This research brief summarizes findings of the RAND evaluation of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Project Mastery grant program, which was created in 2011 to support competency-based education initiatives in large school systems that serve a high proportion of disadvantaged youth. Competency-based education meets students where they are academically, provides students with opportunities for choice, and awards credit for evidence of learning—not for the time students spend studying a subject. The Foundation asked RAND to evaluate these efforts in terms of implementation, students’ experiences, and academic performance. This brief synthesizes the key findings and concludes with lessons for policy, partnerships, and practice.
Source Organization: RAND Corporation