Westminster Public Schools spotlights competency-based learning at district summit

Westminster Public Schools hosted a competency-based learning summit this summer that emphasized classroom visits, professional breakout sessions and presentations by outside experts, district speakers said. Attendees heard from Jeff Rose, described in the program as a thought leader in education and leadership, and Robert Marzano, described as a famed educator and researcher.

District presenters framed the summit as an opportunity for educators and visitors to observe personalized teaching in practice. "The magic of the WPS competency based summit happens here in the classroom where visitors spend time with teachers and students," a presenter identified in the transcript as Speaker 2 said, describing in-class observation as the summit's central method. A separate participant said visiting schools and talking to students provided valuable perspective on why students enjoy their work.

The summit included breakout sessions hosted by WPS teachers and principals on student scheduling, recording and reporting within the competency-based system, and support for beginning teachers. Speaker 2 said the sessions reflect the district's focus on continuous improvement and practical implementation questions — how students advance after mastering topics and how teachers document progress. "There is no substitute for experiencing personalized learning firsthand," Speaker 2 said, summarizing the district's rationale for the approach.

The program listed presentations from Jeff Rose and Robert Marzano; Speaker 2 summarized Marzano's high reliability school framework and quoted the premise that "failure is never ever an option" as part of the guidance offered to attendees. One participant described earlier skepticism about the work but said classroom observations made them "more optimistic and excited about the work."

The district announced a new book, Pioneers of Personalized Education, published this summer, which Speaker 2 said details Westminster Public Schools' journey in implementing competency-based practices. No policy changes or formal board actions were announced in the transcript; remarks focused on professional development, classroom practice and sharing lessons with other educators.

Speakers praised the district's practical experience and encouraged external groups and startups to learn from WPS practice. The summit, as described in the transcript, was a showcase of classroom-level implementation and a forum for educators to exchange tactics and resolve operational questions about rolling out competency-based systems.