Competency-Based Education and Its Application in Rhode Island
February 13, 2014
Conference dial-in number: (712) 432-0075Participant access code: 343808
New Hampshire
Northeast Networks Group
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.
Statewide Afterschool Networks
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. [email protected]
What is a
Master?
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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.
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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
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Rele
vanc
e
providing rich experiences Engage students by
through meaningfulcontexts that
develop students’competence and confidence
as measured byobservation and feedback
Address competencies throughguiding essential questions explored inauthentic context supported by
content and skill developmentevaluated through learning assessments
Community BasedGroup Experiences
School BasedGroup Experiences
Relationships Rigor
Apply
• Graduation standards are the levels of mastery necessary for transition to adult life
• Developed and practiced within contexts
• Applied in personally meaningful ways
Local Farmers/Food Pantry
Biology
Greenhouse
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.
Where does food come from?
Where does it go?
Community Garden
Glass Artist
Geometry
Origami
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 .
Can Math BEArt?
Geogami
Cultural Museum
English + History
Curate an exhibitStudents 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.
How does immigration impact the community?
Museum Studies
Document• Meaning making
• Impact
• Challenges and triumphs (successes)
• Feedback loops – iterations (met/not yet)
http://mc2school.wikispaces.com/Habits
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Habits
Habit
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Habits
Defend
• Portfolios
• Presentations of learning
• Authentic audiences
What does it take to get really good at something?
ELO
WOONSOCKET
HOW I T W
ORK S FOR U
S
THE BASICS
Who: 1 - Student(s); any grade, any ability2 – Industry Mentor3 – Teacher of RecordELO OfficeAll volunteer; no stipends
What: Student Centered Project
Where: On Campus or Off Site
When: After school or on weekendsTakes, on average, 3-4 weeks to get projects working at full modeProjects are completed, based on backward planning - students have as long as the project requires
How: Proficiency Based, not Time Based; Project Planning 101
Why: Credit Recovery, Portfolio Pieces, Demonstration of Proficiency, Life & Work Experience, Recommendations
JUST SOME OF OUR
MENTORS
Learning Goals are determined by Student and Industry Mentor• As aligned to Industry Standards• Educational Standards are applied whenever possibleLearning Activities are determined by Student and Industry Mentor• With input from Teacher of RecordStudents are evaluated based on 4 rubrics:• Reflection• Research• Product• PresentationStudent(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 EXAMPLESLanguage 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 EXAMPLESStudent GeneratedLaw 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 animalsGreen Team – 2 students; improving recycling and energy efficiency at the HS
Teacher GeneratedGlobal Citizens – 8 students; ethnography study w/ a 3 week trip to Rwanda
We reached outURI Pharmacy – 8 students; narcotics study
They Reached OutRISD – 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 ClassVarious 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 ClassWorking 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 [email protected] • Karen Barbosa [email protected] • Kim Carter [email protected]