December 7, 2015 COMPETENCY BASED EDUCATION: A NEW APPROACH TO ACCELERATION

TAACCCT LEARNING NETWORK AT A GLANCE U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration (National) Jobs for the FutureMaher & Maher American Association of Community Colleges CalState/Merlot U.S. National Science Foundation ATE Centers Other Non-Federal Providers of TA and Resources for TAACCCT Grantees: Creative Commons CAST The Transformative Change Initiative

Presenters Barbara Endel, PhD Senior Director Jobs for the Future Tara Smith Senior Program Manager Jobs for the Future Nancy Thibeault Dean, Distance Learning Sinclair Community College Ed Sargent Project Director, PACE- IT Edmonds Community College Linda Smarzik Dean, Computer Studies and Advanced Technology Austin Community College

TODAY’S AGENDA WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS OPENING PLENARY: AN OVERVIEW OF COMPETENCY BASED LEARNING APPROACHES BREAK-UP INTO GROUPS: 101 AND DEEP DIVE (50-60 MIN SESSION) WRAP-UP: TAKE-AWAYS, AND WHERE THE FIELD IS HEADING RESOURCES FOR YOUR WORK

Problem we are trying to solve The national imperative to improve postsecondary degree and credential completion and connect students to the labor market is driving strong innovations within colleges to improve student retention and academic success, particularly of non- traditional learners. Competency Based Education (CBE) is one such strong innovation.

Today’s Session Competency-Based Education (CBE) programs have proven to be a game changer for adult learners, colleges, and employers. CBE is a growing movement, with more than three hundred institutions (two- year and four-year) offering competency-based workforce training and academic programs. Emphasis on demonstrated proficiency and mastery of established, widely accepted competencies – what students know and can do – addresses long- standing concerns about the subjectivity and relevance of education. Given the promise of CBE programs as an acceleration strategy, it is essential for colleges to explore new and better ways to help students succeed. This institute will divide into a 101 break-out; and for those well into their implementation of CBE, a Deep Dive discussion is provided to facilitate questions, challenges, and sharing of lessons learned.

What is Competency Based Education? Two primary ways CBE models are structured: 1.Direct Assessment; an instructional program that, in lieu of credit hours or clock hours as a measure of student learning, utilizes direct assessment of student learning, or recognizes the direct assessment of student learning by others. The assessment must be consistent with the accreditation of the institution or program utilizing the results of the assessment. 2.Credit Based CBE; other competency-based programs designed to track learning back to seat time under the standard college credit hour.

How is Course-Based CBE Different from Traditional? Traditional 1.Defined semester/term start and end dates 2.Students progress on a time- based schedule 3.Gen. Ed. Outcomes, Program Outcomes, Course Outcomes 4.Weekly lessons 5.Advance weekly with class regardless of performance 6.Instructor led 7.Central student services Course-Based CBE 1.Flexible Starts 2.Students master competencies to progress 3.Outcomes plus competencies mapped to content and assessments 4.Modularized into Units 5.Advance to next topic / unit by demonstrating competency 6.Faculty mentor 7.Case managed by academic coach

What is Competency Based Education? Competency-Based Education: A Primer All direct assessment is competency-based, but not all competency- based is direct assessment. A competency is a clearly defined statement of the knowledge, ability, and/or skill that also includes assessment of the skill level and/or practical application of the knowledge, ability, and/or skill. Competency-based education focuses on an identifiable body of knowledge that’s taught in a conventional unit of curriculum. It is outcomes-based with a focus on a student’s ability to demonstrate mastery. Mastery is constant; time is variable.

Core Factors Competency assessments allow instructors, employers, and students to share a common language and establish standard performance procedures and expectations. Competencies require students to clearly demonstrate what they know and can do as measured against established benchmarks and rubrics for proficiency and mastery (often employer driven). CBE models empower students to manage the learning process, perhaps accelerating time to completion through prior learning assessments and self-paced online courses. CBE models purposefully align and integrate academic and other support services to help students complete programs and earn industry-recognized credentials/degrees.

Themes emerging from the evaluation of CBE programs Themes emerging from evaluation of CBE programs: Direct assessment of student learning is recognized by the Department of Education as an acceptable method to assess student learning. Direct assessment is being implemented in a variety of competency-based education degree programs around the country. Industry and faculty involvement in transforming the curriculum into the competency-based format is critical to a program’s success. This is exemplified by Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) commitment to transparency and to conducting faculty workshops to communicate progress and to allow for greater faculty participation and feedback. Many competency-based programs took a year to develop. Great care was taken to ensure faculty and other stakeholders were involved in the process. Competency-based education varies greatly in its execution. SNHU and WGU, for example, created completely new methods to deliver and assess student competencies.

A Shift to CBE Requires Strong Vision and Leadership Agreement on Competency Definitions Alignment with a Career Pathways Framework Significant Training and Support for Instructors Defining New Roles for Other Staff

Break up into sections Break up into 101 and Deep Dive Groups

Thank You! Find resources for TAACCCT success at: Subscribe to TLN resources, ask questions or connect with peers at