Anyone out there want to try to make "competency-based education" work?
The State Office of Education is entertaining offers.
And some lawmakers aren't too happy about that.
"We asked you to captain the ship," Rep. LaVar Christensen, R-Draper, told interim state Superintendent of Public Instruction Patrick Ogden in a Wednesday meeting where Ogden disclosed the state may contract out the work.
"We still don't have a pilot program that we asked for and funded . . . all you did is come up with a big price tag to scare everybody," Christensen added. "I think it's a huge colossal blunder for the State Office of Education to dig in its heels for whatever reason. . . . Tell us what you know and provide leadership."
The comments at the legislative Education Interim Committee stem from a 2003 law that required state education leaders to come up with a competency-based education plan.
Competency-based education basically would have students earn credits based on what they know, not how long they've sat in class. Students might be able to test out of classes if they know the material. Or, perhaps they could show a portfolio showing what they know in lieu of spending time in class.
The bill gave the state office $1.8 million to do the job.
The State Board of Education's proposed program, called Performance Plus, remains in the conceptual stage, and the State Office of Education has estimated Performance Plus would cost some $300 million to implement.
"We are moving ahead," State Board of Education Chairman Kim Burningham assured legislators.
But it doesn't look that way to some legislators, who were incensed when Ogden announced the State Office of Education would contract with someone else to create and pilot a competency-based education system.
Some legislators were incensed when Ogden announced the State Office of Education would contract with someone else to create and pilot a competency-based education system.
But Ogden said that would meet the intent of the law, which is to create and pilot a competency-based education system.
In a private interview, Ogden said he envisions contracting with a school district that would put into practice a plan it either devises or borrows from the state board.
Results would be gathered, helping the state school board refine Performance Plus, Ogden said
The concept could go out to bid next month, and a bid could be awarded in time for something to be in place next school year, Ogden said.
When asked why he didn't go into such detail with lawmakers and possibly calm them down, Ogden responded, "I didn't want to exclude anyone by naming any one group."
E-mail: jtcook@desnews.com