This episode explores competency-based education with Laurie Gagnon, Program Director for CompetencyWorks at the Aurora Institute. They discuss how competency models support personalized, equitable learning by focusing on demonstrated skills rather than lockstep grade-level standards.
In this episode, Ulcca Joshi Hansen interviews Laurie Gagnon, Program Director for CompetencyWorks at the Aurora Institute. They discuss competency-based approaches to education that organize learning around demonstrated skills and knowledge rather than lockstep grade-level standards. Gagnon explains how competency models better account for individual development and allow more flexibility in how and when learning happens. Ulcca and Laurie talk about how competency systems open the door for broader educational ecosystems involving families, out-of-school providers, and community organizations. They also discuss how competency models value the knowledge and skills students already have through their family, cultural roots, languages spoken, and passions. The episode explores how competency-based systems support more personalized, equitable learning for all students.