Assessment Practices in Competency Education: Meeting the Needs of All Learners?

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 33
  In Roundtable Session: School Turnaround and Reform SIG Roundtable

Abstract

Competency education, an education reform aimed to ensure that all students meet high expectations, requires that students demonstrate mastery of competencies to advance and earn credit. Students receive more time and possibly personalized instruction to demonstrate mastery if needed (e.g., Le, Wolfe, & Steinberg, 2014). This reform demands significant changes to traditional practices, including assessment. This qualitative case study describes how five districts in New Hampshire implemented competency education in secondary schools, closely examining assessment approaches with a lens of equity. Findings reveal that districts used recovery and reassessment to help provide students more time to learn and work towards equity. Despite benefits, participants described concerns with equity, fairness, and student motivation. Possible solutions districts had tried are discussed.

Author

• Aubrey Scheopner Torres, Saint Anselm College