Boston Day and Evening Academy

The primary--and the crucial difference between a competency-based system of teaching and assessment and a traditional model, is that students begin a learning pathway (traditionally referred to as middle school or high school) based on assessed skill level in each content area, and not on arbitrary placement in grades (based on age).

 

Each content area (i.e. Humanities, Math, Science, Technology) is divided into modules, which correspond to an academic semester, quarter, or trimester (see ROADMAP). After being assessed for their knowledge in each content area, students are placed into the module which puts them at their "learning edge" i.e. challenging, but not overwhelming. Students progress from module to module in each content area, based on their ability to demonstrate mastery in each area, independently and multiple times. Once they meet the assigned benchmarks in each module, they become "competent", and move on to the next module. If they finish a trimester without demonstrating competency in an area, they repeat that module--and that module only--while moving ahead in other content areas.