President, EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH IN ACTION, Underhill, VT
Providing educators with research-based models for effective instruction and assessment, moving students towards greater engagement and deeper learning.
Applying Cognitive Rigor to CBE or Project-Based Learning
Resorces listed below are excerpts from Deeper Competency-Based Learning (Corwin 2020), Rigor by Design, Not Chance (ASCD 2023), or Elevating Competency-Based Learning in a PLC at Work (Solution Tree Press, 2025)
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S-T-A-R-S - Use this tool to develop prompts for performance -based assessments with opportunities for student input.
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Rubric Development - Hess PLC Tool #11 - Use to collaboratively design or give feedback on rubrics.
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Performance Task Validation - Hess PLC Tool #9A - Use to analyze and validate a project design or performance task.
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KID TOOL: Collaborative Inquiry Planning Students use to analyze and plan how they will complete a complex task.
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KID TOOL: PBL Activity Log - Use as an alternative to a teacher-established calendar; co-develop with students at first.
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KID TOOL: Monitoring Progress - Students monitor their own progress
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BEST Toolkit - Self-Direction Rubrics K-12 Students can use these rubrics to guide PBL goal setting and self-reflection activities.
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BEST Toolkit - Collaboration Rubrics K-12 Rubrics can be used by individuals or groups to show evidence of learning /progress.
Karin's Favorite PBL Resources, PBL Authors, and PBL Examples
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PBL Works: Sample PBL Projects (K-12)
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PBL videos: Choose from a variety of short informative videos on PBL
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PBL ideas for Units on Social Justice: Article in Edutopia with suggested texts and possible products
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PBL Management Tool: Why I scrum (article in PBLWorks)
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April Smith - PBL Planning Guide: Writing Driving Questions
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John Spencer - Website and blog; PBL and distance learning
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Mike Kaechele - Website and blog; Integrating SEL with PBL
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Todd Stanley – Sample PBL projects and teaching strategies
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Engineering Games & Projects - This was suggested to me by Lizabeth, a member of Miss Stacey Martin's STEM club. Thanks, Liz!
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AI in Engineering - a guide that robotics student, Emilia, suggested I share - has an overview of how robotics and AI are used in engineering. and potential career paths
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Sample Essential Questions for NGSS - from Jay McTighe
Building Competency-Based Systems & CB Assessments
Excerpts from Deeper Competency-Based Learning: Making Equitable, Student-Centered, Sustainable Shifts (2020)
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Book Overview & Book Study: Webinar Session 1 and Handout
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Competency-Based Systems - Sample Holistic Proficiency Scale for school-based grading and reporting
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Competency-based Systems - CBE Tool #3: Self-Evaluation Rubric for Competency Statements
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Competency-Based Systems - CBE Tool#4: Developing Competencies Across Grades (NOTE: NH's Model Competencies used this tool during development)
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Competency-Based Systems - CBE Tool#5: Analyzing a Competency (ELA example with development steps. Then use "I can..." statements to create a performance scale for each competency.)
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Competency-based Systems - CBE Tool #6: Performance Scale Example (Example for developing instruction and assessments for rhetorical analysis across content areas)
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Strategy Example: (Chapter 4 excerpt) Pacing strategies for personalizing on-line learning
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Strategy Example: (Chapter 3 excerpt) Rhetorical Analysis Options across Content Areas
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NH Model Competencies - Math grades 9-12 (with "I can..." targets). NH K-8 Model Competencies in science, math, and ELA.
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Social Studies Themes (for competency development/use) - National Council for the Social Studies