Written by: Steve Nemeckay and Jeff McNeal, MDE

Districts competed for grant funding for the purpose of providing enhanced choice to pupils and parents for the completion of the requirements for kindergarten through high school diploma, including the Michigan Merit Curriculum.  The grant provides for a three-year opportunity for districts to explore, develop, and implement the systems and processes necessary for a quality Competency-Based Education program.  

Grant Winners

Section 21j of the 2017-2018 State School Aid Act and provided $500,000 to fund grants for the design and implementation of Competency-Based Education (CB-E) programs. Seven districts were awarded funds from an applicant pool after careful consideration was made based on grant criteria and a scoring rubric.  The districts are Alpena Public Schools, Armada Area Schools, FlexTech High School, Fraser Public Schools, Kenowa Hills Public Schools, Schoolcraft Community Schools, and Tecumseh Public Schools. Grantees are currently implementing year one of the three-year cycle.

Taking Different Approaches

Districts involved in the grant have taken different approaches in identifying competencies for their students.  Some districts are currently collaborating with external experts with experience in transitioning districts to a C-BE model and some districts were already working with outside consultants before receiving the grant.  Many of the districts reported visits to other states and districts that were implementing C-BE as part of their professional learning to see first-hand the changes needed for transition related to staff development and the physical layout of school buildings.

In terms of a broad strategy, C-BE aligns significantly with Michigan’s Top Ten in Ten Years Goals and Strategies Strategic Goal #2 which states “Implement, with strong district and building leadership, high-quality instruction in every classroom through a highly coherent, child-centered instructional model where students meet their self-determined academic and personal goals to their highest potential”.

MDE Collaboration

The Michigan Department of Education works closely with the seven pilot districts along with a Steering Committee which is comprised of various stakeholders that include representatives from Higher Education, Intermediate School Districts, and Superintendents, which help drive the work of C-BE throughout the state.  It is important to note that many districts that are not a part of the 21j grant have also been implementing C-BE.

The Michigan Department of Education is also partnering with the Education Policy Innovation Collaborative (EPIC) at MSU to study how the 21j districts implement their personalized approaches to learning.  Research will include surveys of principals, teachers, and students, as well as classroom observations and assessments of overall patterns and trend data.  The research was made possible with a nearly $1.5 million private grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Bringing C-BE to Your District

Many of the presenters at the Personalized Learning Conference (PLCON) 2019 on May 7th are from districts that have received this grant! By attending PLCON 2019 you will be learning from other districts that are already implementing C-BE!

You can also visit Kenowa Hills Public Schools on May 6th and/or Kent Innovation High on May 8th to see first hand how they are implementing competency-based learning.

Click HERE to visit PLCON.org and REGISTER today!

 

 

 

 

 

This blog post was written by Steve Nemeckay, Consultant, Curriculum and Instruction Unit at MDE and Jeff McNeal, Consultant, Curriculum and Instruction Unit at MDE and edited by Amanda Walma, Professional Development Coordinator at Kent ISD.