What makes competencies better than what’s been done in the past?

The advantage to competencies is that they emphasize the things that will help students be more successful in whatever path they choose after high school. Here’s a quick list:

Students move forward as they master specific competencies, so they learn more at their own pace instead of being held back too long or pushed forward too quickly.

In a competency-based system, expectations are clearly stated and understood by students, parents, and teachers.

Student assessments don’t just measure if someone can just repeat or memorize information; they measure that students can do something with what they’ve learned (for example, solving problems, creating products, evaluating data, etc.)

Students have increased choice in how they show their learning and apply their knowledge.