1. Graduation and Completion Requirements
  2. Graduation and Completion Requirements

Graduation and Completion Requirements

Resources on topics such as competency-based education, multiple pathways, diplomas and endorsements and postsecondary admissions requirements

Building a Strong Relationship Between Competency-Based Pathways and Career Technical Education

  • Case Study
  • Guide/Tool
August 2015 —

This report by Achieve and Advance CTE lays out the leverage points between Career Technical Education (CTE) and Competency-Based Pathways (CBP) and provides guiding questions to help state and local leaders consider how CTE is, can and should be a part of their CBP strategies.

Endorsements, Electives & More: CTE & State Graduation Requirements

  • Research/ Report
April 2015 —

This Advance CTE brief explores common approaches to offering or requiring CTE courses and assessments within a statewide set of graduation requirements, offers illustrative examples of state-level policies and elevates implementation issues for consideration.

Competency-based Policies and Pathways: Lessons from Colorado and Illinois

  • Case Study
September 2016 —

This paper from Achieve draws on competency-based education programs in Colorado and Illinois to provide recommendations for states, covering issues such as assessments, accountability, educator engagement and capacity building, CTE integration and engagement of higher education

On the Path to Success: Early Evidence about the Efficacy of Postsecondary Competency-Based Education Programs

  • Case Study
October 2016 —

This report from AIR examines competency-based education models in six postsecondary institutions to determine if such programs improve quality, reduce costs, and expand student access and success. 

Meandering Toward Graduation: Transcript Outcomes of High School Graduates

  • Research/ Report
April 2016 —

This Education Trust report explores high school transcripts and finds that too many students leave high school with no clear path forward. The report identifies state and local levers, such as transcript analysis, credit policies and graduation requirements, to mitigate the challenge.

New Hampshire: Statewide Competency-Based Education

  • Policy
June 2005 —

New Hampshire has a statewide competency-based education and assessment system, requiring all students to complete competency-based pathways to graduate and demonstrate their mastery of knowledge and skills, rather than just accumulate credits based on seat time.

Louisiana: Jump Start

  • Policy
June 2014 —

Louisiana's Jump Start centers around public-private partnerships — regional teams of K-12, postsecondary and industry representatives come together to create course pathways in demanded fields, which include related workplace experiences and are anchored in an industry-recognized credential.

Policy, Pilots and the Path to Competency-Based Education: A National Landscape

  • Guide/Tool
April 2017 —

This report from ExcelinEd and EducationCounsel examines state competency-based education policies and makes recommendations to help other states launch pilot programs of their own.

The Learning that Works Resource Center was developed through the New Skills for Youth initiative, a partnership of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Advance CTE and the Education Strategy Group, generously funded by JPMorgan Chase & Co