Featured strategy project
As research from America Succeeds makes clear, academic skills are no longer sufficient. The workforce now requires that employees possess durable skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and leadership to continually adapt to shifting workplace demands.
Three School District of Philadelphia high schools – Building 21, Workshop School, and the U School – have adopted approaches that prepare their students for life beyond high school through competency-based education models. These approaches shift the focus from traditional academic metrics to personalized, skills-driven learning, equipping students with the tools to thrive in an ever-changing world. Grounded in the science of learning, they meet students where they are, with educators designing learning progressions that build on prior knowledge while fostering growth through meaningful feedback.
A Core Set of Competencies
Over the last year, we worked with leaders from these schools to identify a set of core competencies that could be used as the foundation for measuring students’ preparedness for success beyond high school. Their goal was to learn from each other’s approaches and develop the foundation for a more holistic understanding of student success that could be used to inform a different way of assessing student progress.
Over the course of the year, we developed a unified set of 10 core competencies within three domains: analytical, personal development, and interpersonal skills. For a detailed overview, see pages 8-10 of the full report: Transforming Learning: The Power of Competency-Based Models..
Importance of clarity, humility, and creativity
Our experience reveals important lessons for other school leaders interested in collaborating on – and scaling – this type of competency-based approach.
- Identify the essential core that needs to be replicated. When collaborating with others, focus on what is most meaningful and universal across models rather than getting lost in the details.
- Embrace humility. Leaders must be willing to let go of some elements of their approach in order to align with and learn from each other.
- Adopt creative and iterative problem-solving. The competencies and outcomes of this type of collaboration will evolve over time so be ready to accept, adapt, and embrace the changes!
The Work Continues!
For systemic change to occur, it’s essential to rethink traditional structures and practices which require shifts in both mindsets and systems. As a continuation of this work, the School District of Philadelphia is embarking on a strategic effort to develop a shared vision and aligned set of principles, outcomes, and strategies for supporting innovative school models and practices across the city.
To learn more about this project, read through the project team’s report, Transforming Learning: The Power of Competency-Based Models. Our Executive Director, Claire Robertson-Kraft, also recently published a CompetencyWorks blog through the Aurora Institute – check it out here.
