Woven Fabric: Competency Based Education Implementation

Shannae Jackson • Cahn Fellow 2021

The pandemic created barriers for many schools and students. The urgency to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students is more critical than ever as we return to in-person learning/school. Building the capacity of others to lead the work of implementing competency-based education is essential to the success of our students as we grapple with the complexities of the impact of the pandemic on education and how we can best meet our students where they are. Moreover, for many administrators/educators, the pandemic has been the catalyst to leadership reflection and has sparked the need to revisit how leadership and leaders “seek to understand” the vast needs of their students and school communities. This report looks at the interwoven voices of many who are all motivated by the mission of ensuring each student learns at high levels.  In particular, it is the story of one leader’s quest/exploration to answer, examine, and reflect on the question, “How can I continue to grow in my leadership skills to further develop capacity in other leaders within the school to help lead the work of Competency-Based Education implementation?”