The 1983 eye opener, A Nation at Risk, highlighted declining student achievement and SAT scores, too. An indictment, if you will, of our public schools that preceded such education reforms as George W. Bush’s NCLB (No Child Left Behind) and Obama’s ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act), Race to the Top, and Common Core Standards.
One of the latest coming down the track now: Competency-based education (CBE) designed to improve student outcomes. Also known as proficiency-based learning, mastery-based learning, student-centered education, and standards-based education, it’s starting to make the rounds, but there’s nothing new about it.
In fact, according to education consultant Gurudev Somani, “The term ‘outcome-based education’ was first introduced back in 1988 by William G. Spady. The renowned psychologist and educationist was popular for his attempts to improve the quality of school education. He introduced outcome-based education (OBE) “to revolutionize the entire conventional learning process…[It] aimed to map, measure, and achieve pre-set educational goals.”
Tweaked over the years, it eventually lost its appeal but is now making a comeback. This latest version, says Education Week’s Kevin Bushweller, “allows students to make choices about how they learn and demonstrate their knowledge, learn at a pace that might differ from their classmates, receive individualized support based on their needs, and progress based on their mastery of course material instead of seat time.”
According to Darasa, creator and customizer of learner assessments, OBE’s key tenets are its “a learner-centric approach, outcomes-based assessments, and differentiated learning.”
Forbes Council member Bethlam Forsa says CBE is “the key to accelerating student learning.”
Moreover and according to Teachfloor.com, “[It] mainly focuses on the student as an individual first… It offers opportunities for each student to develop required skills at their own pace, collect evidence of their learning process, promote collaboration with other peers, and become lifelong learners.”
However, adds Innovate Schools’ Shianne Winston, “In competency-based learning, students must show mastery of concepts, knowledge and skills in order to move on. Some students may move quickly, while others have to spend more time to demonstrate they fully understand the material.”
As it stands, here’s the take from a recent EdWeek Research Center Survey:
- 50% of respondents had either read about CBE but never practiced it or seen it in action OR had observed it but never tried it themselves.
- 26% had never heard of it.
- 60% expect their districts “will at least begin with competency-based initiatives in the next 5 years.”
- 28% said teachers had added some elements of CBE but hadn’t changed instruction structurally.
- 17% said teacher training had begun.
- 13% said they’ve either started using it and will continue with it or haven’t started yet but should have it fully implemented within 5 years.”
Not everyone in the education community is applauding though…
The downside, say critics, is that it’s tech- and data-driven NOT teacher-driven, plus it…
- Comes with lots of record keeping for teachers.
- Forces teachers to find curricula that meet its core curriculum principles: mapping, assessment, instruction, and evaluation.
- Involves lots of planning and data analysis.
- Is said to be complicated and challenging to implement.
- Offers few chances for students to connect with their teachers—or classmates.
- Means that schools/teachers can’t develop their own goals and assessments.
- Saddles teachers with an inflexible curriculum.
- Has no set schedule or structure to it, a necessity for many kids.
- Enables stalling and putting off work that needs to get done.
- Lacks opportunities for kids to learn with and from fellow classmates.
Bottom line: With CBE, learning = specific, measurable outcomes/tasks.
As Peter Greene, the Curmudgucation blogger writes, “… Even under the best of conditions, CBE is extremely limited in what it can actually do. And unchecked, CBE wants to reduce everything to a list of competencies—even all the things that cannot really be reduced to a simple list of competencies….”
As he says, “…When we talk knowledge, CBE goes right out the window. How do we reduce an understanding of the critical realist movement in American literature to a series of competencies? We can’t… “
All aboard?
~ With my thanks and 2025 happiness wishes, Carol
