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ISBE Pilot Project Focuses on Competency-Based Learning

Tanya Koonce
/
Peoria Public Radio

10 school districts are participating in a pilot program designed to help the Illinois State Board of Education identify some best practices in competency-based learning. It’s a national trend in education.

 

State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith says the pilot initiative could be useful in reshaping education and how schools in the state make sure students are ready for the work force. “We think that there’s a lot of folks out there that have been doing work like this for a while and we want to build more of a community of practice for it. And we do think that it will have a big impact on the direction the state goes in understanding this.”

Rantoul has been working to implement competency-based learning in its high schools for about five years and is participating in the pilot. Scott Amerio is the Superintendent of High School District 193. He says traditionally students spend four months in a class during the semester and they often walking away with different competencies while earning the same credit.

Amerio says this is a way to allow students to get credit for working beyond basic expectations. “One of our main goals is help kids move through our graduation requirements, those that can, maybe at a little bit of a quicker pace and get them introduced to some post-secondary opportunities while they are still students of ours.”  

Peoria School District 150 is also participating in the pilot. Peoria Public High Schools have been doing something similar to Rantoul for at least three years. Peoria’s program is called Pathways to Prosperity.    

Other high schools participating in the pilot program include Chicago Public Schools as well as East St. Louis District 189, Huntley District 158, Kankakee District 111, Round Lake District 116, Proviso High School District 209 and Ridgewood High School District 234.

Most of the participating school districts are still developing specific pilot curriculum. The school districts need to have their programs in place by next year.

The Illinois State Board of Education is holding its first conference for the pilot initiative April 17, 2017.