Foundations of Competency-Based Education

Assessment Learning Network with Virgel Hammonds

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Date

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Time

9:30 am - 2:30 pm

Location

University Club of MSU
3434 Forest Rd, Lansing, MI 48910
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Hotel Info

University Club of MSU
3434 Forest Rd, Lansing, MI 48910
Get Directions

Resources

Flyer ALN 2026-27 Series

What do we mean by “competency,” and what does it require of educators? 

This in-person session lays the foundation for the 2026-27 ALN series by exploring the core principles of competency-based education and how they differ from traditional and standards-based approaches. Participants will examine the role of durable skills, learning progressions, and student agency, while considering the instructional shifts needed to support deeper learning.  

Framing Questions:   

  • What does it really mean for a student to be “competent,” and how would we know?   
  • How does competency-based education shift the purpose of assessment—from measuring learning to driving it?   
  • What changes for us as educators when learning—not time or tasks—becomes the constant? 

 

Presenter: Virgel Hammonds

Virgel Hammonds is the Co-Chief Executive Officer of FullScale, the national nonprofit formed by the merger of the Aurora Institute and The Learning Accelerator (TLA). Virgel, a nationally recognized leader in education innovation, originally joined the Aurora Institute as CEO in 2024 with over two decades of experience working alongside young people, educators, communities, districts, and policymakers as they endeavor to become more learner-centered. Having previously served as Chief Learning Officer at KnowledgeWorks, Virgel has forged partnerships with national policymakers and local learning communities across the country to redesign learning systems to become more learner-centered. Prior to his time at KnowledgeWorks, Virgel served as superintendent of the RSU 2 school district in Maine, where he collaborated with five communities to develop and implement a curriculum designed to ensure mastery of standards by all students. Before serving as superintendent, Virgel was a high school principal at Lindsay Unified School District in California. There, Virgel helped implement a personalized learning model where learners didn’t earn letter grades, but rather are awarded mastery for subjects in which they’ve proven to be proficient.

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