And from the neo-liberals to end the day…

Measuring Mastery, Not Seat Time: Here’s How Schools Can Make it Work Schools across the globe are rethinking the traditional high school diploma and transcript, opting for a model that shows students have done more than earn passing grades and put in the requisite amount of seat time, and instead actually mastered critical skills. What’s the Difference Between a Standard and a Competency? Rarely is there a time when someone is demonstrating a single discipline or piece of knowledge in isolation of others, though that is often how we test and check for understanding. Aurora Institute Report Outlines Recommendations for K-12 Next Gen Credentials The publication outlines the difference between what traditional high school diplomas and next generation credentials demonstrate about a student’s learning, competency, and achievement and makes recommendations for adopting new ways of tracking them. Tacoma is Adding More Personalized Learning Opportunities Tacoma Public Schools has taken a collaborative approach to developing its choice schools, working with teachers, parents, and community members to create schools that reflect the needs and interests of the local community.

Aurora Center for Policy

Going Beyond the Traditional: Next Gen Credentials and Flexible Learning Pathways The latest Aurora Institute report, Going Beyond the Traditional: Next Gen Credentials and Flexible Learning Pathways seeks to deepen state policy makers’ understanding of the changes needed to facilitate meaningful next gen credentials and advance state policy to support those changes.

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Connecting & Convening

Register for Our Upcoming Webinar Join the Aurora Institute for an overview of innovative alternatives to the traditional high school transcript, along with state policy recommendations on designing next generation credentials as outlined in their new publication, Going Beyond the Traditional: Next Gen Credentials and Flexible Learning Pathway.

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Have You Registered for the Aurora Institute Symposium? In less than 3 months, the field’s largest gathering of education innovators working to transform K-12 education will convene in Palm Springs, CA for the Aurora Institute Symposium. Register now to join us October 15-17, 2023.

CompetencyWorks

The Power of Work-Based Learning in Competency-Based Education This post is the second in a series in anticipation of the Aurora Institute’s forthcoming report, Expanding Student Access to Worked-Based Learning: Federal Policy Recommendations. Learn how work-based learning aligns with competency-based education by actively engaging students and diversifying how students learn.

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Field Spotlight

The Innovative Models Exchange The Innovative Models Exchange is a free searchable database that supports school communities to innovate without starting from scratch. Explore the Exchange for learning models and help to implement them in your school ecosystem.

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About the Aurora Institute ​​The Aurora Institute’s mission is to drive the transformation of education systems and accelerate the advancement of breakthrough policies and practices to ensure high-quality learning for all. Aurora is shaping the future of teaching and learning through its work in policy advocacy, research, field-building, and convening. With a national and global view of education innovation, we work on systems change in K-12 education, promote best practices, examine policy barriers, and make recommendations for change to yield improved outcomes for students. Aurora envisions a world in which all people are empowered to attain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to achieve success, contribute to their communities, and advance society.

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