Educator Dr. Amber Howard has used elements of competency-based learning (CBL) since she taught elementary school in 2015.
CBL ensures every child can master and apply their learning and is prepared for high school, college and the workplace.
“CBL is an education system that places the learner at the center,” Howard, assistant professor of education at Missouri State University, said. “It engages students in more authentic learning and focuses on student growth rather than grades.”
In spring 2023, Howard won an Excellence in Teaching Award from MSU’s Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning.
She is currently working with the Success Ready Student Network (SRSN) and Fremont Elementary to help strengthen CBL practices in the Springfield community and beyond.
Exploring CBL with the SRSN
The SRSN is a collaborative initiative that provides support for Missouri public schools using CBL.
College of Education (COE) Dean Dr. Barri Tinkler has been involved with SRSN since its inception in 2022. She introduced Howard to the initiative in spring 2023 when Howard became the Dean’s Fellow for Competency-Based Learning.
Howard attends monthly, statewide SRSN meetings via Zoom. The meetings allow her to network with people across the state of Missouri exploring CBL practices within their districts.
“It’s exciting to hear about how different districts are approaching re-envisioning K-12 education through changing how we assess students,” she said.
The meetings start with updates from SRSN leadership about CBL initiatives, followed by professional learning around CBL.
“In the recent meeting, we pondered how we’re equipping students for a future we can’t fully understand right now,” Howard said.
“We talked about the Future of Work series on Public Broadcasting Service and how we must innovate and do things differently in K-12 settings to prepare students for working in environments that don’t currently exist.”
Local elementary uses CBL
Fremont Elementary Principal Dr. Janelle Ballard and Learning Coach Miranda Cupit are working with the Fremont staff to incorporate CBL in their classrooms.
The duo is currently working on refining Fremont Elementary’s CBL assessment practices.
“Miranda and Janelle are working with the teachers at Fremont to develop their own proficiency scales to ensure their assessment is meaningful and timely, and students receive the support they need as a result of assessments,” Howard said.
“I get to attend their grade level team meetings and academic team meetings this semester to support them in transforming the way they approach assessment.”
Cupit and Ballard are developing their CBL practice through Marzano Resources, a company dedicated to supporting teachers in their professional development.
Partnership to help future educators at MSU
Howard is building a partnership between Fremont Elementary staff and five MSU education faculty members who use CBL.
The partnership will allow education students at MSU to learn from the staff at Fremont, practice teaching and more.
During the fall, five MSU educators plan to attend weekly meetings with Fremont staff to begin collaborations. In the spring, education students may begin observing classes at Fremont Elementary, and MSU educators will continue collaboration efforts to further develop the partnership.
“Next semester we hope to bring some of our elementary education (ELE) students to Fremont to learn from their teachers and see some CBL practices in action,” Howard said.
“Eventually we’d love to have some of the classes within the ELE program taught at Fremont in collaboration with teachers there.”
Howard hopes the partnership will expand in the future to possibly include these opportunities:
- Add Fremont as an eligible school for the Internship Academy, which would provide opportunities for year-long student teaching, more support to a lower income school and education students with a more diverse placement.
- Create a Professional Development School, where MSU provides educational resources to Fremont staff and MSU education students observe Fremont staff teaching elementary students.
- Allow COE professors to teach MSU education students at Fremont so they can connect their learnings with real-world applications.
- Add Fremont as an option for the practicum requirement in ELE 500: Current Issues and Applications in Elementary Education, beginning spring 2024.