Competency-Based Education

Webinar

In May, the American Enterprise Institute’s Center on Higher Education Reform published a paper, authored by Thompson Coburn partners Aaron Lacey and Chris Murray, that examines the current regulatory challenges facing the expansion of competency-based education (CBE) in American higher education.

CBE models, already offered at a number of higher education institutions, award credit based on student learning, not time spent in class. When a student can demonstrate mastery of a particular set of competencies, he or she can move on to the next set. As Aaron and Chris observe in their paper, “[t]here is little question that competency-based programs have the potential to lower education costs, facilitate access for underrepresented communities, and produce highly qualified graduates… But there are certain preconditions for competency-based programs to fulfill such promise, including the need for postsecondary regulators to develop frameworks that permit programs to evolve and flourish, all while ensuring adequate and appropriate oversight.”

Building on the themes discussed in their paper, in this upcoming webinar, Aaron and Chris will discuss current and proposed regulatory frameworks for the management of competency-based programming at the state, accreditor, and federal levels, as well as strategies for improving oversight of CBE programs at each regulatory tier. In addition, they also will discuss current views on CBE within the Beltway, and how the advancement of competency-based education is playing into conversations surrounding the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

CLE
The live presentation of this program was approved for 1.0 hour general CLE credit in California and Illinois, and 1.2 general CLE credit in Missouri. CLE credit is no longer available for this recording.

Presenters:
Aaron Lacey
Chris Murray