Universal Construct Competencies
Universal Construct Competency Learning Progressions
The Center has worked with teachers, teacher leaders, administrators, AEA consultants, and business partners to create K-12 learning progressions for Iowa's Universal Constructs.
K-12 Learning Progressions
Teacher Resources
Banded Gateways
The Center offers professional learning support for utilizing learning progressions for Iowa's six Universal Constructs, which are part of Iowa's required Iowa Academic Standards. Each progression includes "I can" statements that are developmentally appropriate for the associated grade band (e.g., the grade band above includes grades 3-5, and the progression on the top left includes all four grade bands including K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) across three core skills for that Construct. Also included in our support materials are teacher resources and professional learning sequences for your context. Contact us to learn more!
Creativity:
Generate ideas by reconfiguring current thinking or by connecting seemingly unrelated ideas for an aesthetic or practical purpose.
Collaboration (LEARNING PROGRESSION):
Negotiate in a respectful team process by contributing personal capacity to share ownership of outcomes that are larger than the individual.
Critical Thinking:
Create solutions to complex problems through inquiry and investigations to influence internal and/or external conditions.
Complex Communication:
Exchange complex information and ideas through the use of justifiable modes to effectively meet the needs of diverse individuals and groups.
Flexibility and Adaptability:
Adjust to novel information or situations with intellectual agility to be successful when facing ambiguity and/or challenges.
Productivity and Accountability:
Exhibit responsibility through persistence and self-direction to produce quality results that add value in an ever-changing environment.
Each competency includes guidance to help students determine what to do to demonstrate proficiency on the competency, how they might develop a way to demonstrate proficiency, and why the work is important.