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Third graders enthusiastically welcomed a video crew into their classrooms to follow along in their learning for one day last May. As we start a new school year, short video stories from that day provide tangible examples of competency-based learning in action. From collaboration to math to science to digital literacy, let’s roll.

First, here is 30 seconds of background. Spring Lake Park Schools has defined academic and career and life competencies. Academic competencies are aligned to different subject areas (Math, English Language Arts, etc.) and to Minnesota state standards for those areas. Career and life competencies are skills and mindsets needed for success in school and beyond.

There are many benefits to a competency-based approach to learning. This approach supports each learner in mastering the learning in front of them before moving on to the next idea – preventing gaps. It also helps students learn, retain and be able to apply what they know to their work at school and beyond. As students engage in their learning, they develop ownership over their next steps.

Spring Lake Park Schools has been working toward competency-based learning as part of the journey of personalized learning. Last year was the first year elementary learning was entirely competency based. So, what does it look like during a day in third grade?

Collaborative start

Every elementary student in Spring Lake Park Schools starts each day of learning with a morning meeting. Students greet each other, spend time sharing and often discuss a specific topic like kindness or teamwork. This time each day helps create a sense of belonging and sets the tone for the day of learning. 

After morning meeting on this May day, some students head to Ashlee Sluzewicz’s room. She’s a behavior specialist. Each morning, she works right away with a group of students from different grade levels. Their focus together is often on next steps in developing a specific career and life competency. On this morning, the focus is on collaboration. 

Rubrics describe the learning in detail. Students use rubrics to help them understand what they are learning and where they are at in their learning. Teachers use rubrics to assess student learning progress, provide feedback and help identify and support next steps.

When the game wraps up, and students have a chance to practice their collaboration skills, they depart and head back to their classrooms. A handful of third graders make their way to their room and teacher Amanda Leitzke.

The teachers have discussed the plan for the day and Amanda carries the collaboration focus forward, now engaging her whole class. For the students in her group who practiced collaboration with Ashlee earlier, it’s a chance for more practice and to apply and demonstrate what they have learned. 

At this point in the day, the career and life competency of collaboration is paired with math. One academic competency for math is Concepts and Procedures and one important piece of that competency is Data Analysis. In third grade, data analysis means being able to collect, graph and analyze data. On this day, the learning is coming to life as students work together - collaborate – in teams of three to build their own suspension bridges. 

During science time, students work with Des Gillis, science specialist. Students have been exploring the academic competencies for science of Systems and Structures and Patterns. Their learning is all coming together in a final project that involves producing their own shadow puppet show about a science concept they've chosen from the unit. 

Later in the day, a group of students who are working on their English language development meets with Nou Thao, an academic specialist. The students have been learning how to do a research project. Today, they are working on the career and life competency for Digital Literacy. They are learning all about sources of information and how to tell if an online source is reliable.

Based on the experiences with Digital Literacy last year, the competency was reworked by a team of teachers this summer. It is now Digital Citizenship and Wellness. This was an important evolution to include learning that focuses on the health and wellness topics related to digital tools and online interactions. This work provides a real example of how district leaders, teachers and staff will continue to track emerging influences and evolving context to keep competency-based learning relevant. 

As the school day concludes, the video crew watches kids skip from the school to waiting buses. The spring in their step is almost as strong as it was during morning arrival. Energy is high after a day of engaging, active and relevant learning. On the way to the bus, one hope-filled student voice rises above the din, "You should really come back to my classroom tomorrow!" 

Competency-based learning is one of the four core components of personalized learning at Spring Lake Park Schools. Want to learn more about competency-based learning? Find the competencies, a 1-page fact sheet, and  terms to know on the personalized learning page.