CBE and Higher Education

State of the Field: Findings from the 2019 National Survey of Postsecondary Competency-Based Education

According to the American Institutes for Research (AIR), their report "based on data obtained from the 2019 National Survey of Postsecondary Competency-Based Education, includes findings based on responses by more than 600 colleges and universities—the largest institutional sample to date—about their interest in or activity related to competency-based education."

In Iowa

Iowa Schools That Don't Provide Class Rank

Some districts are making the decision to eliminate the practice of providing a class rank. Part of the rationale for this change is the belief that class rank prioritizes subjective competition over objective learning.

Click here to see the list.

These institutions of higher education are exploring personalized learning and/or competency-based education in partnership with The Center.

Drake University

2507 University Ave., Des Moines, Iowa 50311

Kirkwood Community College

6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52404

Simpson College

701 N C St, Indianola, IA 50125

The University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Across the Nation

Will Letter Grades Survive?A century-old pillar of the school system is under fire as schools look to modernize student assessment.

"Under pressure from an unprecedented constellation of forces—from state lawmakers to prestigious private schools and college admissions offices—the ubiquitous one-page high school transcript lined with A–F letter grades may soon be a relic of the past.

In the last decade, at least 15 state legislatures and boards of education have adopted policies incentivizing their public schools to prioritize measures other than grades when assessing students’ skills and competencies. And more recently, over 150 of the top private high schools in the U.S., including Phillips Exeter, Choate, and Dalton—storied institutions which have long relied on the status conveyed by student ranking—have pledged to shift to new transcripts that provide more comprehensive, qualitative feedback on students while ruling out any mention of credit hours, GPAs, or A–F grades."

Click on the image to the left to keep reading on Edutopia (January, 2018)!

University of Wisconsin System

A collection of 26 campuses and the statewide UW-Extension, the University of Wisconsin System is one of the largest systems of public higher education in the country.

The UW Flexible Option Programs are "designed specifically for busy adults, UW Flexible Option’s self-paced, competency-based programs respect your time and money by letting you advance at your own pace for a flat tuition rate. You’ll also be able to make your experience work for you by using existing knowledge to advance through your program more quickly."

See below or click here for current UW Flexible Option (UW Flex) program offerings:

Associate of Arts and Sciences
BS in Business Administration
BS in Biomedical Sciences and Diagnostic Imaging
BS in Biomedical Sciences Health Sciences
BS in Information Science and Technology
BS in Nursing, RN to BSN

Certificate Programs

Business and Technical Communications
Project Management
Substance Use Disorders Counselor

Purdue University

610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN, 47906

Purdue's Polytechnic Institute is offering a competency-based degree through their transdisciplinary studies in technology (TST) program. According to their website,

Students will be able to individualize their learning through personalized plans of study, which blend Purdue Polytechnic’s technology-focused disciplines (computing and graphics, construction management, engineering technologies, leadership and innovation, and/or aviation technologies) with other fields, such as humanities and business.
Faculty mentors will guide students through their educational journeys.
Competency-based components and e-portfolios of completed projects will showcase to employers what students can do with what they know.

Find out more here or by contacting them directly:

Technology Leadership & Innovation Department

Young Hall

155 S. Grant St.

West Lafayette, IN 47907

Phone: 765.494.5599

Email: tliinfo@purdue.edu

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