Maine Public Broadcasting Network Story: A Brief Response

I was recently interviewed by Maine Public Broadcasting on my work with AOS #94 and proficiency-based diplomas.  I believe they did their best job in explaining our highly complex, ground-breaking, and innovative approach to communicating learning and achievement of all students, but some core components were lost in translation, and some areas were highlighted inaccurately.  I am not using this post to respond to each of the errors, misconceptions, or problems throughout the story as I feel that is counterproductive.  However, here is what everyone/anyone should know about the certification and learning system we are developing:

• A certificate of attendance is not nor will be an option.  Our schools and educational system is about learning, not seat time.  We believe that all students deserve a system that will accurately communicate what the student has learned and the depth to which that student has learned it.
• Summative means that the learning has ended, and a traditional diploma is a summative tool.  We believe that our educational system should be built on the premise that learning never ends, and as such our diploma system should mirror that premise.  If we base our system on formative learning, then our certification and communication system should be formative as well.
• To meet the needs of all individuals throughout our schools, our certification system must be flexible enough to accommodate various learning pathways, as well as maintain high expectations of performance for all students.  Our standards of proficiency (defined as the combination of content, complexity and autonomy​) are scaffolded to demonstrate to potential employers, universities, and organizations not only what the student knows but what the student can do with that knowledge.  Our diploma/certification system will mirror these standards and scaffolding, and as a result our learning system for all students will significantly increase in its instructional, curricular, and assessment rigor.

If you are interested in learning more about the system, finding out details, etc., contact me.