Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Digital Badge?

Digital Badges are assessment and credentialing mechanisms that are housed and managed online. In Coxsackie-Athens, a Digital Badge is a credential that validates students’ skills and attributes, which are a broad set of knowledge, work habits, and character traits that are believed—by educators, school reformers, college professors, employers, and others—to be critically important to success in today’s world, particularly in collegiate programs and contemporary careers and workplaces.

Watch the “What is a Digital Badge” video (3 min)

How are Digital Badges organized at C-A?

1. Pathways:
   • Currently C-A badges are broken into four pathways: Life-Ready Skills, Financial Literacy, Coding, and Classroom Content.
2. Levels:
   • Each pathway may have levels to allow students to scaffold their learning. These levels are based on grade bands since the criteria for demonstrating the skills at different grade levels differ. (For example: A 6 year old and 16 year old each have different expectations for what it means to show critical thinking in the classroom).
3. Categories:
   • Each level may have several categories. (For example Level 3 for the Financial Literacy Pathway has six categories).
4. Challenges AKA Trail Badges:
   • Completing Challenges are how students earn trail badges.
   • Students may take on any challenge and submit evidence of completion to earn a trail badge.
   • After earning a certain number(usually 4-5) or stack of badges, students then may earn a Pride Badge.

Upon entering each grade band, the student’s Digital Badges will restart. The Digital Badges from the previous grade band are not lost, though they may no longer be used to access the opportunities aligned with those Badges.

• Level 1: Grades K-4
• Level 2: Grade 5-8
• Level 3: Grade 9-10

What are Endorsed Badges?

An Endorsed Badge is a Badge that directly correlates with the Skills and Attributes that community business partners, or “endorsers,” have communicated are important for success in their specific workplace. Students who earn an Endorsed Badge will have an opportunity for career exploration experience with that company. Opportunities with our endorsers will vary by grade level. For example:

• Younger students may have a representative from that company visit their classroom.
• Older students may have the chance to participate in a job shadow or internship.

How are we tracking Badges?

Each C-A student will have their own digital portfolio to showcase their badges. Students and teachers will have access to this website which allows teachers to issue Badges and students to apply for Badges and view their earned Badges. Students will also be able to upload other artifacts to their portfolio that can help tell their story to college admissions and employers.

Why are Digital Badges important to my future?

C-A wants to honor your skills and interests. By noticing and naming your skills and accomplishments, we understand more about who you are as a learner. Through our Endorsed Badges with community partners, we are able to also open doors by creating opportunities for you. While your report card will notice your academic achievements, Digital Badges will showcase the whole you.