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Aurora Institute

The EdLeader Reading List for the Shift to Competency Education

Education Domain Blog

Author(s): Natalie Slocum

Issue(s): Issues in Practice


Reading ListCompetency education is taking root in districts and schools across the United States and around the world. Teachers and leaders are cultivating and sustaining this grassroots effort to redesign education around student success. These innovators are doing incredible work to advance powerful, personalized learning experiences for their students, arming them with the skills they need to succeed in today’s global marketplace. The transformation toward competency education is educator-led and requires strong, committed leaders who are dedicated to doing what’s best for students, as well as a deep understanding of how competency education fundamentally redesigns the education system to empower teachers and place student learning at the center.

Do you want to learn more about leading the shift toward  competency education? The resources below will inform and inspire. There are resources to get you started, to guide conversations with your colleagues and communities and to support your implementation of personalized, competency education.

Recommended Reading for Understanding Competency Education

The concept behind competency education is simple: learning is best measured by mastery of content, not by the amount of time spent in a classroom. For a more comprehensive reading list on competency education, see the list from CompetencyWorks.

Recommended Reading for Leading Through Change

The transformation toward competency education requires strong leadership with a commitment to change management and innovation for equity. These resources offer an overview of various perspectives on leading through change.

If you’ve read any of the above resources, which would you recommend? What other books or articles advance the core ideas of leading through change and competency education? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below or tag us on Twitter (@nacol), Facebook or LinkedIn.

Interested in learning more about competency education? Join our upcoming webinar on Wednesday, April 20 from 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET to glean promising practices and lessons learned from leaders and practitioners transitioning to competency education. Registration is freeregister here to receive login details.


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