Competency Based Education represents the highest level of reliability based on the research of Dr. Robert Marzano. Competency based education shifts the focus of a school to be student-centered, empowering students to progress in their learning based on when they are able to show mastery of skills and content.

Don Tyson School of Innovation was founded with the vision of being a competency based education school. As stated in our school's original charter from 2014, DTSOI will "embrace a student-centered, time flexible, competency-based, blended, personalized learning experience. Students at SOI have the opportunity to attain their high school diplomas while also acquiring professional industry credentials, internship experience, early college experience, and even an Associate’s Degree."

The leaders of Springdale Public Schools and the staff of DTSOI are committed to that original vision and work each day toward making it a reality in our school.

Why CBG?

• Transparency: Students know the expectations necessary to meet every learning goal in a course.

• Progress is Tracked: Data for each learning goal is tracked, so student/parent/teacher can easily see what learning goals have been mastered and those where the student is still making progress to mastery.

• Personalized: Learning is personalized to meet the needs of each student as he/she, including opportunities for support and opportunities for rigorous challenges for those who are ready for deeper learning.

• Focus is on the process of learning: Instead of the focus being on one final grade and one chance to submit, the focus is on the learning process as all students work toward meeting the rigor of every learning goal, with multiple opportunities to submit evidence to prove mastery.

Final Letter Grades

Please note, in addition to specific reporting about each Learning Goal, students also receive letter grades based converted from a traditional grading scale (90-100 = A, 80-90 = B, etc.) and a traditional GPA.

Resources

Why Competency Based Education at DTSOI - Parents

DTSOI Proficiency Scales

Aurora Institute - What is Competency Based Education? An Updated Definition