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Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentialsBY HEATHER STAKER, THOMAS ARNETT, AND ALLISON POWELLSEPTEMBER 2020
TABLE OF CONTENTSExecuve SummaryIntroduconA student-centered idealReimagining educator competenciesPart 1. Developing student-centered educator competenciesModular approaches to professional developmentIntegrated alternavesThe potenal of micro-credenalsPart 2. Specifying student-centered competencies Developing a hypothesis The map of student-centered competencies Part 3. Experts’ choices of competenciesPart 4. Recommendaons for schools For pioneering educators: Help build the ecosystem For schools: Verify what you buy For issuers: Design your micro-credenals for modularity For state and district leaders and policymakers: Compensate educators ConclusionNotesAcknowledgments, About the Instute, About the authors344467911151516203535353536373839Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 2
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe idea of student-centered learning is not new; teachers have long sought to design personalized, competency-based environments that are tailored to individuals and that empower students to drive their own learning. What is new is the emergence of an online learning ecosystem and, with it, the technical possibility of equipping all students with a student-centered model. Add to this mix COVID-19, which has provoked unprecedented demand for reinventing what teachers do, and it’s the perfect combination of catalysts for a rapid conversion to student-centered schooling.But a barrier remains. Most K–12 educators today don’t have the skill sets necessary to run student-centered schools. This report helps dismantle that barrier by idenfying specic student-centered competencies for educators in the eld that can be stacked to create customized student-centered teaching micro-credenals. Part 1 uses the Theory of Interdependence and Modularity as a framework for analyzing soluons for student-centered professional development (PD). One soluon, micro-credenals, provides digital cercaons that verify an individual’s accomplishment in a specic skill or set of skills. To the extent that micro-credenals are speciable, veriable, and predictable, then they are modular in nature and overcome many of the challenges inherent in PD soluons with interdependent architecture. They could be the soluon for making student-centered PD adaptable to a variety of models, aordable, easy to set up, and customizable. Part 2 proposes 66 educator micro-credenals for student-centered teaching. No educator will need all the competencies; rather, the intenon is to name a starter set from which administrators can stack together the micro-credenals their model requires. Fourteen research-based frameworks and 25 educaon leaders informed this starter set. Part 3 proles 14 leaders who are at the vanguard of student-centered teaching and shares their personal lists of the most important educator competencies for specic roles.Part 4 oers recommendaons for how to move the micro-credenaling ecosystem forward. Pioneering educators, school leaders, micro-credenal issuers, and state and district leaders can take acons that hasten the arrival of a fully modular student-centered PD soluon.Much work remains, but micro-credenals for student-centered teaching could be the key to unlocking a personalized, competency-based educaon for all learners in all schools. Micro-credentials could be the solution for making student-centered PD affordable, easy to set up, and customizable.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 3
INTRODUCTIONDuring an education conference in a country outside the US, one of us met a young architect who was lead designer for an elegant school building nearby. Curious to know more about this architectural prodigy, we initiated a conversation. He explained that he was born in that town and had aended the local primary school here, where he was a horrible student. His teachers had deemed him mentally handicapped. Unfortunately, the school had no mechanism for guring out his needs, let alone for accommodang them. In fact, schools assigned each student to a cohort of 6-year-olds and they remained with that cohort unl high school graduaon, with everyone moving in lockstep through idencal curriculum―zero elecves (even in high school), no variaon in cohort group, and certainly no individual educaon plans.Then, at age 10, this young man’s life changed. His father accepted a job in a dierent country, where his parents enrolled him in school. Within days of the boy’s arrival, the new school informed his parents that he was brilliant―and that he was dyslexic. His parents had never heard of dyslexia. To their knowledge, no such diagnosis had existed.The architect ended his story by saying that thanks to the personal plan and strategies that the new school provided him, he learned to manage his dyslexia. He returned to his home country and became an accomplished student and exceponal architect.A student-centered idealThis young man’s new school changed his life. His teachers there nurtured his genius while helping him transcend his personal barriers. Their approach is emblemac of what is meant when people say “student-centered learning.” The term refers to an educaonal model that yields and bends to the needs and potenal of each individual student rst―not to the needs of the state, the teachers, the curriculum, the cohort, the policians, the schedules, or any other element of the system.Educators have varying formal denions of student-centered learning. But, in general, they include elements such as personalized learning, competency-based learning, and learner agency.1 The idea is to enable students to pursue a learning path that’s tailored to their own needs and ming, with a variety of opons, tools, and guides to empower them.Although the concept of student-centered learning is not new and countless teachers have modeled student-centered pracces for years, what is new is that a full online-learning ecosystem is emerging, and with it, the technical possibility to oer a exible variety of opons, tools, and guides to every learner. Online learning removes the design constraint of the past that said that, as a maer of praccality, school must mostly be a seated, standardized, single-modality proposion. As that design constraint falls, mulple new learning modalies become viable at scale―including ipped instruconal models, peer coaching, individual tutoring, adapve soware, community apprenceships, real-world projects―and blends of these modalies (hence the term blended learning).Furthermore, widespread school closures that began in the spring of 2020 in response to COVID-19 added urgency to the hope for more exible schools that can weave mulple modalies together seamlessly. The moment for a full swing to student-centered learning has arrived.Reimagining educator competenciesAlthough the appete and technical possibility for student-centered learning are stronger than ever, a looming barrier remains: Most K–12 educators today were trained for the tradional classroom model. They themselves grew up in the tradional model. Simply put, many teachers and school leaders today don’t know how to run student-centered schools.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 4
Shiing whole-hog from teacher-led to student-centered models is proving dicult. It requires the idencaon and then transformaon of the knowledge, skills, and disposions of the adults in the system. Unfortunately, many educators don’t have the training or experse to make that shi a reality. There are roughly four million pre-K–12 teachers in the US. By and large, their credenaling programs prepared them to operate in tradional sengs.2 Furthermore, most educators built their body of professional experse in convenonal sengs. Although some similaries exist between the experse needed in both tradional and student-centered sengs, enough dierences remain that educators need new experse if they are to be successful in a student-centered model. When educators lack student-centered experse, the schools where they teach are prone to regress to convenonal instrucon.3Boom line, for the US or any country to center its learning model fully around the needs and highest potenal of students, it must develop student-centered educators. How might that endeavor be possible? This paper examines four aspects of the answer.• Part 1 idenes both interdependent and modular strategies for equipping adults with student-centered competencies and analyzes each strategy’s tradeos.• Part 2 proposes 66 educator micro-credenals that could help administrators more aordably and easily equip their teams to run student-centered schools.• Part 3 proles 14 leaders who are at the vanguard of student-centered learning and shares their personal lists of the most important educator competencies for specic roles.• Part 4 oers recommendaons for schools to help educators move forward with student-centered professional development.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 5
PART 1. DEVELOPING STUDENT-CENTERED EDUCATOR COMPETENCIESThe K–12 community needs a new set of mindsets, dispositions, and skills to operate student-centered schools. What is the best solution for developing these competencies?A few years ago as seven school teams were leaving a workshop that one of us had led, a technology specialist from Arkansas stayed behind to talk. Her team had completed our two-day event about student-centered learning. They had successfully draed their goals and designed a new middle school experience premised on real-world projects; Socrac discussion; the teacher role shiing from instructor to coach; and students progressing along personalized, competency-based paths. But this leader was disappointed. She had hoped the workshop would give her tools to ready her sta for implementaon. Although the workshop gave her a strategic vision, she felt empty-handed.That experience caused us to wonder: Is there a way to name and develop those competencies collecvely, rather than each school invenng a soluon? That day we sketched Figure 1 to capture these quesons.These quesons triggered a research project that is culminang with this report. For student-centered learning to become viable across schools, the system will need a realisc soluon for equipping educators with student-centered competencies. Currently, no such system exists. To understand why this is the case, it is helpful to look at the current state of educator professional learning through the lens of innovaon theory.Specically, the Theory of Interdependence and Modularity gives us a framework for understanding two exisng methods for student-centered professional development and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. Using this theory, we will analyze a third soluon and explain why we think it has potenal for helping to solve the educator development problem.What is the Theory of Interdependence and Modularity? It comes from the engineering world, which views products as having an architecture, or a set of components and subsystems and a way that they all t together. For example, the architecture of a table lamp includes such components as an electrical cord, the body of the lamp, a socket for the light bulb, and a lampshade on the top. The point where two components of a system t together is called an interface. Some of the interfaces in a table lamp include the point where the light bulb twists into the socket, and the point where the cord plugs into an electrical outlet.Some products have a modular architecture and others have an interdependent architecture. The architecture of a product determines several things about it, such as how quickly it can be set up and how easily it can be customized. There’s a parallel between product architecture and the ways that schools have approached educator professional development for student-centered teaching.For student-centered learning to become viable across schools, the system will need a realistic solution for equipping educators with student-centered competencies.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 6
Figure 1. Common quesons around student-centered competenciesModular approaches to professional developmentProducts with a modular architecture have standardized interfaces. The specicaons for a modular interface allow the organizaons developing the various components of a larger architecture to operate at arm’s length. For example, dierent manufacturers can produce parts of a lamp―various types and colors of light bulbs, lamp shades, and lamp bodies―and sell them at Walmart without ever talking to each other about how to ensure their components t together. They do not need to collaborate as they design their separate components because the specicaons of the modular interface explain exactly how their components should t together. Modular interfaces allow for easy set-up and customizability. Components of the system can be changed or upgraded without having to redesign the enre system, as long as they conform to the specicaons of the modular interface that connects them to the broader system. For example, Modular interfaces allow for easy set-up and customizability.How do I get buy-in?How do I nurtureagency?How do I releasecontrol?What’s my new roleanyway?Whatsowareshould we use?How do Iadjust foreach learner?What should I do with allthis data?Does thismatch the learningscience?Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 7
you can swap a “so white” 60W incandescent bulb in a table lamp for a “daylight” 40W equivalent LED bulb without needing to replace the lamp because the various types of bulbs conform to a modular interface that denes how lamps and bulbs t together.Modularity in K–12 schoolsThere are a number of modular interfaces within the US educaon system. For example, credit hours and course sequences dene modular interfaces whereby a series of courses taught by dierent teachers t together to meet the requirements for a diploma. College and career academic standards aim to dene a modular interface between K–12 schools and the college and university system. Edtech interoperability standards aim to dene modular interfaces whereby various edtech products interact with one another. Lastly, teaching and accreditaon standards dene modular interfaces between educator development programs and K–12 schools. These interfaces aim to make it possible for dierent organizaons across the educaon ecosystem to provide pieces of that ecosystem while working independently.Unfortunately, when it comes to developing educators who can meet the needs of each student, the prevailing modular soluons do not work well. It would be nice if schools could just hire cered teachers capable of reliably operang their student-centered models. Yet few college or university programs oer robust training on student-centered teaching.4 Those that do, such as the Texas Tech College of Educaon, George Mason University, and the University of Florida, give teachers valuable exposure to student-centered concepts, but don’t produce teachers who can reliably operate in any given student-centered model without needing addional development to meet the specic requirements of the parcular school. Alternavely, it would be nice if schools could just hire professional development providers to give their teachers the experse they need to run student-centered educaon. Currently, a number of organizaons—including Ready to Blend and the Christensen Instute—oer valuable workshops on student-centered learning. But even the best workshops can’t ensure that educators have all the aconable skills they need to hit the ground running with student-centered teaching. Schools and educator teams sll have to gure a lot out on their own.Three keys to making modularity workFor modular components in a system to work well together, Modularity Theory points to three essenal condions.51. Speciability: The organizaons on both sides of the modular interface need to know what to specify—which aributes of the component are crucial to the operaon of the system, and which are not. 2. Veriability: They must be able to measure those aributes so that they can verify that the specicaons have been met. 3. Predictability: There cannot be any poorly understood or unpredictable interdependencies across the modular interface. When the components on both sides of the interface come together, they need to reliably produce the desired outcomes. When these condions are met, the components of a system that come from dierent organizaons—such as educator development and student-centered model design—can funcon together reliably even though the organizaons that create them operate separately.The last decade saw considerable progress in approaching speciability. A number of prominent naonal organizaons—such the Aurora Instute (formerly iNACOL),6 the Council of Chief State School Ocers (CCSSO),7 and the Internaonal Society for Technology in Educaon (ISTE)8—created standards that specify knowledge, skills, and mindsets educators need for student-centered teaching. These eorts help educator development programs design learning experiences that address what schools need in When it comes to developing educators who can meet the needs of each student, the prevailing modular solutions do not work well.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 8
order for their educators to successfully implement student-centered learning. In eect, they start to dene the requirements for potenal modular interfaces between educator development programs and student-centered schools.But speciability alone does not ensure that modular interfaces will funcon as needed. Veriability and reliability are also key. Unfortunately, the predominant modular approaches to educator development—such as college-based credenaling and professional development workshops—fall short because they can’t sasfy these laer two condions. The lack of a veriable and predictable way for schools to outsource student-centered professional development to third-party modular soluons is a problem. They are missing out on the aordability, ease of set-up, and customizability that a modular world oers. If a school could hire any number of outside organizaons to reliably train its sta according to well-dened specicaons, it could choose from a variety of providers, which would both drive down costs and allow for easy customizaon. Yet that modular world simply does not exist. And unl it emerges, the transformaon to student-centered teaching must rely on integrated alternaves.Integrated alternativesIn the early stages of a new product or system, the interfaces between the parts are oen messy and unpredictable. The components aect each other in uncertain ways. This means that to gure out how to get reliable performance, a single team or organizaon usually needs to control every aspect of the design and producon or else risk encountering unreliable performance issues. In this stage, a system is said to have an interdependent architecture.Take Lockheed Marn’s F-22 ghter jet. To push the froner of aircra performance, Lockheed Marn couldn’t just build the F-22 by clicking together standard aircra parts. It needed to design the aircra end-to-end, with control over all the interdependent interfaces, so its engineers could count on reliable performance.In a similar way, school systems that have wanted reliable performance in their student-centered implementaons have used integrated soluons. They’ve chosen between two basic approaches: internally designed professional development and model provider professional development. Internally designed professional developmentOne approach is for a school or district to internally design its student-centered professional development (PD) according to its needs, somemes in collaboraon with consultants. For example, New Jersey’s Morris School District appointed its own maverick team to bring about system-wide transformaon. The change began ve years ago when the superintendent, Mackey Pendergrast, invited all his administrators to read Blended: Using Disrupve Innovaon to Improve Schools and aend Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 9
a three-day “Blended Academy,” which awakened their desire to update their tradional classroom model. They launched a series of PD iniaves to transform teaching, including sta training on social and emoonal learning; restorave pracces; curriculum redesign; blended learning; and Canvas, Google Classroom, and i-Ready soware. Today, many look to Morris School District as a vanguard of student-centered learning.Model provider professional developmentThe other type of integrated approach comes from model providers. A model provider is an organizaon that partners with schools to provide a bundle of comprehensive, aligned, and well-informed instruconal resources.9 Some well-known model providers include Summit Learning, Acton Academy,10 and New Classrooms. With model providers, an outside organizaon provides both the learning model and the educator development for empowering educators to operate that learning model. The model provider does the heavy liing of guring out how to integrate the unpredictable interdependencies between educator development and their parcular student-centered learning model. Schools then adopt the whole package as one integrated bundle.Analyzing integrated alternavesBoth of these approaches—internally designed PD and model provider PD—have advanced student-centered teaching. Integrated approaches give pioneering educaon leaders the maximum degree of freedom for nkering with their student-centered models and their PD at both sides of the interface unl they discover what works. For example, a school pursuing student-centered teaching may nd that, in addion to training teachers on parcular edtech tools or strategies, they also need training on mindset changes. Alternavely, a school may nd that its PD processes don’t provide educators with frequent enough feedback and may, therefore, make adjustments accordingly. Shis and adjustments to PD are possible with an integrated architecture. However, as we look to the scaling of student-centered models across more schools and districts, both of the integrated alternaves have drawbacks. Internally designed PD requires signicant investment to get it to work well. Pioneering educators need to spend me studying other student-centered schools and their models to get a sense for the soluons they want to build. They need to experiment, pilot, and rene their own model to a point where they start seeing the results they hope for. Then they need to gure out how to teach their sta the model. It’s a process that takes years. And although we celebrate the growing number of schools that undertake the eort, for most it is out of reach. Working with consultants, such as 2Revoluons, Educaon Elements, or the Highlander Instute, can help make the internal design process quicker and easier. But consultants have their own costs that make them hard to aord. Model provider PD can make the transion to student-centered learning easier, but working with model providers can also prove unviable for many schools for two reasons. First, model providers, like consultants, can be expensive. Second, the models available may not meet a school’s needs. The Teach to One model only serves middle school math. The Summit Learning model only serves grades 4‒12 in core subjects. Acton Academy’s model doesn’t conform to some of the policy mandates under which public schools must operate. Furthermore, a school may nd that its curricular priories do not match the model provider’s recipe. Model providers are one of the most scalable opons in the eld right now. But even so, their models do not t with many of the varied needs across the K–12 landscape.In sum, internally designed soluons and model providers have both made pioneering progress. By taking an integrated approach, they have advanced the development of student-centered models and the competencies Pioneering educators need to spend time studying other student-centered schools and their models to get a sense for the solutions they want to build. Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 10
necessary to make student-centered learning work. But for student-centered learning to reach a broader scale, the development of educator competencies will need to be as reliable as integrated soluons, but even more aordable, easy to set up, and customizable to varied needs.The table that follows summarizes the dierences between interdependent architecture, which leads to integrated soluons, and modular architecture with modular soluons.Figure 2. Key dierences between interdependence and modularityThe potential of micro-credentialsMicro-credenals may be the soluon that takes student-centered learning to the next level. Micro-credenals are digital cercaons that verify an individual’s accomplishment in a specic skill or set of skills. Four aributes characterize micro-credenals.1. Competency-based: To earn a micro-credenal, an educator must submit evidence—such as a classroom video, student surveys, or lesson plan—to demonstrate their competence in a skill.2. Personalized: Individuals or schools can choose the stack of micro-credenals to earn based on each educator’s individual needs and professional goals.3. On-demand: Educators can start and nish a micro-credenal whenever they want.4. Shareable: Educators can share their micro-credenals on resumes and as a way to earn professional endorsements.11 In November 2015, BloomBoard and Digital Promise announced a partnership to launch a micro-credenal plaorm to support competency-based learning for teachers.12 Since then, the two organizaons have parted ways, but connue to be among the most prominent groups oering micro-credenals. At present, other organizaons such as the Naonal Educaon Associaon (NEA) have also developed micro-credenals.13Modularity Theory illuminates why micro-credenals hold promise as the primary mechanism for building a modular world for student-centered educator development. At the same me, the theory points to potenal weaknesses in micro-credenals that will need to be managed.Assume for a moment that micro-credenals are fully speciable, veriable, and predictable. If that is the case, then they overcome many of the challenges inherent in other PD soluons. While internally designed PD is dicult, me-consuming, and expensive to develop, micro-credenals can be outsourced from external providers while remaining plug-compable with a school’s model. While model provider PD does not oer easy Inteated • Example outside of educaon: Examples in educaon: MODULAR • Example outside of educaon: Examples in educaon: Contrasting product architecture typesContrasting product architecture typesChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 11
alteraons, micro-credenals can be stacked together in any number of ways to meet the needs of a wide variety of models. And while the prevailing semi-modular soluons—such as university courses and PD workshops—are not model specic and do not reliably prepare educators to hit the ground running, the chunked, stackable, and competency-based nature of micro-credenals can make them highly responsive to schools’ needs. To the extent that they meet the three requirements for modularity, micro-credenals could be just the soluon schools need. But do micro-credenals actually meet the requirements?Let’s start with speciability. The organizaons on both sides of a modular interface (in this case, the school on one side and the micro-credenal provider on the other) need to know what to specify—which competencies are crucial. In the early days of student-centered learning, specicaon would have been impossible. The models were evolving, so the knowledge, skills, and mindsets teachers needed in those models were unclear. The eld needed pioneering schools and model providers to invent integrated soluons in order to work out the interdependencies between educator development and the needs of student-centered learning models.But now, by learning from the years of accumulated experience of the pioneers in student-centered educaon, specifying the granular PD needs of a variety of student-centered models is becoming viable. In fact, Part 2 of this paper aempts to do exactly that. The more clearly and accurately we can specify the competencies for student-centered learning, the more viable micro-credenals become. How about veriability? Schools must be able to measure student-centered competencies so that they can verify that the specicaons have been met.Micro-credenals’ major innovaon is their aempt to add veriability to educator standards and modular professional development. Educators earn micro-credenals not by compleng a course of training, but by demonstrang to paid evaluators their mastery of the competencies specied for that micro-credenal. The typical way for these micro-credenal issuers (such as Digital Promise and BloomBoard) to verify competency is by requesng that a micro-credenal candidate submit a collecon of arfacts that demonstrate the intended skillset. The arfacts range from classroom videos to student surveys to lesson plans. One risk in terms of the veriability of micro-credenals is whether issuers can rely on these arfacts as sucient evidence to fully verify competency. Furthermore, candidates could “game” the arfacts by subming borrowed or doctored arfacts that aren’t truly representave of the educator’s actual pracce. Issuers will need to test arfacts and their vericaon systems carefully to ensure that the evidence is sucient and authenc. The third consideraon is predictability. An educator with the right stack of specied micro-credenals must plug into a job funcon at the school in a way that reliably produces the desired outcomes.School leaders may nd that, even if a teacher candidate has a set of micro-credenals, they sll can’t be certain that the new hire will have what it takes to funcon in a parcular role. In other words, the micro-credenal stack proves to be unpredictable. In that case, the source of the problem stems from the other two condions. It could be that the bundle of micro-credenals may not yet fully specify the complete set of essenal competencies needed for that parcular role. Or, it may be that the system for verifying competencies fails to accurately assess essenal competencies before awarding the micro-credenals. The chunked, stackable, and competency-based nature of micro-credentials make them highly responsive to schools’ needs.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 12
These potenal limitaons of micro-credenals will certainly bear out for some schools that try to use them. Nonetheless, we are opmisc that micro-credenals are closer to bringing about a modular world for student-centered educator advancement than are other soluons presently available. They are especially promising in three scenarios. For one, many schools might nd the alternaves to be lacking: internally designed PD is too dicult; model provider PD is ill-suited to their needs; and training workshops and degree programs are ineecve. Such schools are likely to view micro-credenals as the most viable opon. Although pioneering schools on the froner of student-centered learning—the most demanding schools—are likely to opt for the high performance of integrated soluons, the rest of the pack could nd that a modular alternave like micro-credenals is plenty sucient.Second, even the most demanding schools may nd that a hybrid of micro-credenals and internally designed PD soluons works best for them. For example, a school could use some micro-credenals to develop basic competencies, but then supplement those with training and experiences that the school designs itself.Third, micro-credenals, like any innovaon, should improve over me. In response to feedback between micro-credenal issuers and the schools that hire them, micro-credenals will evolve. They’ll get beer at delivering the predictability that more demanding schools need from them. Although the rst instanaons of micro-credenals for student-centered teaching will not be a perfect soluon for all professional development across the student-centered educaon landscape, they are nonetheless an experiment to connue pursuing. They have the potenal to sasfy the three requirements for modularity in ways that other soluons can’t. Because of their promising modular architecture, they could be a key catalyst in geng student-centered teaching to a pping point where its pracces gain widespread adopon across K–12 educaon.Micro-credentials could be a key catalyst in getting student-centered teaching to a tipping point where its practices gain widespread adoption.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 13
Figure 3. Professional development opons for student-centered teaching Inteated tis MODULAR OPTIONSInternally designed PDDesigned to meet the needs school or school systemand expensive to developMorris School District’s maverick teamModel provider PDProvides a already been and improved conformity to an external provider’s modelTeach to OneWorkshops and degree programsto accesspredictabilityprograms in Ready to BlendMicro-credenals competenciespredictability can BloomBoard or Digital Promise programsProsConsExamplesContrasting product architecture typesContrasting product architecture typesChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 14
PART 2. SPECIFYING STUDENT-CENTERED COMPETENCIESAlthough student-centered educator competencies will vary by school and role, the field can work together to specify the collective set.We’ve established that, for schools to realize the benets of a modular world, they need a student-centered PD soluon that is speciable, veriable, and predictable. We are devong Part 2 of this paper to make headway toward that rst requirement: speciability. The idea is to specify precisely which competencies educators need within student-centered schools so that micro-credenal issuers (such as BloomBoard and Digital Promise) and the organizaons they partner with to author micro-credenal content can develop micro-credenals that precisely match those specicaons.One way to visualize this project is to imagine a bin of LEGO bricks. Each brick represents a student-centered competency. The goal is to ensure that the bin contains all of the bricks that the broad variety of student-centered school leaders needs to be able to build their specic school models. No school will need all of the competencies that those LEGO bricks represent; rather, the bin of LEGOs represents the collecve set from which each school leader can select the bricks she needs to create specic stacks of competencies for each role. A leader might select a stack of three red bricks, two blue les, and one set of wheels for a face-to-face teacher, an enrely dierent stack for a team of instruconal designers, and yet a third stack for the administrators.We wondered: How many student-centered competencies would the LEGO bin need to enable all student-centered schools to build their stacks? Would the number be eight—or more like 8,000? And what competencies would be in that bin? Developing a hypothesisWe began by siing through several frameworks to develop a hypothesis about which competencies to include in our starter bin. In total, we deconstructed frameworks from 14 organizaons: Acton Academy, the Aurora Instute (formerly iNACOL), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundaon, BloomBoard, CCSSO, CompetencyWorks, Educaon Elements, Great Schools Partnership, iLead Academy, Master Teacher, Mesa County School District 51, Quality Maers, Summit Public Schools, and the Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance.That process resulted in a starter list of 84 competencies, including mindset-type competencies, such as “Modeling a Growth Mindset” and “Embracing Change”; taccal pracces, such as “Giving Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 15
Feedback” and “Building Relaonships of Trust”; implementaon skills, such as “Procuring Hardware and Soware” and “Organizing Your Team”; and several other clusters of competencies.Fast-forward, it’s February 27, 2020. Three long tables created a U-shape large enough for 25 chairs at the AT&T Conference Center in Ausn, Texas. As the invitees entered the room, it seemed we needed a red carpet. Assembled together were some of the pioneers of the next generaon of K–12 schools. The 25 parcipants who made it a star-studded event are listed in Figure 4.Our task?Pressure-test our starter list of competencies and develop a consensus about the nal list to specify in this report.Although the 25 parcipants in our Student-centered CEO Summit included only a fracon of the notable pioneers of student-centered schools, the aendees represented a cross-secon of experse in student-centered learning. David Fairman, managing director of the Consensus Building Instute, facilitated the discussion.By the end of the Summit, plus several follow-up emails, we’d agreed to our best hypothesis of 66 competencies that form the collecve building blocks of student-centered schooling.The map of student-centered competenciesIn response to feedback from parcipants in the Student-centered CEO Summit, we developed a map that includes a total of 66 student-centered educator competencies, grouped into 13 sets, or professional endorsements. Figure 5 depicts the full map of student-centered competencies. Figure 6 shows the recommended professional endorsements for the teacher role, Figure 7 for members of a school design team, and Figure 8 for school leaders. Although these maps are imperfect, they oer a starng point and indicate direconally where student-centered educators should head.NameMalika AliJoe BaagliaAlin BenneAnirban BhaacharyyaMichael BrophyMira BrowneMahew ClaytonMallory Dwinal-PalischSami ForsterJill GurtnerVirgel HammondsUlcca HansenChristopher HarringtonChrise HuckJeremy JonesNicholas Palomino MendozaReid NeweyJohnna Noll Jonathan OglesbyJeff D. SandeferChrisna TheokasDevin VodickaNatalie WoodsKelly YoungBurak YilmazOrganizaonHighlander InstuteThe MET Rhode IslandThe Learning CommunityTranscend EducaonWest Valley School District #208Summit Public SchoolsSlope School, an Acton AcademyOxford Teachers AcademyWisconsin Digital learning CollaboraveClark Street Community SchoolKnowledgeWorksEducaon ReimaginedMichigan VirtualCity Garden MontessoriThe Learning AcceleratorTeach for America HoustonDavis School DistrictNorris School DistrictReady to BlendActon AcademyTurnaround for ChildrenAltude LearningEducaon ElementsEducaon ReimaginedHarmony Public SchoolsFigure 4. Student-centered CEO Summit parcipantsChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 16
Nurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysGradually Releasing Control to LearnersCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityCollaborang through TeamingTurning Learning into Games with Transparent RulesPlanning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsDesigning Flex & Enriched Virtual ModelsAssessing Individual Student Needs for Blended LearningDesigning a Weekly Blended Learning ArcImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignImplemenng Universal Design for LearningProcuring Full-course & Supplemental Online ContentCreang Playlists & Curang ContentWorking through ConflictEngaging Parents to Support Blended LearningOnboarding Students to Blended LearningDesiging for Neural DiversityDesigning for English Language LearnersDesigning for Online AccessibilitySupporng Digital Health, Safety, Nequee & An-plagiarismEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceBuilding Relaonships with Individual Students in a Blended EnvironmentEstablishing Norms of Engagement in Blended EnvironmentsEnsuring Trauma-informed Pedagogical DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionComplying with Intellectual Property LawsEnhancing Community through Team Building& CeremonyEnhancing Community in the Online ClassroomAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonGrouping Students FlexiblyBuilding Relaonships of TrustDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Personalizing LearningGiving FeedbackEquipping Learners to Interpret & Respond to Their DataCreang the Virtual Environment for Blended LearningEnsuring Data Privacy & Student Safety OnlineModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsEngaging Parents to Support LearningImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportSeng SMART Innovaon GoalsForming Your Transformaon TeamAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsStorytelling in a Way that Celebrates HeroesIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsAddressing Individual Student Needs for Blended LearningProcuring TechnologyManaging TechnologyCreang the Space for Blended LearningDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyDeveloping the Skill of Assessing for CompetencyDesigning Learning ObjecvesTracking & Organizing Competency DataImplemenng a Competency-based Transcript or PorolioHiring for & Nurturing Student-centered MindsetsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningDealing with Outdated Local, State & Federal PoliciesChoosing Your Foundaonal Design PillarsInnovang with Discovery-driven PlanningProfessional EndorsementsFoundaons of Blended LearningFoundaonal Infrastructure for Blended LearningFoundaonal Student-centered Mindsets Student-centered Diversity, Equity & InclusionSocially Embedded, Open-walled LearningUser Experience (UX) for StudentsAdvanced Student-centered LeadershipCoaching Individuals & TeamsEmpowering LearnersCompetency-based LearningOnline ContentStudent-centered CultureStudent-centered LeadershipFigure 5. The full map of student-centered competencies Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 17
Figure 6. Student-centered competencies for teachersFigure 7. Student-centered competencies for design teamsStudent-Centered CompetenciesFor Teachers/GuidesNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysGradually Releasing Control to LearnersCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityCollaborang through TeamingDesigning a Weekly Blended Learning ArcBuilding Relaonships with Individual Students in a Blended EnvironmentWorking through ConflictAssessing Individual Student Needs for Blended LearningEstablishing Norms of Engagement in Blended EnvironmentsSupporng Digital Health, Safety, Nequee & An-plagiarismEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceEngaging Parents to Support Blended LearningOnboarding Students to Blended LearningEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyEnhancing Community in the Online ClassroomBuilding Relaonships of TrustGiving FeedbackEquipping Learners to Interpret & Respond to Their DataModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsStorytelling in a Way that Celebrates HeroesIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsGrouping Students FlexiblyStudent-Centered CompetenciesFor Design TeamsTurning Learning into Games with Transparent RulesPlanning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsDesigning Flex & Enriched Virtual ModelsImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignImplemenng Universal Design for LearningProcuring Full-course & Supplemental Online ContentCreang Playlists & Curang ContentDesiging for Neural DiversityDesigning for English Language LearnersDesigning for Online AccessibilityEnsuring Trauma-informed Pedagogical DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionComplying with Intellectual Property LawsDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Personalizing LearningDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsEngaging Parents to Support LearningImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyDeveloping the Skill of Assessing for CompetencyDesigning Learning ObjecvesTracking & Organizing Competency DataImplemenng a Competency-based Transcript or PorolioChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 18
Figure 8. Student-centered competencies for school leadersStudent-Centered CompetenciesFor LeadersCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityCollaborang through TeamingWorking through ConflictEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonBuilding Relaonships of TrustGiving FeedbackCreang the Virtual Environment for Blended LearningEnsuring Data Privacy & Student Safety OnlineModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsSeng SMART Innovaon GoalsForming Your Transformaon TeamAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsStorytelling in a Way that Celebrates HeroesAddressing Individual Student Needs for Blended LearningCreang the Space for Blended LearningProcuring TechnologyManaging TechnologyHiring for & Nurturing Student-centered MindsetsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningDealing with Outdated Local, State & Federal PoliciesChoosing Your Foundaonal Design PillarsInnovang with Discovery-driven PlanningCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 19
PART 3. EXPERTS’ CHOICES OF COMPETENCIESWe invited participants of the Student-centered CEO Summit to specify the stacks of competencies that they need most in their respective programs, based on their philosophy of learning and their school’s circumstances. For micro-credenals to truly be modular, schools must be able to mix and match the competencies they are seeking for each role. In the following 14 proles, educaon leaders describe their program, name their stack of 10 essenal competencies for their program, and then name their stack of competencies that are important to a specic role in that program.14Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 20
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEHarmony Public Schools (charter network)Highlighted school: Representave exampleChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 21Burak YilmazProject DirectorHighlighted school's beliefs include:All students are capable of learning and achieving at high levels through a rigorous and relevant curriculum that prepares them for higher educaon and reinforces lifelong learning skills • All learning is underpinned by a web of relaonships that forms a strong culture • Instrucon is learner-centered with emphasis on STEM, powered by a combinaon of personalized learning approaches, including blended learning and project-based learning • The personalized learning model leverages data and adapve learning technologies while addressing social and emoonal learning needs of students • Educator and student voice and choice are valued in lessons, projects, assignments, and acvies connected to community and global issues • Students engage in yearly open-ended, standards-based projects, engaging them in service-learning as they seek to develop soluons to problems and address community needs. Highlighted role: Face-to-face teacherA classroom teacher is a learning facilitator, guide, and resource. The teacher has a strong understanding of personalized learning and knows students well to cater to their academic and social-emoonal needs, guiding them to maximize their learning potenal. The teacher models growth mindset and lifelong learning, nurtures student agency, designs acvies connected to real-life problems, gives mely feedback, helps students set goals and track progress, uses data to inform planning and modify instrucon, gives students voice and choice, collaborates with colleagues to elevate teaching and learning, and engages parents in supporng students.ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLPlanning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsDesigning Flex & Enriched Virtual ModelsCreang Playlists & Curang ContentEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceBuilding Relaonships of TrustPersonalizing LearningModeling a Growth MindsetEngaging Parents to Support LearningSeng SMART Innovaon GoalsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysGradually Releasing Control to LearnersCollaborang through TeamingGrouping Students FlexiblyGiving FeedbackEquipping Learners to Interpret & Respond to Their DataModeling a Growth MindsetModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsEngaging Parents to Support LearningAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyTracking and Organizing Competency Data
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 22Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Eecve educaonal experiences for students must be student-centric • Deep learning occurs when students make personal connecons with educaonal acvies •Technology will enrich, accelerate, and extend learning • The use of school technology will prepare students to funcon more eecvely in an ever-changing global society • Students and sta must be skilled users of technology; acquiring and maintaining technology skills is a lifelong process • Teachers and sta must strive to be leaders in educaonal technology for the benet of student learning • Students and sta must have ubiquitous access to reliable and appropriate technology resources • Providing blended learning experiences for students will help meet the unique needs of diverse learners while maintaining individual accountability in a rigorous academic environment • Students and sta must understand and apply the ethical guidelines associated with the use of technology • Parents play an integral role in their children’s educaon, and they must acvely partner with teachers and administrators to connect formal and informal uses of technology.Highlighted role: School superintendent/directorThis individual is responsible for working with the school’s or district’s board of directors to ensure that the curriculum and the will of the greater school community are delivered in a way that meets the expectaons of stakeholders. This individual serves as the instruconal leader, the culture builder, and the change agent to deliver on these expectaons.Michigan Virtual Learning Research InstuteHighlighted school: Representave exampleChristopher HarringtonDirectorESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritSeng SMART Innovaon GoalsForming Your Transformaon TeamHiring for & Nurturing Student-centered MindsetsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningDealing with Outdated Local, State & Federal PoliciesChoosing Your Foundaonal Design PillarsNurturing AgencyGradually Releasing Control to LearnersCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonPersonalizing LearningModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritSeng SMART Innovaon GoalsForming Your Transformaon TeamHiring for and Nurturing Student-centered MindsetsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningDealing with Outdated Local, State & Federal PoliciesChoosing Your Foundaonal Design Pillars
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 23Highlighted school’s beliefs include:All children have the opportunity to realize their full potenal, and outcomes cannot be predicted by race or income • Racial equity can and will be achieved by growing generaons of individuals whose physical, intellectual, social, and emoonal needs are deeply met; who have meaningful relaonships with people of dierent racial idenes and who are aware of and have embraced their own racial idenes; who understand systemic racism; and who feel connected and accountable to something larger than themselves • Children who are nurtured and educated in environments that are commied to all of these things will serve as catalysts for instuonal and cultural transformaon. As children become adults, and as the families and neighborhoods connected to these schools are impacted, we believe that this model can ulmately lead to incremental progress toward racial equity in St. Louis and beyond, over generaons.Highlighted role: GuideThis role prepares the physical and emoonal environment so that children’s desires to learn and explore are met, and all obstacles to learning are removed. The Montessori guide spends me preparing learning materials; observing children’s acons and how their innate “sensive periods” reveal themselves; planning lessons and acvies that respond to individual children’s needs; and facilitang opportunies for children to pracce respect for themselves and one another, contribute to the community, and build a pracce society within the classroom.City Garden Montessori SchoolHighlighted school: City Garden Montessori SchoolChrise HuckChief Execuve OcerESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyGrouping Students FlexiblyBuilding Relaonships of TrustModeling a Growth MindsetModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsCreang the Space for Blended LearningNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionEnhancing Community through Team Building& CeremonyBuilding Relaonships of TrustModeling a Growth MindsetModeling Social & Emoonal Skills
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 24Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Students should develop agency, collaboraon, and problem-solving skills through a whole-child, competency-based, authenc learning experience • Students’ days should include a blend of whole-class community-based acvies and individualized me.Highlighted role: TeacherThis is a learner-centered school. Students are organized into grade spans with a maximum of 150 students in each cohort (K–2, 3rd–5th, and 6th–8th). Teachers work in teams of ve to seven to serve each cohort. Altude LearningHighlighted school: Altude Learning Micro-SchoolDevin VodickaChief Impact OcerESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEDevin VodickaNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysPlanning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsBuilding Relaonships of TrustDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyDeveloping the Skill of Assessing for Competency
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 25Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Every person who enters our doors is a genius who deserves to nd a calling that will change the world.Highlighted role: GuideA guide is a game maker who oers young heroes, or learners, games to play next. A guide also equips, inspires, and connects learners with powerful launches for the day. The person in this role asks Socrac quesons and oers growth mindset praise.Acton Academy NetworkHighlighted school: Acton Academy AusnJe SandeferLead EvangelistESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLNever Answer a Queson; Offer Concrete Choices & Encouragement Instead*Tools & Systems Studio Leaders Can Use to Improve their Communies*Using Peer-review Surveys for Learner-driven Accountability*Planning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsTracking & Organizing Competency Data*This competency is specialized to Acon Academy. It is not on the shared map.*This competency is specialized to Acon Academy. It is not on the shared map.Jeff SandeferModeling a Growth MindsetEngaging Parents to Support LearningWorking through ConflictTurning Learning into Games with Transparent RulesLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsStorytelling in a Way that Celebrates Heroes
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 26Highlighted school’s beliefs include:We will transform public educaon to ensure that every child deeply understands their personal genius and condently understands how they can use it for the greater good • There is a powerful, mutually benecial relaonship between a supporve and empowering community and fostering the inner genius of every individual • We are all capable of brilliance, and our community not only supports but expects brilliance from all • We raise all individuals and the collecve up to create a transformaonal educaonal experience • We connue to oer this transformaonal experience to all in the CSCS community while sharing what we have learned with the larger educaonal community in order to inspire change on a broader level.Highlighted role: Principal/leader of an innovaon zone within a school districtBecause the goal of an innovaon zone within a school district is to work to disrupt from within the system, this role requires the leader to both be visionary and strategic. This person must be able to both lead and empower others to lead within the day-to-day operaons of the innovaon zone and translate the learning that is happening to others outside of the innovaon zone in a manner that fosters and supports larger system change. In a system like public educaon, which has had a tremendous capacity to resist signicant change, this can be very challenging to navigate.Clark Street Community School (CSCS)Highlighted school: CSCSJill GurtnerPrincipalESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLNurturing AgencyPlanning Public Exhibions of Learners' AccomplishmentsDesiging for Neural DiversityDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Solving Authenc Real-world ProblemsImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportDeveloping the Skill of Assessing for CompetencyImplemenng a Competency-based Transcript or PorolioBeing Deeply Rooted in a Purpose Larger than Self **This competency is specialized to CSCSIt is not on the shared map.Nurturing AgencyImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionBuilding Relaonships of TrustModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsHiring for & Nurturing Student-centered MindsetsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered Learning
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 27Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Learner proles engage learners in self-reecon and provide an acve, muldimensional picture of the learner • Learner proles are used to co-design personalized plans and muldimensional pathways that are composed of relevant, contextualized learning experiences • Competency-based connuums create a framework for learning, allowing learners to navigate competencies to demonstrate prociency • An interdependent team of professionals forms a network to support learner engagement and develop self-advocacy • Learner-centered supports provide scaolded pracces and tools that build self-directed learners who are invenve and have agency in their own learning • Operang structures are redesigned with clear policies and protocols that create space for learner-centered transformaon.Highlighted role: Face-to-face teacherLearning specialists are part of a learning network that matches educaonal services and experiences that support the personal needs and interests of learners. This person uses the learner prole to guide learners to an understanding of self across four dimensions: academic, employability, cizenship, and wellness. The specialist uses the prole to confer with learners to develop plans that idenfy muldimensional goals reecng each learner’s progress across the competency framework. They co-design pathways that idenfy learning experiences leading to goal aainment. Specialists confer with learners to discuss progress, provide feedback, and gather evidence of competency aainment, then adjust plans and pathways to reect that learning. Specialists build posive relaonships and model pracces of successful learners.Norris School DistrictHighlighted school: Norris AcademyJohnna NollDistrict AdministratorESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLEstablishing a Professional Learner Profile*Idenfy the Why?, What? (measure), and How?*Developing Learner Urgency Stories*Co-designing Inquiry-based Pursuits**This competency is specialized to Norris School District.It is not on the shared map.*This competency is specialized to Norris School District.It is not on the shared map.Co-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysCreang Playlists & Curang ContentSupporng Digital Health, Safety, Nequee & An-plagiarismBuilding Relaonships of TrustGiving FeedbackDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyDeveloping the Skill of Assessing for CompetencyTracking and Organizing Competency DataImplemenng Universal Design for LearningDesigning for Online AccessibilityNurturing AgencyEnsuring Trauma-informed Pedagogical DesignAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementPersonalizing LearningModeling a Growth MindsetDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyInnovang with Discovery-driven Planning
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 28Highlighted school's beliefs include:All students are capable of achieving rigorous college preparatory academics when personalized learning is coupled with socio-emoonal supports • Social jusce-oriented, project-based learning helps students to become engaged, producve members of our society • Beliefs are rooted in six core values, reecve of the diverse cultures of the East Palo Alto community: 1) Growth: The growth mindset is essenal to achieving excellence 2) Ganas: Ganas is a Spanish word reecng the urge to persevere and achieve; it gives us the strength to overcome obstacles 3) Kujichagulia: Kujichagulia (translated to English as “self-determinaon”) is ownership to dene ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. It is one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa 4) Feveitokai'aki: Feveitokai'aki (translated to English as “unity”) is the commitment to sharing, cooperang, and fullling a mutual obligaon. It represents one of the four pillars of the Kingdom of Tonga 5) Equity: Equity is the recognion of injusce in its many forms and the acve pursuit of fairer outcomes 6) Compassion: Compassion is the genuine concern for the well-being of others and the willingness to act in promoon of that well-being.Highlighted role: Socio-emoonal learning coach (SELC)This role provides metacognive coaching, pastoral care, and interpersonal accountability to our young people. The SELC is the mentor and guide who helps our young people discern how to navigate their own learning goals.Oxford Teachers AcademyHighlighted school: Oxford Day AcademyMallory Dwinal-PalischCo-founder & CEOESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLMallory DwinalImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceEnsuring Trauma-informed Pedagogical DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsEngaging Parents to Support LearningLeading Inspiring Socrac DiscussionsDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyEquipping Learners to Interpret and Respond to Their DataNurturing AgencyCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionModeling a Growth MindsetModeling an Entrepreneurial SpiritModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered Learning
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 29Highlighted school’s beliefs include:The four C’s of 21st-century learning are communicaon, collaboraon, complex problem-solving, and creavity • Science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math are key content areas to pracce the 4 C’s • Blended and personalized learning allows students opportunies to have ownership over me, place, and pace of their learning • Flexible seang classrooms are a priority • We provide a STEAM lab where students can parcipate in STEAM lessons with readily available tools in a exible, collaborave, and creave environment • We serve the educaonal needs of all students: ELL, SPED, and highly capable • Posive behavior reinforcement, relaonships, and growth mindset can overcome any obstacle to learning • Sta take risks, innovate, and don’t mind disrupng educaonal norms.Highlighted role: PrincipalThe principal possesses competencies that allow students to thrive in an environment directly geared to their needs. The principal emphasizes relaonships and builds a school that engages all students in learning and meets their needs by taking the me to get to know them. The principal has a collegial coaching relaonship with teachers, working to enhance their pedagogy through trusng relaonships. West Valley School District #208Highlighted school: Wide Hollow STEAM ElementaryMichael BrophySuperintendentESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysGradually Releasing Control to LearnersCollaborang through TeamingCreang Playlists & Curang ContentPersonalizing LearningModeling a Growth MindsetModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsProcuring TechnologyCreang the Space for Blended LearningDesigning Learning ObjecvesGradually Releasing Control to LearnersEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonBuilding Relaonships of TrustDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Modeling a Growth MindsetSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsManaging TechnologyCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningNurturing Agency
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 30Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Adults and students collaborate together as problem-solvers to design learning experiences that meet their needs • We pracce regular reecon and iteraon toward improving engagement and achievement • We develop students and adults alike to be lifelong learners • Classrooms are accessible, relevant, and reecve of how students learn outside of school • We incorporate choice and agency into all instruconal decisions • We ensure students receive support and instrucon that they need, when they need it, and how they need it. This is accomplished through personalized learning, competency-based learning, culturally-responsive teaching, and project-based learning • We design with clear visions, roll-out plans, and strategies for sustaining support • Team-level change is key to building a foundaon for changes that can spread across schools and the district, and be sustainable into the future.Highlighted role: PrincipalA principal is an innovave, responsive leader who has the tools and mindset to develop a school where teacher-led innovaon is fostered, empowered, and celebrated. A principal strives to create an environment where it’s safe to try innovave pracces. This role creates and sustains teams to have clear habits of collaboraon with joint ownership and agency over pracces. A principal creates a space where students are co-owners of their learning, and teachers feel safe to make their own decisions. The strengths, needs, and interests of students are at the center of all decisions.Educaon ElementsHighlighted school: Representave exampleNatalie WoodsAssociate PartnerESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALL"Competency #: 1[X] Name: Modeling a Growth Mindset""Competency #: 5[X] Name: Collaborang through Teaming""Competency #: 6[X] Name: Hiring for and Nurturing Student-Centered Mindsets""Competency #: 24[X] Name: Asking Crical Quesons for Connual Improvement""Competency #: 25[X] Name: Establishing a Cadence of Innovaon""Competency #: 27[X] Name: Implemenng Universal Design for Learning""Competency #: 60[X] Name: Enhancing Community through Team Building & Ceremony""Competency #: 62[X] Name: Aligning Resources, Processes & Priories""Competency #: 70[X] Name: Building Relaonships of Trust""Competency #: 71[X] Name: Giving Feedback"Nurturing AgencyCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityCollaborang through TeamingBuilding Relaonships of TrustGiving FeedbackModeling a Growth MindsetDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesSolving Authenc Real-world ProblemsEngaging Parents to Support LearningIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsCollaborang through TeamingImplemenng Universal Design for LearningEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementEstablishing a Cadence of InnovaonBuilding Relaonships of TrustGiving FeedbackModeling a Growth MindsetAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesHiring for & Nurturing Student-centered Mindsets
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 31Highlighted school’s beliefs include:We all have arsc gis, and honing and sharing them ulmately creates a more compassionate world • Our experiences, failures, and successes give us power • We learn to love ourselves and our world, learn for wisdom, and learn toward the liberaon of ourselves and our world • Students explore ways in which their idenes make them subject to privilege or oppression in our country and world • Students posion themselves as both teachers and learners as they assist adults in creang learning pracces that reect and sustain their cultural ways of being, as well as their own iteraon of the cultural spaces they inhabit • Adults at school posion themselves as learners as they crique and destroy their own biases and understandings of liberatory structures while modeling how to approach learning through quesoning and creavity.Highlighted role: Face-to-face teacherFace-to-face teachers are ethnographers and learners who minimize their footprint in the classroom, and alter the curriculum to meet the interests of their learners. They require an understanding of the scope of the curriculum as well as child psychology, learning science, and grade-level standards and skills. Teachers garner a deep understanding of the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of their students, including ways in which these cultures have been historically oppressed and/or privileged, as well as the cultural norms of the students they serve.Teach For America HoustonHighlighted school: Alchemy AcademyNicholas MendozaDirector, Educator Leadership and EngagementESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLNicholas Mendoza"Competency #: 30[X] Name: Designing to Address Inequity and Exclusion""Competency #: 17[X] Name: Co-creang a Learner-governed Community""Competency #: 22Name: [X] Innovang with Discovery-driven Planning""Competency #: 26[X] Name: Implemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive Design""Competency #: 37[X] Name: Engaging Parents in Supporng Learning" > to support learning done"Competency #: 4[X] Name: Modeling Social and Emoonal Skills""Competency #:13[X] Name: Co-creang Goals, Self-Assessments & Learning Pathways""Competency #: 24[X] Name: Asking Crical Quesons for Connual Improvement""Competency #: 38[X] Name: Improving Social Connectedness and Networks of Support""Competency #: 64[X] Name: Establishing an Ethic of Excellence"Co-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityImplemenng Principles of Culturally Responsive DesignEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsEngaging Parents to Support LearningImproving Social Connectedness & Networks of SupportInnovang with Discovery-driven PlanningNurturing AgencyCo-creang a Learner-governed CommunityEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceEnsuring Trauma-informed Pedagogical DesignDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionPersonalizing LearningModeling Social & Emoonal SkillsEngaging Parents to Support LearningIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningInnovang with Discovery-driven PlanningDesiging for Neural Diversity
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 32Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Include quality planning strategies • Harness connecons to implementaon soluons • Ulize peer-led learning opportunies that empower leaders and sta to meet a wide array of learner needs for choice, exibility, and instruconal support • Work with local, state, and naonal experts to elevate quality • Successfully and equitably implement high-quality online and blended learning.Highlighted role: Online instructorAn online instructor typically wears many dierent hats, including course facilitator, student guide and supporter, and learning designer. The facilitaon of exisng or provided digital content, student support both for intervenon and extension, and providing aconable feedback to students are the primary roles of an online instructor. The online instructor also plays the role of learning designer to tailor and modify exisng digital content to design an engaging and producve experience for each learner. Incorporang items with a human presence, and inserng ways to create community in the online environment, can encourage connecon.Wisconsin Digital Learning CollaboraveHighlighted school: Representave exampleSami ForsterDirector of Professional Learning and Support, Wisconsin eSchool NetworkESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLAsking Crical Quesons for Connual ImprovementBuilding Relaonships of TrustDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Creang the Virtual Environment for Online/Blended LearningEnsuring Data Privacy & Student Safety OnlineForming Your Transformaon TeamCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningDealing with Outdated Local, State & Federal PoliciesChoosing Your Foundaonal Design PillarsDesigning for Online AccessibilityComplying with Intellectual Property LawsEnhancing Community in the Online ClassroomBuilding Relaonships of TrustDesigning for Student "Jobs to Be Done"Giving FeedbackEnsuring Data Privacy & Student Safety OnlineLeading Inspiring Socrac Discussions
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 33Highlighted framework’s beliefs include:The strategic integraon of in-person learning with technology enables real-me data use, personalized instrucon, and mastery-based progression • Teachers leverage face-to-face instrucon (direct instrucon, peer-to-peer, small and whole group, and individual learning) and various technologies (teacher- and student-facing) to design their model, schedules, and space. This integraon enables real-me data use, supporng educators in connuously monitoring progress to inform and tailor instrucon • Teachers are able to personalize instrucon based on student strengths, needs, interests, and goals, all in service of a mastery-based progression that allows students to advance to new content.Highlighted role: School leadersSchool leaders are agents of change. They manage the me, resources, and climate of their organizaons and have the ability to create innovave models of teaching and learning for large groups of students. They are a key part of ensuring posive change can happen eecvely in a school seng. They also have the ability to cra their teams, rst through new talent acquision and then through follow-on coaching, support, and development. Having the ability to establish the school vision and manage toward that vision gives school leaders a unique opportunity to establish new models of teaching and learning. The Learning Accelerator (TLA)Highlighted resource: TLA’s Blended Learning FrameworkStephen Pham Director of Organizaonal LearningJeremy JonesPartnerESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLETOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLJeremy Jones & Stephen PhamCo-creang Goals, Self-assessments & Learning PathwaysCollaborang through TeamingCreang Playlists & Curang ContentGrouping Students FlexiblyDesigning Open-walled Learning OpportuniesIterang Persistently to Deliver What Each Learner NeedsDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyTracking and Organizing Competency DataEquipping Learners to Interpret & Respond to Their DataImplemenng Universal Design for LearningCollaborang through TeamingWorking through ConflictSupporng Digital Health, Safety, Nequee & An-plagiarismEstablishing an Ethic of ExcellenceDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionEnhancing Community through Team Building & CeremonyAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesDesigning Opportunies to Demonstrate CompetencyCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningChoosing Your Foundaonal Design PillarsModeling an Entrepreneurial Spirit
TOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLEChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 34Highlighted school’s beliefs include:Every learner can change the world, therefore we must provide a world-class educaon • We are dedicated and passionate about relaonships, teaching and learning, self-reecon, acknowledging greatness, and supporng the Northern Cass community • We are driven toward connuous improvement • At the fundamental level, we understand that “world-class” looks dierent for each learner and a one-size-ts-all educaon won’t provide it. We have worked diligently in the last three years to reform and restructure what school looks like for our learners so we can provide them opportunies that make this place world-class for them as individuals • We know that all kids can learn and meet prociency given the right me, tools, and guidance; it is our goal to create a personalized environment for each learner • We have idened a set of skills, called Choice Ready Skills, that we believe all learners need to be successful in life. These skills are learned through the experiences they have at Northern Cass, and academic content is a pathway to developing them.Highlighted role: All rolesEach member of the learning community needs to embody the traits and skill sets that are part of the core beliefs. For systemic transformaon to occur, these traits must be shared by all members. They are also crucial for the vibrancy and sustainability of the learning community. KnowledgeWorksHighlighted school: Northern Cass School Virgel HammondsChief Learning OcerTOP 10 COMPETENCIES FOR PROGRAM OVERALLNurturing AgencyDesigning to Address Inequity & ExclusionEquipping Learners to Interpret and Respond to Their DataModeling a Growth MindsetEngaging Parents to Support LearningAligning Resources, Processes & PrioriesDesigning Learning ObjecvesTracking and Organizing Competency DataCommunicang the Why of Student-centered LearningChoosing Your Foundaonal Design Pillars
PART 4. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCHOOLSSolutions for accessing the benefits of a modular world for professional development are emerging. Pioneers of student-centered education have begun to specify stacks of educator competencies that they need for their schools. Where does the field go from here?The ability of micro-credenals to insll the competencies that leaders specied in Parts 2 and 3 depends on how well they can meet the three condions that dene success for any modular interface—speciability, veriability, and predictability. Whether micro-credenals meet those condions will hinge in large part on the acons of organizaons parcipang in the micro-credenals ecosystem. We, therefore, oer the following recommendaons for guiding micro-credenals toward success.For pioneering educators: Help build the ecosystemThe competencies we outlined in Part 2 are sll in their edgling stage of development. For micro-credenals based on these competencies to gain tracon, they need student-centered educators and researchers to help esh out the details. Pioneers can engage in this work by agreeing to author student-centered micro-credenals in partnership with issuers like Digital Promise, BloomBoard, and NEA. Educators and researchers who author micro-credenals stand to benet as the micro-credenals they develop help promote their brands and earn them author royales.For schools: Verify what you buyIf schools are not careful in what they demand when they pay for micro-credenals, they could unwingly undermine the value of the micro-credenal system.One promise of micro-credenals is that they smooth the fricon schools face when hiring and stang for parcular roles. When micro-credenals work as intended, schools can trust that, if an educator has earned a parcular set of micro-credenals, she has what it takes to fulll a parcular role. Historically, however, schools pay for professional development inputs, not outcomes. For example, they pay for a workshop presentaon, not for a guarantee that teachers master the content of the workshop. They pay for connuing educaon credits that are earned by compleng lecture hours and assignments, not by demonstrang mastery of parcular teaching skills. If schools purchase micro-credenals with this same pay-per-service mindset, the micro-credenal issuers will lack the incenve they need to connuously innovate and improve the ecacy of their competency-vericaon methods.Thus, as schools work with micro-credenal issuers, they need to scrunize the strength of issuers’ vericaon systems. For example, they should demand transparency about the rubrics and the evaluaon systems issuers use, and, from me to me, consider hiring third-party evaluators to verify that their educators truly have the purported competencies. For issuers: Design your micro-credentials for modularityIssuers might be tempted to market their micro-credenals by featuring renowned authors and trending educaon topics, served up on slick soware plaorms. Such micro-credenals could draw short-term aenon but are unlikely to ensure ecacy. Micro-credenals designed toward eeng trends don’t address the true strategic needs of administrators who want strong long-term results from their student-centered models.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 35
The smarter move for issuers is to design their micro-credenals for modularity. In an integrated, non-modular world, administrators don’t have an aordable, easy-to-set-up, customizable method for developing the personnel they need in order to achieve a full shi to student-centered teaching. A modular soluon, however, would deliver these benets.Issuers can begin by being meculous in wring micro-credenals that align to the precise specicaons of school operators. If a principal needs a teacher who can meet one-on-one to give high-quality feedback to third-grade English Language Learners, the micro-credenal must match that specicaon.Working toward speciability includes sorng out the subtle language dierence in how dierent schools describe competencies. It also includes idenfying when a competency looks dierent in one school environment versus another and building those context-specic nuances into the micro-credenal descripons.The next priority for issuers is to design their evaluaon system to opmize for reliable, predictable results. If the issuer awards a micro-credenal for a specic competency, the teacher who earned it must indeed possess the competency, as described. A principal in the school district nearby should be able to hire that same teacher and predict with certainty that the competency transfers.Building an eecve system for verifying competencies may not be cheap or easy. It won’t be enough just to create a rst version of an evaluaon rubric and stop there. The methods for measuring competency need to be tested and rened unl predictability is demonstrated.For state and district leaders and policymakers: Compensate educatorsFor the micro-credenal ecosystem to thrive, micro-credenal issuers must be able to earn reasonable revenue for the product they provide. Without an adequate revenue stream, issuers will be unable to develop new micro-credenals, improve exisng micro-credenals, or ensure a robust system for verifying educator competencies. In short, supply can only grow—and improve—where there is commensurate demand.If demand for micro-credenals comes only from teachers, the micro-credenals ecosystem will be sparse and shoddy. Teachers value professional learning, but most of the professional learning they pursue on their own comes from low-cost sources such as books, open online courses, colleagues, and professional learning communies. More rigorous professional development is oen costly, and consequently not an out-of-pocket expense most teachers can aord.15 To create a viable market, state and district policymakers need to incenvize and subsidize teachers’ demand for micro-credenals. For example, state and district leaders should purchase bulk licenses to aord teachers the opportunity to earn micro-credenals without paying for them out-of-pocket. Addionally, districts could award teachers one-me bonuses for each micro-credenal they earn or allow them to count micro-credenals for advancement in the district’s salary schedule. Likewise, states and districts should allow teachers to count micro-credenals as forms of connuing educaon for relicensure and leadership opportunies.16 To create a viable market, state and district policymakers need to incentivize and subsidize teachers’ demand for micro-credentials. Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 36
CONCLUSIONAs educators, schools, and leaders work to implement and scale student-centered learning, micro-credentials are poised to bring the benefits of modular architecture to PD for student-centered teaching. Working toward a more modular system for professional advancement is a worthwhile goal. Exisng quasi-modular opons, such as workshops and degree programs, yield unreliable results because of gaps with speciability, veriability, and predictability. Exisng integrated opons, such as internally designed PD and model provider PD, are dicult, me-consuming, and expensive to develop on the one hand, or require conformity to an external provider’s model on the other.A truly modular system, however, provides reliable cercaon of educator competencies, and adapts to a variety of models in an aordable, easy-to-set-up, and customizable way.Micro-credenals could unlock that modular potenal, if structured and managed strategically. The key is to shape them with speciability, veriability, and predictability as their hallmark aributes. Then, the educaon system must reward educators who aain them with all of the accordant benets that would be theirs if instead they had taken a more tradional route to professional advancement. One step toward creang the precondions for modularity is to specify the competencies that student-centered educators need. We hope that the micro-credenals idened in this report oer a starng point for specifying a starter list. Much work remains, but a path is emerging for equipping school leaders and teachers with the knowledge, skills, and disposions that will enable them to give each student a student-centered educaon.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 37
1. Michael B. Horn and Heather Staker, Blended: Using Disrupve Innovaon to Improve Schools (San Francisco: Wiley, 2015), 8.2. Emily Pulham, “Is Higher Educaon Teaching Teachers to Blend?,” Christensen Instute, July 31, 2018, hps://www.christenseninstute.org/blog/is-higher-educaon-teaching-teachers-to-blend/.3. David Tyack and William Tobin, “The ‘Grammar’ of Schooling: Why Has It Been so Hard to Change?” American Educaonal Research Journal 31, no. 3 (September 1994): 453–79.4. Pulham, “Is Higher Educaon Teaching.”5. Clayton M. Christensen and Michael E. Raynor, The Innovator’s Soluon: Creang and Sustaining Successful Growth (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporaon, 2003), 137.6. Allison Powell, Beth Rabbi, and Kathryn Kennedy, “iNACOL Blended Learning Teacher Competency Framework,” Aurora Instute, October 2014, hp://www.aurora-instute.org/wp-content/uploads/iNACOL-Blended-Learning-Teacher-Competency-Framework.pdf.7. Rebecca E. Wolfe and Jennifer Davis Poon, “Educator Competencies for Personalized, Learner-Centered Teaching,” Council of Chief State School Ocers (CCSSO), 2015, hps://ccsso.org/resource-library/educator-competencies-personalized-learner-centered-teaching.8. “ISTE Standards for Educators,” Internaonal Society for Technology in Educaon (ISTE), 2017, hps://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators.9. “Model Providers: New Pathways to Innovaon,” New Schools Venture Fund, 2018, hp://www.newschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Model-Providers-Pathways-to-Innovaon.pdf.10. Acton Academy is a micro-school network of hundreds of owner-entrepreneurs. Although it oers a full package of tools as an integrated bundle, individual owners have wide latude for what and how they implement.11. Tracy Crow, “Micro-credenals for Impact: Holding Professional Learning to High Standards,” Learning Forward and Digital Promise, 2017, hps://learningforward.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/micro-credenals-for-impact.pdf.12. Digital Promise and BloomBoard joint press release, “BloomBoard and Digital Promise Launch Micro-credenal Website to Support Competency-Based Learning for Teachers,” November 10, 2015, hps://digitalpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/BloomBoard-Digital-Promise-Press-Release.pdf.13. See, for example, hp://cgps.nea.org/micro-credenals/.14. The informaon contained in the proles was submied by the respecve leaders and schools.15. Mahew A. Kra and David Blazar, “Taking Teacher Coaching to Scale,” Educaon Next 18, no. 4 (Fall 2018), hps://www.educaonnext.org/taking-teacher-coaching-to-scale-can-personalized-training-become-standard-pracce/; David Knight, “Assessing the Cost of Instruconal Coaching,” Journal of Educaon Finance 38 (Summer 2012): 52–80, 10.1353/jef.2012.0010. 16. For addional implementaon principles, see “Design, Assessment, and Implementaon Principles for Educator Micro-credenals,” Council of Chief State School Ocers (CCSSO), hps://ccsso.org/sites/default/les/2020-01/Micro-credenals%20-%20Design%20Principles_FINAL_1.pdf.NOTESChristensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 38
About the authorsHeather Staker is an adjunct fellow at the Christensen Instute, specializing in K–12 student-centered teaching and blended learning. She is the co-author of Blended and The Blended Workbook. She is the founder and president of Ready to Blend, and has authored six BloomBoard micro-credenals for the “Foundaons of Blended Learning” educator micro-endorsement. About the InstituteThe Clayton Christensen Instute for Disrupve Innovaon is a nonprot, nonparsan think tank dedicated to improving the world through Disrupve Innovaon. Founded on the theories of Harvard professor Clayton M. Christensen, the Instute oers a unique framework for understanding many of society’s most pressing problems. Its mission is ambious but clear: work to shape and elevate the conversaon surrounding these issues through rigorous research and public outreach. Thomas Arne is a senior research fellow in educaon for the Christensen Instute. His work focuses on idenfying strategies to scale student-centered learning in K–12 educaon through Disrupve Innovaon. He also studies demand for innovave resources and pracces across the K–12 educaon system using the Jobs to Be Done Theory. Allison Powell, EdD is the director of the Digital Learning Collaborave (DLC). She works to illuminate issues in digital learning by producing and disseminang data, news, and best pracces. In the past, she assisted states and districts in re-thinking PD and licensing. Allison is the former VP for New Learning Models of iNACOL. She has taught in, created, and led K–12 online, blended, and face-to-face schools and programs in the Clark County School District.AcknowledgmentsThis research is made possible by a generous grant from the Charles Koch Foundaon.Christensen Institute: Developing a student-centered workforce through micro-credentials 39