Many states are moving away from approaches that base student advancement on credits and “seat time” toward competency-based learning approaches that provide schools with the flexibility to link a student’s advancement to mastery of content. Yet few high schools or school districts systematically collect information on how much competency-based learning approaches are being implemented.
This survey and accompanying guide — developed by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast & Islands, in partnership with the Northeast College and Career Readiness Research Alliance — are designed to help high schools and school districts collect data on student experiences with competency-based learning. The survey is designed to be administered to students attending high schools in which competency-based learning is being implemented. It collects information on students’ beliefs about, exposure to, and understanding of key elements of competency-based learning. These elements include instructional practices that allow students to progress through demonstration of mastery, receive personalized instruction and learning opportunities, demonstrate mastery through flexible assessment, and develop specific skills and dispositions that may be especially critical under competency-based learning.
