As states across the nation prioritize work-based learning experiences and industry credentials to prepare learners for careers, many are turning to student-centered learning strategies to accomplish this. Student-centered learning (SCL) prioritizes learner choice and voice while providing learners with personalized support to help them succeed. Often, SCL includes competency-based education (CBE) elements such as skills tests for assessments and evaluation metrics, portfolios, and other methods of demonstrated proficiency in career-ready skills. Supporting learners in SCL environments enables them to become active participants in their educational experiences and tailor these experiences to their own career interests. 

Advance CTE’s State Policies Impacting CTE: Year in Review series and accompanying longitudinal tracker highlight Career Technical Education (CTE) policy trends and examples, including policies that promote CBE. Through CTE policies enacted in 2025, states demonstrated continued interest in increasing work-based learning opportunities, expanding access and support for learners in CTE programs, and fostering collaboration for facilitated credential attainment, policy areas that enhance CBE. KnowledgeWorks and the Education Commission of the States, national education policy organizations, also lead policy tracking initiatives that highlight CBE policy initiatives at the state level. KnowledgeWorks partners with states and school districts to support the creation and implementation of student-centered learning policies and practices. The State of Competency-Based Education Policy Interactive Map, created by KnowledgeWorks in partnership with FullScale, offers a comprehensive overview of how K-12 education policies are supporting the shift toward CBE. With a mission to support education leaders in enacting effective policies, the Education Commission of the States’ robust State Education Policy Tracking tool houses policies spanning a wide range of education topics, including CBE.

In their respective 2025 policy-tracking efforts, Advance CTE, KnowledgeWorks, and Education Commission of the States have identified a strong connection between career-connected learning and SCL strategies, including CBE. Our organizations identified some policies enacted by states to support the growth and success of career exploration, graduation requirements, and credentialing. These policies illustrate how states are operationalizing SCL to empower learners and improve learning outcomes. 

Learner-Centered Career Guidance and Exploration 

Indiana S.B. 365 established a comprehensive statewide career navigation and coaching system to help K–12 learners explore career pathways aligned with labor market needs. The law created a new career coaching grant fund to support eligible entities, such as career coaching providers, to deliver individualized coaching aligned with learner interests. The coaching must include employer engagement, site visits, labor market data, and guidance on attaining high-wage, high-demand careers.

Montana H.B. 357 enhanced career pathway development by expanding access to CTE in the middle grades. The law required the Superintendent of Public Instruction to distribute state funds that supplement federal CTE funding to support seventh- and eighth-grade programs, helping learners engage in career exploration and skills development earlier in their academic experience. The law also appropriated $240,000 to support the unique costs of CTE in the middle grades.

Competency-Based Learning and Credentialing

Texas H.B. 4848 required at least one institution in each public university system in the state to offer a competency-based baccalaureate degree program for every high-demand field of study, subject to approval by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. These competency-based programs must cap total learner costs at 50% of the average cost of attendance at a Texas public institution, with allowable inflation-based adjustments beginning in the 2027–28 academic year. The law authorized the coordinating board to adopt rules necessary for administration and compliance.

Washington S.B. 5189 defined CBE as education that empowers learners to make important decisions about their own education, measures learner progress based on the mastery of competencies, and provides learners with timely support based on their individual learning needs, among other definitions. The law required the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to adopt rules that authorize full-time enrollment funding for learners in CBE programs identified by the State Board of Education (SBE) by September 1, 2025, and SBE must develop a process to identify CBE programs in schools and school districts and provide recommendations and associated costs to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction by December 2025. 

Flexible, Stackable Credentialing and Pathways 

Utah H.B. 260 created the First Credential program, a state-issued certificate for learners who complete qualifying pathways, including general education concurrent enrollment credits, an industry-recognized credential, a youth apprenticeship, a technical college certificate, or a CTE pathway. The law required the Board of Higher Education to ensure transferability and industry recognition of earned credits, and established a First Credential Oversight Committee to develop a master plan covering:

• Credential lists, 
• Needs assessments, 
• Industry alignment, 
• Stackability, 
• Performance funding, and
• Certification procurement. 

West Virginia H.B. 3024 created a statewide guaranteed transfer system so learners can carry credits earned in career pathways across high schools, CTE centers, community and technical colleges, and four-year institutions. The law directed the Higher Education Policy Commission and the Council for Community and Technical College Education to oversee transfer agreements, establish an advisory committee, and develop clear degree pathways for seamless transfer.

Building on these policy trends and recent resources, KnowledgeWorks, in partnership with Advance CTE and the Education Commission of the States, will host a webinar in February 2026 to explore how state policy is enabling SCL. The webinar will feature guest speakers sharing how their states are centering learner voice and creating more flexible pathways for success.

The webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. [Register here] to join the conversation and learn how these policy approaches are shaping the future of learner-centered education.

For more information about SCL policy and initiatives, visit the Advance CTE, Knowledge Works, and ECS resources below.

• Advance CTE: Empowering Learners: Kentucky’s Learner-Led CTE Program Improvement Pilot
• KnowledgeWorks: 2025 Legislative Session Recap and State Policy Framework for Personalized Learning
• Education Commission of the States: State Policies to Advance Student-Centered Pathways

This blog was written in collaboration with Lauren Bloomquist (Education Commission of the States) and Emily Brixey (KnowledgeWorks).