2026-2027 Assessment Learning Network Series

Join The Assessment Learning Network for the 2026-2027 Series: Designing and Implementing Competency-Based Assessment Systems.

The Assessment Learning Network (ALN) is a professional learning community open to educators and policymakers committed to improving student learning through effective use of high-quality, balanced assessment systems.

This five-part series supports educators, leaders, and teams in designing and implementing competency-based assessment systems that center student agency, deeper learning, and high-quality evidence. Grounded in MAC’s Components of an Equitable Assessment System (CEAS), participants will explore instructional shifts, formative and summative assessment practices, and reporting structures that make learning visible and actionable.

This series will draw from the rich research and body of knowledge related to:

• MAC’s CEAS document,
• FAME definition of the Formative Assessment Process,
• literature on rigor and depth of knowledge,
• the need for quality performance assessments, and
• the impact of student agency on learner growth.

Framing Questions

• How do we move from coverage and compliance to learning and student agency—shifting from grading tasks to gathering meaningful evidence of what students know and can do?
• How do students demonstrate mastery of competencies to then move along their learning trajectory?
• How might competency-based assessment practices and systems develop agency in all students

Schedule at a glance

• September 30, 2026 – Foundations of Competency-Based Education, with Virgel Hammonds*
• November 11, 2026 – Formative Assessment as the Engine of Learning, with MAC leaders
• January 27, 2027 – Rethinking Summative Assessment & Performance Assessment, with Karin Hess
• March 16, 2027 – Grading, Reporting, and Demonstrating Learning, with Matt Townsley
• May 5, 2027 – Practitioner Stories: Practice, Progress, and Possibility,  Participant implementation stories*

*Note: The September and May events will be held in person and will include a networking luncheon. The November, January, and March events will be held as webinars.

Registration Information

Save when you register for the full series with a Season Pass—simply click the “Register for Full Series” button to the right. Registration for the full series is $315, reflecting a 10% savings compared with individual session registration.

Can’t attend all five sessions? No problem! You can also register for individual sessions by clicking on the session title above.