“Every student can learn, just not on the same day, or the same way.” -- George Evans
Elo and the carnegie unit Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) is an innovative teaching and learning platform designed to ignite the unique potential of every child through the creation and delivery of dramatically customized learning experiences. ELO creatively and systematically integrates a vast range of new and existing teaching and learning tools, resources, modules and approaches into more personalized, engaging and relevant learning experiences that tap into each student’s passions, interests and learning styles inside and outside of the classroom.
The Carnegie Unit in Colorado’s Context The Carnegie unit plays a prominent role across Colorado’s K12 and higher education systems. Also referred to as an academic unit, the Carnegie unit is equivalent to one full school year of credit in a specific subject. Colorado’s school finance, accountability, high school graduation, and higher education admissions systems all incorporate some measures of “seat time” as defined within this context. For example: • Currently, Colorado allocates funding to districts based on student attendance on a single count date each school year and the amount of student-teacher contact time scheduled for each student. These allocations do not take into consideration effectiveness of the hours spent or any changes in enrollment that occur during the rest of the year. • State and federal accountability measures largely focus on academic achievement and academic growth at the school and district levels as measured by the state summative assessment. While the state assessment system is being revised to signal mastery of standards at grade level and incorporate formative and interim postsecondary and workforce measures, it is not yet known how the accountability system will adapt to incorporate these more timely and flexible elements. • In May 2013, Colorado will adopt statewide graduation guidelines that identify minimum standards, core competencies, and skills expected from all high school graduates. District-level high school graduation requirements, which are determined by local school boards and will be informed by the state guidelines, are traditionally comprised of a minimum number of semester hours or units in specified content areas. • The Colorado Commission on Higher Education’s Higher Education Admission Requirements (HEAR) require that students complete 17 academic course units in specific academic content areas to meet the freshman admission standard. Students must receive a passing grade in each course to fulfill the requirement.
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What is the connection between ELO and the Carnegie Unit? Competency-based, also called standards-based, systems are being explored and have been implemented in various education reform movements in Colorado and nationally to promote students’ ability to progress through our K-12 education system based on assessed mastery of learning rather than measures of seat time. At least two districts in Colorado have shifted toward these systems. Moving away from the “one-size-fits-all” classroom experience where students are expected to learn the same skills and content at the same time and in the same way, ELO places the student in the center, igniting individual passions and interests through customized learning opportunities. It helps all students to master content at their own pace. The result? Competent, confident learners, who are more empowered, better supported, and fully prepared for education, careers, and life. Making connections between ELO and the removal of the Carnegie Unit means rethinking seat time requirements embedded within state systems. A five-year goal of the ELO Initiative is that Colorado’s funding, accountability, and higher education admission systems will support competency-based pathways for students.
Why is this important? Overall, Colorado’s graduation rate is 74%, down from 81% in 2001. For students of color, rates are consistently lower. In 2011, the percentage of Colorado high school graduates placed into at least one remedial course was 31.8%, up from 28.6% in 2009-10. This increase equates to a growing number of college dropouts, as roughly half of the students who take remedial courses do not continue for a second year in college. Our education system was intended to help all students complete high school postsecondary and workforce ready, but despite our reforms and best efforts, we are not hitting the mark. Beyond the dashed hopes and dreams of students who drop out or graduate from high school ill-prepared for college and careers, there is a very real economic toll to poorly educating our students – in the form of decreased productivity, reduced consumer spending, and increased expenditures on social services. To reverse these trends and ensure Colorado’s students keep on a path for high school and college graduation and do not fall further behind as they move through grade levels unprepared, the system must better identify and respond to individual student needs and interests along their paths. Colorado’s new P-12 Academic Standards, Grade-Level Expectations, and statewide assessment attributes, all which will be reflected in the graduation guidelines, go a long way to prioritize student mastery and demonstration of postsecondary and workforce readiness (PWR) as the ultimate outcome for all students. However, stronger guidance and support is needed to help districts, schools, and institutions of higher education translate these opportunities into competency-based systems that reverse the trends of social promotion.
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What is the benefit to students and teachers? The key elements of the ELO vision are meant to aid and accelerate the transition from seat time requirements to competency-based pathways for students. For example: How do elements of the ELO vision support REMOVAL OF THE CARNEGIE UNIT? Knowing the student means educators know what Arming school and district leaders with timely and students know, can do, and are ready for, as well as, individualized data to know students well will directly what motivates them and how they work and learn best. impact their ability to effectively assess student performance and level of proficiency. Emphasis on knowing students well also supports the systems ability to help students progress at their own pace, while also recognizing and addressing the social and emotional needs of students. Modularizing content means educators have access to Moving away from systems based on seat time would varied and flexible instructional tools and resources that empower schools and districts to have more flexibility in allow them to offer content to students that is presented implementing competency-based approaches. Where in different ways, at different paces, and with different students held back in the current system are likely to support. They use what they know about each student repeat an entire year of a specific subject, educators’ to determine next steps, grade, as well as course ability to unbundle content will ensure more targeted and completion and earned credit. efficient use of time, so that students can progress when they are ready. Maximizing time means schools make the best use Thinking differently about time will support educators’ of each minute in the day and each day in the year. ability to meets students where they are at in the learning Calendars and schedules are driven by student learning process. Progress toward competencies varies for each priorities and are organized to support educators’ ability student, so the amount of time, instructional strategy and to engage in the assessment and planning required to type of support should be flexible and able to respond in deliver personalized approaches. targeted ways. Reimagining human capital means school leaders think Leveraging expertise inside and outside of the classroom creatively about how to get people into roles that allow will support school leaders’ ability to develop innovative each teacher to give students his or her best each day. staffing systems, and marshal community resources and They also think differently about community partners relationships, to better meet students where they are at – and what it means to be highly qualified to deliver targeting individual competencies and learning styles. specialized content in credit bearing courses. Varying delivery methods means teachers and Offering a range of personalized options for teaching and schools work with students in flexible systems that learning will support principals’ and teachers’ ability to provide students with multiple ways to engage in and differentiate support based on individual student learning demonstrate the same rigorous learning. needs, including multiple and diverse pathways to progress.
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What’s next? ELO Initiative implementation priorities and other upcoming opportunities: • Statewide graduation guidelines will be adopted by Colorado’s State Board of Education by May 15, 2013. Guidelines will be developed to align with the development of the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Endorsed Diploma criteria and the Colorado Commission on Higher Education’s revision of HEAR. The creation, revision, and alignment of these initiatives will present a promising opportunity to engage in competency-based pathways to demonstrate student mastery. • Local school boards will be responsible for seeking input from their communities and incorporating the state guidelines to establish local high school graduation requirements applicable to students enrolling in ninth grade beginning in the 2014-15 school year. • Colorado is learning from a variety of promising national and local ELO initiatives. To identify and address opportunities and barriers for replication and scale, the Colorado Legacy Foundation and the Colorado Department of Education are researching and documenting a range of ELO approaches that personalize and ignite student learning, including individualizing learning time for teachers and students through competency-based, blended, and digital learning. Recommendations from Colorado’s ELO Commission related to: • Redefine “credit” in regard to completion of standards at a certain proficiency level. • Ensure that current state rules are not too restrictive on the definition of “course.” Questions for consideration: • What supports can be provided to teachers and schools to build capacity to implement competency-based systems? • How will graduation requirements reflect a move away from the Carnegie unit?
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