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Competency-Based Learning (CBL) focuses on students progressing upon mastery of specific skills or standards rather than time spent in class.
Equity Connection: This model promotes fairness by allowing all students to advance at their own pace and demonstrate learning in multiple ways, reducing barriers related to attendance, language, or background.

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Teachers can design project-based assessments and small-group instruction that allow students to show mastery of content. Visual progress charts or portfolios help track growth.

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Students complete self-paced modules or digital tasks online. Teachers track competencies through platforms like Google Classroom or Canvas and give individualized feedback during check-ins.

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Success is measured by mastery of standards using rubrics, proficiency scales, and performance tasks rather than seat time or averages.

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What Is Competency-Based Education?

Competency-based education, an educator-led reform, is taking root in schools and districts across the country. The concept behind competency-based education is simple: learning is best measured by students demonstrating mastery of learning, rather than the number of hours spent in a classroom. By redesigning the education system around actual student learning, we will prepare each student more effectively for a future in an increasingly global and competitive economy.

Competency-based education is a major shift in school culture, structures, and pedagogy focused on ensuring that all students succeed and addressing fundamental shortcomings of the traditional model. Districts and schools turn to competency-based education for different reasons: to help students learn most effectively, to achieve greater equity, to foster deeper learning, or to create a system of continuous improvement.

Competency-based education is being implemented at deeper levels in more schools and districts every year, and most states have made initial or extensive policy adjustments to allow for competency-based education innovations. Many districts are making the transition because they know they can't help all of their students reach career and college readiness without greater personalization.
Competency-based education is a system in which:

Students are empowered daily to make important decisions about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning.

Assessment is a meaningful, positive, and empowering learning experience for students that yields timely, relevant, and actionable evidence.

Students receive timely, differentiated support based on their individual learning needs.

Students progress based on evidence of mastery, not seat time.

Students learn actively using different pathways and varied pacing.

Strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education systems.

Rigorous, common expectations for learning (knowledge, skills, and dispositions) are explicit, transparent, measurable, and transferable.

A competency-based school should implement all seven elements of the definition. Strong implementation also requires policies, pedagogy, structures, and culture that support every student. These topics are explained further in What Is Competency-Based Education? An Updated Definition and Quality Principles for Competency-Based Education.

As you learn about competency-based education you will encounter multiple phrases used to capture the practice of students advancing upon mastery: standards-based, mastery-based, performance-based, or proficiency-based.

CompetencyWorks uses the phrase "competency-based education." Why? When we started, states were already using different terms. So we decided to use the term that the U.S. Department of Education was using at the time.

What we call it isn't important. What is important is that we share a working definition that drives policy and practice towards a learner-centered system in which success is the only option.

Competency Works Resources

Competency Works, Book

Chris Sturgis, Katherine Casey

Competency Works, Report

Katherine Casey

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Competency-Based Education - Aurora Institute

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Competency-based education is a system designed to ensure all learners master academic knowledge, develop the expertise to apply it, and build the skills to be lifelong learners for future success.

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Design Thinking emphasizes empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing to solve authentic problems.
Equity Connection: It values diverse perspectives and ensures students from all backgrounds contribute to problem-solving, giving voice to underrepresented learners.

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Students collaborate in groups to identify school/community issues, brainstorm, create prototypes, and share findings. Teachers guide through empathy interviews and feedback.

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Use online tools like Jamboard, Padlet, or Google Slides for virtual brainstorming and prototyping. Students conduct digital interviews and share iterations in video reflections.

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Assessed by student engagement in the design cycle, not just the final product.

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A Flipped Classroom moves instruction outside class time (videos or readings) and uses in-person time for collaboration and practice.
Equity Connection: Students access lessons at their own pace and receive targeted support during class, promoting inclusion and accessibility.

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Students review lessons at home, then use class time for discussions, labs, and projects. Teachers circulate to clarify and reinforce learning.

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Pre-recorded lessons are posted for asynchronous viewing. Live virtual sessions focus on applying concepts and addressing questions collaboratively.

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Measured by engagement, collaboration, and mastery of in-class application tasks; formative assessments track understanding.

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https://www.edutopia.org/topic/flipped-classroom

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Home_Page - Flipped Learning Network Hub

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The "FLN" is the original non-profit online community for educators interested in learning more about the flipped classroom and flipped learning practices.

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Gamification integrates game elements to motivate learning.
Equity Connection: Encourages all students to participate by offering multiple success paths, lowering anxiety, and rewarding effort and growth.

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Use class challenges, role-playing, or team competitions with point systems. Tools like Kahoot! enhance engagement.

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Platforms like Quizizz, Gimkit, and Blooket allow online game-based review and practice. Leaderboards or badges can track achievements digitally.

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Success is shown through increased motivation, participation, and performance in formative assessments and games.

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HMH Classcraft | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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HMH Classcraft pairs ELA and math content with research-based lesson plans resulting in reduced educator planning time and increased student engagement.

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Thinking-Based Learning (TBL) teaches students to analyze, compare, and reason through concepts rather than memorize facts.
Equity Connection: It ensures all students practice critical and creative thinking, building skills for deeper comprehension regardless of prior knowledge or ability.

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Teachers use Socratic questioning, graphic organizers, and thinking routines like “See-Think-Wonder” to encourage deeper reasoning.

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Students reflect using digital journals or discussion boards (Padlet, Flip, or Jamboard). Teachers prompt students to explain their thought process or connections.

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Measured by quality of reasoning, reflection, and transfer of knowledge through performance tasks or written explanations.

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https://www.criticalthinking.org/