March 13, 2025

Dear Educator,

This week, I was honored to join the Missouri Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN) to share systems and structures that support competency-based assessment.

It is inspiring to see the level of alignment and momentum that this network has created across the state in just a few years. With clear goals in mind, they are convening, collaborating, and testing new practices to identify and elevate the best ideas to grow across the state.

The most important part, however, is what Mike Fulton, the network's lead facilitator, shared: “Instead of a top-down approach, this network is designed to start with the students and be designed for them and with them.” Let's take a closer look at how that design principle comes to life when developing competency-based assessment and reporting structures in a school or district.

With Gratitude,

Developing Grade-Specific, Competency-Based Progressions 

A key structure that enables competency-based systems is defining the competencies we want all learners to develop. One of the most common ways to do this is co-designing a Portrait of a Learner (or Graduate). This helps bring coherence around a shared school or district vision. But then people often wonder how to translate the Portrait to a more granular level, such as specific grade bands.

Laguna Beach USD offers a good example. As a learning community, and in alignment to their Portrait of a Learner, they co-designed grade-specific progressions to support educators with articulating and teaching specific skills at each grade band. By identifying these progressions, they brought the Portrait of a Learner to life.

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One of my favorite ways to use these progressions is to help learners self-assess and identify their glows and grows.

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Creating a shared language and alignment across the system is a key lever to develop skills in learners that our entire community (including families and learners, themselves) desire! How is your school or district bringing your portrait to life? I'd love to hear your stories!

Resources to advance your learner-centered practice

📖 This School District is Rewriting the Rules of Education—Here’s How. "Overall, in the first year of implementation, North Broadway Elementary has implemented 50 new exploratory classes, increasing student agency and personally relevant learning opportunities." Explore this story.

👩‍💻 Authentic Learning Course Bundle. "The Authentic Learning Pathway includes three courses + a bonus foundational course to help educators design real-world learning experiences, spark collaboration, and promote anytime/anywhere learning." Start learning today.

🎥 Learner-Centered Bright Spots: Making Learning Public and Closing the Year Strong. "This session will guide you through reflective practices and strategies to wrap up the year in a way that celebrates the learning across your school community." Register for this April webinar.