Competency Framework – A Fresh Perspective

The Successful Learner Trait Framework identifies a new set of educational priorities and practices that cultivate student engagement, positive mindsets and knowledgeable ownership of learning.

Overview

The Successful Learner Trait Framework prioritizes competency-based education and is applied to all teaching, assessment, and reporting. A key philosophical underpinning of The Framework is how we view and support student success.

We purposefully shift beyond a traditional view of education where the primary goal was to provide students with knowledge in the content areas. Now, given the advent of information technology and its widespread use, students have never had so much current knowledge at their fingertips.

We also recognize the need for a new set of priorities in order to prepare students for a world characterized by accelerating changes: technologically, globally, environmentally, politically, and economically. Clearly, a new perspective and set of priorities are needed. 

How It Works

The framework specifically outlines a new perspective and set of priorities for education. Here, student success is recognized as a product of how a student applies what he or she knows. While content knowledge is useful; how one applies what they know is critical.

Using the Successful Learner Trait Framework we prioritize the development of our students’ inner capacity explicitly teaching what leads to success by using curriculum content as the context in which to do so. The use of the Framework is based upon this powerful shift. Once recognized and embraced, teachers are energized to teach with a new set of priorities in mind.

The results are compelling! When students are explicitly taught how to apply themselves they engage effectively, understand and work to their strengths, and develop positive mindsets.

Origins

The Successful Learner Trait Framework is the result of listening to the experiences of both students and classroom teachers and is founded on a broad base of research.

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Big Ideas

The Big Ideas represent four key understandings that are foundational to the Successful Learner Trait Framework.

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Traits

The essential meaning of each of the 8 Successful Learners traits is emphasized and purposely kept succinct on the posters. Here the broader meaning for each trait provides teachers with a deeper background understanding.

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Traits and Competencies

Many countries now identify and include global competencies as a part of their curricula. Global competencies are referred to in various terms such as 21st-century learning skills, core competencies, or next-generation learning. Why are so many jurisdictions including competencies in their revised curricula?

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