Today, we expect every student to be ready for the challenges of the 21st century – to learn more, to master new technologies, and to apply what they have learned in authentic/real-world contexts. The phrases “deeper learning” and “critical and creative thinking” have generated varied descriptions of the skills, knowledge, and dispositions students must possess to be able to sit at the table of opportunity and succeed in life after high school. Deeper learning happens when students become actively immersed in challenging tasks that require them to critically examine information, transfer what they have learned, and expand upon that learning to creatively experiment and construct new knowledge and insights. This does not happen in classrooms where the primary focus is getting students to comply with the work we’ve assigned and get correct answers to problems with known answers.

Standardized rubric showing proficiency|in particular|competes in student-friendly language. Students are allotted choice in representing their mastery.

Research indicates that most standards documents articulate far more content than can be taught in the time available to K–12 teachers. In response, analysts at Marzano Resources sought to identify, as objectively as possible, a focused set of critical concepts for each K–12 grade level in the content areas of English language arts (ELA), mathematics, science, and social studies.

Deliberate Practice refers to a special type of practice that is purposeful and systematic. While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.

Feedback can be defined as “information allowing a learner to reduce the gap between what is evident currently and what could or should be the case” regarding aspects of one’s performance or understanding that reduces the discrepancy between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood. Leveraging technology can enhance the feedback process in numerous ways.

Formative Assessment is a planned, ongoing process used by all students and teachers during learning and teaching to elicit and use evidence of student learning to improve student understanding of intended disciplinary learning outcomes and support students to become self-directed learners.

The Formative Assessment Process Toolkit was created by the Utah State Board of Education to support the Personalized Competency-Based Learning framework. The purpose of this toolkit is to increase capacity for educators to leverage the formative assessment process to inform personalized instruction and more effectively work with students to build competency.  *Updated April 2024.

“We’re at a key moment in human history that demands transformation|and transforming how we educate young people must be at the top of the list,” said Timothy Knowles|who became the 10th president of the Carnegie Foundation in 2021. “If it takes us 30 years to catch up to where we were before the pandemic|the United States is arguably in not just serious educational trouble|but serious social and economic trouble as well.”

Interleaved Practice involves designing and implementing a schedule of practice that mixes different kinds of problems or material within a single learning experience. For example, teachers can include addition and subtraction problems on a math task to engage students in both types simultaneously. Interleaved practice is similar to how we prepare athletes like in basketball practice where players practice many skills such as shooting, dribbling, and passing all within the same session.

The secondary supplemental mathematics course is designed to provide just-in-time,
customized support for students during the school day who would benefit from extra scaffolded
instruction in addition to their core mathematics course.

Based on the premise that all students can eventually (at their own speed) learn difficult material, this practice calls for all students to learn material at equivalently high (or mastery) levels. It often involves engaging in formative assessment processes and providing additional opportunities for students to learn content and skills.

Peer Assessment requires students to communicate (either written, verbal or online) task-relevant feedback on the quality, value, or success of the work or performance of their peers. Peer assessment involves assessing or being assessed by peers, or both. Reliable peer assessment depends on the identification of clear outcomes and an understanding of the criteria used to reach an accurate evaluation.

Welcome to the world of Personalized Competency-Based Learning (PCBL) in the English Language Arts (ELA) classroom! Here, we believe that learning should be tailored to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student. By sharing resources, design strategies, and examples of successful implementation, the goal of this website is to empower educators and students to embrace this innovative approach to education. Join us as we explore the limitless possibilities of PCBL and discover how it can revolutionize the way ELA is taught and learned.

Video tour and introduction of personalized competency based learning implementation under way at the Quest Academy Jr. High School in West Haven, Utah.

Otken Elementary, serving 500 students in grades 1-3, is in the first year of the the transition to personalized learning. They began the roll-up in 2017 with conversion to personalized learning in first grade followed by second year, next year, and so on.

Equitable grading involves eliminating the 100-point grade scale and not penalizing students for late work and missed assignments if they can demonstrate subject mastery and even if they must retake tests or redo other assessments along the way.

Feldman says these assessment practices can help address stubborn achievement gaps and streamline the grading hodgepodge. But moves toward equitable grading seem to be rolling out in a patchwork fashion, and not without pushback and confusion.

Within these SEEd Core Guides are sections that address what competency looks like for students and provide formative assessments with proficiency rubrics for teachers. This fits with the PCBL Demonstrated Competency and Assessment tenet.