards and Performance
Indicators, recorded webinar

State standards documents

Regional secondary school accrediting agencies

Exemplar Policies : Graduation
Requirements

Graduation Standards Design
Criteria
Relevant State and
District Policies
Essential Criteria
9.
Identification of Performance Indicators: The district has identified and agreed upon performance indicators for content area graduation standards
Evidence

Performance indicators are in alignment with the state standards requirements.

Performance indicators are aligned with content standards to build evidence, over time, of achieving proficiency

Developing graduation standards and performance indicators (webinar)

Assessment and Verification of
Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator Design
Criteria
Community
Engagement
7

5.
District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
10.
Assessment Development: The district has outlined criteria and schools have developed assessments to measure achievement of the content area graduation standards
Evidence

There is a shared agreement among teachers regarding expected levels of performance within in each content area

Teachers are prepared to develop high quality summative assessments that provide students with varied means of demonstrating proficiency
 concerning the performance indicators
Teachers have collaboratively developed common demonstration tasks and/or scoring guides for all performance indicators
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Verifying Proficiency:
Graduation Standards

Defining Competency-Based
Learning and Transcripts
(Presentation slides from
Achieve postsecondary conference, May 30, 2014)

Formative and Summative
Assessment (webinar)

Summative Assessment

Development Protocol
Summative Assessment Design
Guide
NESSC15 Conference Session:
Formative Assessment and
Teacher Feedback (Friday, 1:15)
NESSC 15 Conference Session:
Standards-Based Grading:
Separating Academic Achievement and Habits of Work (Friday, 9:15)
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
8

District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Effective Unit Design, recorded
Essential Criteria
11.
Curriculum Development: School curriculum has been developed that supports engagement with and achievement of the
Evidence

Teachers have the capacity to design and

 identified performance indicators implement units aligned with standards
Content area instructional units include specific learning targets with varied means for students to demonstrate success
Partnerships with community businesses, local colleges, career and technical centers, and dual enrollment opportunities, enhance the curriculum

Learning spaces and time provide varied resources and technology to support student webinar

Keeping It Flexible: Extended
Learning Opportunities In
Today’s High Schools (webinar)

Designing Personalized

Learning Pathways: Best
Practices from Vermont
(webinar)
What are Personalized
Learning Pathways? (NESSC
Leadership in Action Briefing
#6)

What are Real World Learning
Experiences? (NESSC
Leadership in Action Briefing
#7) learning activities and assessments

Unit design attends to students' unique interests, learning needs and personal pathways

Teachers review and align essential curriculum with required district and state assessments
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
9

District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
12.
Daily Lesson Plans: Classroom activities support achievement of learning targets in a flexible learning environment and attend to students’ unique learning needs
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Effective Unit Design
(webinar)

Using Essential Questions and
Learning Targets in Unit
Design (webinar)

Formative Assessment Design
Guide Evidence

Teachers’ repertoire is varied to meet learner needs and interests

Technology is embedded in the daily practice of teachers and work habits of students, including one-to-one digital support and appropriate use of blended learning

Teachers assess students’ habits of work
 separately from standards
Frequent formative assessments are used to
 inform instruction
Teachers use student work, portfolios, personal learning plans and online tools (videos, pod casts, slideshows, blogs, etc.) to help manage and enhance student learning experiences

Thematic, interdisciplinary instruction requires students to solve real world problems
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
10

6.
District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
13.
Student Academic Support: All students are expected to attain a common set of core standards (outlined above) and are provided with support that enables struggling students to attain these standards
Evidence

Students are afforded adequate time and academic support to achieve learning goals

All students engage in varied learning opportunities (internships, dual enrollment, service learning, learning academies) that
 provide time to investigate ideas in depth
School resources are leveraged to close performance gaps among students from different socioeconomic, cultural or special needs backgrounds

A comprehensive intervention system is in place that utilizes a variety of strategies to supplement or accelerate instruction and is available to all students
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Proficiency- Based Learning simplified: Supporting
Students with Disabilities
(recorded webinar)

What are Personal Learning
Plans? (NESSC Leadership
Briefing #13)
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
11

District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence Resources, Tools, and Relevant State and
Conference Sessions

Keeping it Flexible: Extended-
District Policies
Essential Criteria
14.
Personalized Instruction: Teachers have the skills and knowledge to personalize learning for each student

Learning Opportunities in
Today’s High Schools, recorded webinar
Designing Personalized
Evidence

The school is designed for flexible, small learning environments, with student content groups maximizing interaction across varied learning styles and needs

Teachers make effective use of technology to

Learning Pathways: Best
Practices from Vermont recorded webinar
What are Personal Learning
Plans? (NESSC Leadership
Briefing #13) support varied student learning needs

Teachers understand how varied learning opportunities, internships, dual enrollment,
Community
Engagement service learning, learning academies, etc., can be incorporated to support student learning

Teacher practice connects students with adults in meaningful ways and cultivates trusting relationships

Teachers feel collectively and individually responsible for the academic and personal well-being of each student, and cultivate a
 culture where hurtful language and prejudicial or threatening behavior is not tolerated
Teachers routinely provide academic and social support and mentoring beyond the classroom
12

District
Status
Essential Criteria + Evidence
Essential Criteria
15.
Instructional Improvement: Teachers receive supportive and direct feedback on their practice—and time and resources to implement improvement.
Evidence

Teachers use common planning time to collaboratively develop content assessments and jury student and teacher work for continuous improvement

Teachers trust and encourage colleagues to observe classroom practice

The school has a system for reviewing and
 sharing instructional practice
The school captures ongoing data on instructional practice and shares these data with teachers
Resources, Tools, and
Conference Sessions

Harnessing Teacher
Knowledge: Using PLG’s to
Accelerate School
Improvement (webinar)

Harnessing Teacher
Knowledge (self-assessment tool and facilitator guide)

Protocols for PLGs (School
Reform Initiative)
NESSC15 Conference Session:
Maximizing Professional Learning:
Taking PLGs to the Next Level
(Thursday, 2:15)
Relevant State and
District Policies
Community
Engagement
13