Align micro-credential offerings and recognition with student and educator performance standards¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Under the Outcomes standard, the report recommends precise alignment between what adults learn and what students must learn. Because micro-credentials are awarded for evidence of competence, districts and issuers should cross-map available micro-credentials to instructional frameworks and educator performance standards, support career pathways and lattices, and ask seekers to articulate how competencies align with local frameworks. Otherwise, the report warns, students are unlikely to benefit from teachers' micro-credential selections.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Student and instructional frameworks and educator performance standards that articulate what students will master and the competencies required of educators

Constraints¶

• If the competencies a teacher selects don't advance capacities related to the district's identified student learning priorities, students aren't likely to benefit

Target Learners¶

• classroom teachers
• district learning leaders
• state policymakers
• micro-credential issuers

Target Learning Goals¶

• competencies grounded in college- and career-ready student standards and educator performance frameworks

Related Strategies¶

• Integrate individual micro-credential learning into collaborative team learning cycles
• Use the Good, Better, Best Fit model to guide educators' selection of micro-credentials
• Use Five Key Questions to stress-test proposed micro-credential competencies before drafting
• Advance micro-credentialing policy across five domains: controlling for quality, counting what matters, finding time, leveraging expertise, and designing for effectiveness

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Crow, T. (contributing author Pipkin, H.). (2017). Micro-credentials for Impact: Holding Professional Learning to High Standards. Learning Forward and Digital Promise. https://www.digitalpromise.org/micro-credentials