Competency-based education, proficiency-based learning, mastery-based learning, personalized learning, student-centered education, and standards-based education are all terms that refer to the same instructional model: one in which students make choices about how they learn and demonstrate their knowledge, learn at a pace that might differ from their classmates’, receive individualized support based on their needs, and progress based on their mastery of course material instead of seat time.
It’s now possible in every state to put this model into action. But in a recent Education Week article, Rita Fennelly-Atkinson, the senior director of credentials at the nonprofit Digital Promise, makes an important point: “It’s really hard to create competency-based education when you’ve never experienced it yourself.”
In a recent EdWeek Research Center survey, educators expressed serious concerns about the difficulties of putting this type of learning model into action in a K-12 system that has been typically slow to change. But many also see real benefits in having a model like this replace the traditional seat-time approach still in place in most schools around the country. Most also want to learn more.
The following open-ended responses from the survey show the wide range of opinions about the idea of competency-based education and whether it is realistic to put in place for K-12 students.
The responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Competency-based learning is an update for an ‘on-demand’ world
—High School Principal | Arizona
—District-Level Administrator | Arkansas
—High School Teacher (science) | California
—District Superintendent | Missouri
—High School Teacher (social studies/humanities/civics/history) | Nevada
—Middle School Teacher (English/language arts/literacy/reading) | West Virginia
Schools can adjust pedagogy, but students have to attend
—District-Level Administrator (finance/business operations) | California
—High School Teacher (social studies/humanities/civics/history) | Colorado
—High School Teacher (English/language arts/literacy/reading) | Florida
Grading needs to change, but change requires sound implementation
—High School Teacher (fine arts) | Idaho
—Middle School Teacher (special education) | Illinois
—Elementary School Teacher (special education) | Illinois
—High School Teacher (English language arts/literacy/reading) | Iowa
—Middle School Teacher (science) | Michigan
The traditional structures in place make it hard to adopt competency-based learning
—High School Teacher (fine arts) | Kentucky
—High School Teacher (English language arts/literacy/reading) | Massachusetts
—Principal | Nebraska
—High School Principal | North Carolina
—High School Teacher (English language arts/literacy/reading) | Ohio
—High School Teacher (physical education/health) | South Carolina
—District Superintendent | South Dakota
—District-Level Administrator (student services) | Virginia
Districts have tried adopting competency-based learning
—Elementary School Teacher (math/computer science/data science) | Texas
—District-Level Administrator (curriculum and/or instruction) | Texas
—District-Level Administrator | Utah
Data analysis for this article was provided by the EdWeek Research Center. Learn more about the center’s work.