Competency-Based Education

Future of Learning

Our Rooms Are Full of Collective Intelligence. We Need Collective Measurement.

Guest Author

Oct 12, 2026

Ed Policy

The Creolization of Recognition

Guest Author

Sep 22, 2026

Future of Learning

One Map, Every Framework: The Shared Architecture Behind School Transformation

Nate McClennen, Rebecca Midles

Sep 14, 2026

Leadership

When to Innovate, When to Implement, and When to Improve: A Framework for Strategic Schools

Nate McClennen, Rebecca Midles

Sep 8, 2026

Learner-Centered

Coming Full Circle: The Portrait Lives Through Students

Abby Benedetto, Kimberly Erickson

Aug 17, 2026

Leadership

Coalition Before Consensus: How Trust and Shared Ownership Sustain Transformation

Rebecca Midles, Nate McClennen

Jun 29, 2026

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This podcast highlights developing trends in K-12 education, postsecondary and lifelong learning. Each week, Getting Smart team members interview students, leading authors, experts and practitioners in research, tech, entrepreneurship and leadership to bring listeners innovative and actionable strategies in education leadership.

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Competency-Based Education

The Tyranny of College Admissions: Why It’s So Challenging to Have Real Change in K-12 Education

Guest Author

Jun 8, 2026

College admissions requirements keep K-12 tied to grades and Carnegie units, slowing competency-based and skills-first learning.

Two middle school boys work together on a coding project.

Leadership

What AI-Enabled Education Actually Looks Like When It’s Working for Workforce Students

Guest Author

May 28, 2026

How AI can make workforce pathways visible through competency records, labor market alignment, and clearer student-to-job outcomes.

Students and instructors in lab coats working on robotics and electronics in a modern manufacturing workshop

Ed Policy

Making Work-Based Learning Work: Georgia’s Novel Approach to WBL Data

Mason Pashia

Apr 2, 2026

Georgia’s work-based learning uses O*NET skill evaluations at scale—building credible, portable evidence for digital credentials and hiring.

Project-Based Learning

Lever 2 for Deeper PoG Implementation: Teaching the Skills Behind the Portrait

Abby Benedetto, Kimberly Erickson

Mar 23, 2026

How Norwalk makes Portrait of a Graduate skills real: teach them explicitly, embed in curriculum routines, and track progress via learning walks.

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

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Competency-Based Education

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