Navigating Policy for Personalized, Competency-Based Education - A Guide for Minnesota Educators

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob

A Minnesota-focused guide explaining competency-based education (CBE) as a student-centered design that emphasizes mastered learning outcomes rather than seat time. It connects CBE to state standards, learner agency, and flexibility in time, place, and pace. The guide supports Minnesota educators by reviewing relevant laws and rules, clarifying terminology, and outlining reporting and compliance systems. It also includes a fictional scenario to illustrate practical navigation of policy requirements.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Competency-based education and why it matters now

Purpose and intended audience for this guide

What the Law Says

Learning progress: standards, credits, and seat time

Enrollment and attendance

When learning happens

Where learning happens

Other special programs to consider

Navigating Compliance and Reporting

Three reporting systems relevant to CBE

Reporting courses, licensure, and attendance

Making it Work: A Fictional Example

Navigating Policy for Personalized, Competency-Based Education A Guide for Minnesota Educators [www.educationevolving.org](www.educationevolving.org) Education Evolving is a Minnesota-based, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization focused on improving educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, in particular those traditionally underserved. Toward that end, our mission is to advance student-centered learning for all students, by supporting teachers designing and leading schools, and by advocating for policy that catalyzes community-driven [innovation. Read more at www.educationevolving.org](innovation. Read more at www.educationevolving.org) We are immensely grateful to individuals who reviewed this report for both accuracy and readability, including those at several schools and districts in Minnesota, staff in the Minnesota Senate, and officials from the Minnesota Department of Education, including those who work in the areas of government relations, finance, online learning, college and career success, school support, gifted education, and academic standards. Written by Lars Esdal. Design and layout by Marcus Penny. This guide is an evolving product as laws and interpretations of them change. See the latest version at [www.educationevolving.org/cbe-guide](www.educationevolving.org/cbe-guide). Navigating Policy for Personalized, Competency-Based Education A Guide for Minnesota Educators Table of Contents Introduction 4 Competency-based education and why it matters now 4 Purpose and intended audience for this guide 4 What the Law Says 5 Learning progress: standards, credits, and seat time 5 Enrollment and attendance 6 When learning happens 6 Where learning happens 7 Other special programs to consider 7 Navigating Compliance and Reporting 9 Three reporting systems relevant to CBE 9 Reporting courses, licensure, and attendance 10 Making it Work: A Fictional Example 11 Introduction Competency-based education and why it matters now We are living in an unprecedented time. Covid-19 exacerbated and brought attention to inequities long present in public education. Facing inconsistent access to learning over distance and many other challenges during the pandemic, students will leave this period with months of what’s been called “lost learning.” And this loss isn’t just a missing chunk at the end of a year, but instead bits and pieces scattered throughout. This means that, short of repeating a full year, addressing these gaps presents a grave challenge for traditionally structured schools. While there are promising results from tutoring and other interventions,1 these won’t be sufficient at scale. It’s critical we look beyond only these tack-ons, and also rethink the core design of schools. Competency-based education (CBE) is one such design. It is an approach where learning is oriented around students mastering clearly articulated learning outcomes (i.e. competencies) rather than passing time in seats. In particular, the defining characteristics of CBE include: ● Students get the tailored support they need to address knowledge gaps and interrupted learning, and to receive enrichment and accelerated instruction when they’re ready to move on. ● Learning outcomes, [i.e. target](i.e. target) competencies, are designed to be aligned with state standards and include not only academic knowledge but also applicable skills. ● Students have flexibility in the time, place, and pace of their learning in the pursuit of their learning outcomes. ● Students have agency to both learn and demonstrate learning outcomes in ways that are personalized and relevant to their interests, identities, and aspirations. Together these characteristics mean CBE is well suited to address the issues of disengagement and learning loss that have always been problems, but which are particularly pressing today. Purpose and intended audience for this guide We have been working with legislators on a bil

FAQs

What is competency-based education (CBE) and why does it matter now?

CBE centers learning on students mastering clearly articulated competencies instead of progressing through seat time. The guide frames it as a design suited to address disengagement and learning loss, intensified by COVID-19 disruptions.

Who is this guide intended for in Minnesota?

The guide is primarily for middle and high school teachers and administrators implementing CBE programs. It focuses on navigating laws, regulations, and reporting requirements, not on curricular or pedagogical design.

What policy and compliance topics does the guide cover?

It reviews Minnesota laws and rules related to CBE, explains learning progress concepts such as standards, credits, and seat time, and addresses compliance through reporting systems. It also includes attendance and enrollment considerations and concludes with a fictional example.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Jacob