Competency Based Education (CBE)

Per the State of NH, high schools are required to have competencies written and posted for classes. Oyster River High School is compliant with this requirement.

The state of NH requires high school students to acquire credits in different subject matter, Oyster River High School (ORHS) complies with all state requirements. ORHS requires more credits then the state minimum.

Homework is a formative assessment that allows for the teacher and student to guide learning and is highly valued. Formative assessments are individualized allowing for further student success and decreases “busy work” that causes stress and anxiety. The work students complete prior to a summative (a cumulative assessment of student mastery) is valued, assessed, and reported. If it’s essential for success, teachers work with students to ensure that they have opportunities to practice skills and apply knowledge.

With a CBE model at Oyster River High School and Oyster River Middle School students will still attend subject based classes. However, CBE allows for students to extend this learning and challenge themselves outside of the “traditional” setting with experiences such as ELO’s, interdisciplinary studies and travel learning.

CBE has expanded how teachers can personalize instruction and assessment; in the feedback, revision, and reassessment process students and teachers consult more frequently to discuss what an individual student needs to be successful. CBE allows for students to extend this learning and challenge themselves outside of the traditional setting with experiences such as ELO’s, interdisciplinary studies and travel learning.

CBE encompasses curriculum, instruction and assessment practices. Many schools have transformed their grading and reporting practices to hybrid models. Hybrid models often include “traditional grades”.

In a competency-based learning environment student are aware of the goals of their learning and “take ownership” of their pathway. Students can learn at their own pace.

Faculty are continually assessing their curriculum, instruction and assessment practices. Just as in a “traditional” model of education faculty are evaluating and updating curriculum, instruction and assessment based on student learning. 

Common assessments are collaboratively created assessments to measure student understanding and provide collective feedback. Common assessments could be either formative or summative.

Competencies are designed as broad, overarching concepts that encompass multiple learning standards which are interconnected and requires a student to transfer learning in the curriculum. The competencies describe what a student should know and be able to do. High School Departmental Programmatic Competencies are competencies written as a school wide collaborative activity to reflect the competencies that students engage in as they progress through our course of studies. These are directly connected to our 21st Century Learning Expectations.

Formative assessments are used to evaluate student understanding and provide feedback. Information gathered through formative assessments can help students move forward in their learning and provide teachers with valuable information for instruction. Formative evaluation allows for “snapshots” of student learning to help them progress in the learning process. They could include: classwork, activities, learning log, journal entries, homework, and quizzes.

Habits of Learning is a set of work habits and behaviors on which life-long success is built, reported separately from academic progress. 21st Century Learning Expectations are similar to Habits of Work or Work Study Practices and Graduation Outcomes. These are the foundational expectations that all students will be exposed to and acquire (at different mastery levels) as they progress through their years at ORHS.* *The ORHS Faculty and Administration is currently examining our 21st CLE, Habits of Learning and Graduation Outcomes to create one set of foundational qualities.

Learning Targets are learning goals that are targeted to a daily lesson and are worded for students. Learning targets should be sequenced as well as linked to a performance task to allow students to assess their mastery of the target and in-turn standard. “Every lesson needs its own reason to live.”

Rubrics & Assessments are designed as tools to reflect a student’s level of mastery of standards and in turn competencies. The assessments that a teacher uses along the way measure the extent to which a student has met the competencies. (See Formative Assessment & Summative Assessment)

Standards are specific measurable phases of student achievement. Standards are non-negotiable, measurable learning objective that guides instruction. Standards help guide instruction for competency-based curriculum. These content specific standards have been developed either at the state or national level. They are “I can” statements (goals for learning) that are course specific and content driven. Completion of competencies for each course reflects a student’s ability to master the standards.

Summative assessments are used to measure student mastery of the competencies. Summative assessments are aimed at the extent to which educational goals “have been attained over an entire course or program of study”. Summative assessments are usually cumulative and focus on transferable abilities, often cognitive in nature, which allow students to demonstrate mastery of concepts, skills, and knowledge embedded in competencies and standards. Summative assessments are typically weighted more heavily than formatives. They could include: tests, writings (essays), labs, tests, performance tasks, projects, exhibition, etc.