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Lee's Summit R-VII lays out phased rollout of personalized competency-based learning
Summary
District curriculum and assessment leaders presented a three-year, phased plan to implement personalized competency-based learning (PCBL), emphasizing year one focus on clarity, new proficiency scales, common artifacts, and sustained professional development for teachers.
Dr. Lisa Janeway, the district's executive director of curriculum, and colleagues laid out Lee's Summit R-VII's plan to implement personalized competency-based learning (PCBL) during a board work session. The presenters said the district is aligning its terminology with Missouri and focusing the first year of each implementation phase on clarity — what students should know and be able to do.
Janeway explained PCBL as "personalized competency based learning," a framework centered on "clarity, evidence, and feedback," and demonstrated the clarity concept with a paired drawing activity so board members could experience how unclear directions affect performance. "The power of PCBL is really about unlocking some of the mystery and providing very clear expectations for our learners," she said.
Dr. Barger, who introduced the presenters, described a phased approach. Phase 1, now in its third year of preparation, includes K–12 English language arts, math and chemistry; phase 2 will add science, social studies and electives staggered by a year. He told the board the first year for any phase is devoted to prioritizing essential standards, creating proficiency scales and developing common artifacts aligned to Missouri learning standards. "A 3 on a proficiency scale is the target," Barger said, explaining that a 3 indicates mastery of the task.
Dr. Matt Jones, director of assessment, said the district is reframing assessment from a single test into an ongoing process of gathering evidence. He described common artifacts and artifact guides teachers will use to collect evidence and provide consistent feedback across classrooms. "Anything, not just one piece of paper, can really measure and provide a student an opportunity to show what they know," Jones said.
Presenters described a temporary curriculum hub and the LSR 7 curriculum collection — a set of documents that include learning targets, a proficiency scale matrix, scope and sequence and unit plans — designed so a new teacher can quickly find pacing, targets and aligned resources. The district also outlined professional development: phase 1 teachers received multiple half-day foundation and curriculum collaboration sessions, and the district plans targeted PD in years two and three focused on evidence and feedback.
Board members said they appreciated the focus on student ownership and asked clarifying questions about how proficiency levels translate across grades and courses. Several members cited local examples already using similar practices and voiced support for the direction, while asking for continued updates during implementation.
No formal action was taken at the session; presenters answered questions and the board moved on to the next agenda item.
