
Off the Clock: Moving Education From Time to Competency
Bramante, Fredrick J.; Colby, Rose L.
How to base learning on mastery instead of time
What if you could remove time and space pressures from the process of teaching and learning? The authors of Off the Clock not only suggest this, but they have implemented it in New Hampshire. Due in part to their work, the New England Consortium won the 2011 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation through the Education Commission of the States. This book′s core idea is that student achievement should be based on mastering competencies instead of "seat time." In addition, learning does not need to be restricted to a school building or traditional school calendar. Fred Bramante and Rose Colby describe a uniquely 21st century learning environment in which:
- Every student is engaged
- Parents and students have more control over learning
- Dropouts are all but eliminated
- Curriculum becomes virtually limitless, project-based, and interdisciplinary
This text for educators, policymakers, parents, and community members provides a comprehensive approach to implementing a large-scale competency-based reform initiative. Wherever this model is applied, public education will be vastly improved, more efficient, and, quite possibly, less expensive. The ultimate beneficiaries will be our nation′s children.
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About Bramante, Fredrick J.; Colby, Rose L.
Reviews for Off the Clock: Moving Education From Time to Competency
Jason E. Glass, State Director & Chief Learner "At a time when there was an unusually large number of deserving nominees, New Hampshire won the Frank Newman Award for State Innovation."
Roger Sampson, President “The authors have eloquently described the beginning of 21st Century Education. The move from time as the constant and high level learning as the variable to an education where high level learning is the constant will impact the next generation of citizens to be better equipped to deal with their future.”
Jeff Herzberg, Chief Administrator "Provides the urgency for school systems to begin focusing on the whole child′s education. The model in New Hampshire similar to the CCSS sets the stage for schools to begin their theory of action so student achievement increases system-wide."
Elizabeth Alvarez, Principal “Off the Clock is a book that is, for many, ahead of its time. As New Hampshire blazes a trail for the rest of us, we can appreciate and be grateful to the authors for presenting the road map and journey in a manner and context that will help us down the same essential pathway to educational transformation.”
Marsha M. Myles, Educational Consultant “This book is an excellent resource for practitioners and leaders at local, regional, state, and national levels. The authors offer innovative insights for restoring meaning to learning.”
Lyne Ssebikindu, Assistant Principal “Off The Clock provides practitioners with an enormous amount of research on why our antiquated way of instruction is obsolete.”
Tanna Nicely, Assistant Principal “The competency-based approach is consistent with our changing context in America and may be the one approach that unlocks the numerous restraints in our current 20th century delivery model. By honoring choice and personalization of learning, this book′s ideas have potential for support by parents, educators, employers, and policy makers.”
Ronald Fielder, Chief Administrator “The authors identify important issues about learning, shows what they did to invoke changes, and provides alternatives that can be used in schools, districts, and states. This book challenges educators to create alternative means for students to learn that meet or exceed proficiency for standards and courses.”
Glen Ishiwata, Former Superintendent “In an era of proposals involving quick turnarounds of educational delivery systems, the authors have shared a view of a long-term, high stakes process to rethink how schools do business while maintaining a focus on both Real World Learning and Following the Child. This has the potential to change the landscape of public education nationwide.”
Dan Lawson, Superintendent of Schools “A must read on education reform in the 21st century. This book gives a “how to” perspective that we can all learn from.”
Ann Dargon, Superintendent of Schools "An impressive account of New Hampshire’s journey from time-based teaching to competency-based learning, Off the Clock presents the rationale, process, challenges, and key learnings from the NH quest for zero dropouts and substantive, sustainable secondary school redesign. Based on firsthand involvement in the inception and implementation of the change process, Off the Clock is as informative as it is inspirational."
Kim Carter, Executive Director "Off the Clock is a delight! Bramante and Colby have given us a deeply personal, vibrant, and visionary insight into the why, what and how to move us past the schools of old. With their deep hands-on knowledge, the authors take you deep into the details of New Hampshire’s bold break from the strangling hold of the time-based Carnegie unit into a mastery-based education system. For anyone interested in competency-based learning, Off the Clock is a must read."
Chris Sturgis, Founder "No more “one-size-fits-all.” The conversation that will follow the must-read, Off the Clock, will transform educational models and policy to individualized learning with the essential measures of accountability for student growth and competency."
Marsha M. Myles, President and CEO