About
Competency-Based Learning

February 2020

Dear Punahou Parents,

In November, I wrote to you regarding the work of Punahou’s Academy in implementing a competency-based learning (CBL) approach in several new pilot elective courses and a few longstanding regular offerings. We believe that this pedagogy holds promise in ensuring that our students develop the critical abilities and skills they will need for the future. We also remain committed to a thorough evaluation of this work and to sharing the results of it with you.

Since then, we have taken additional steps to assess our progress and provide you with information. I am glad to provide you with an update here:

  • We have established a CBL Frequently Asked Questions section on our website. Here you will find helpful information about this pedagogy as well as updates about upcoming events and talks.
  • On January 17, our PFA Monthly Gathering featured an in-depth discussion about CBL in the Academy. I particularly appreciate the role that our outstanding parent leadership played in planning this event and the constructive dialogue it produced. For those of you who were not able to attend the meeting, you can view a video recording of it online.
  • The work of our students in a “Global Sustainability by Design” course, one of our pilot CBL courses, was recently featured on Hawaii News Now. Watch the segment.
  • Academy Principal Emily McCarren and Assistant Principal Sally Mingarelli will welcome parents to a series of information sessions during the spring semester, where they will be able to observe classes using competency-based approaches firsthand. All parents are welcome!
    Register for a Session
  • Surveys have been deployed to the students who participated in competency-based courses during the fall semester of 2019. Findings will help to inform our next steps going forward and will be shared with families.
  • This spring, Punahou will host independent experts from both K-12 and higher education institutions to evaluate our CBL practices. Insights from these visits will also be shared with parents.
  • Finally, as a reminder, quarterly letter grade estimates and semester letter grades will continue to be implemented in our courses. There are no plans to alter this practice or for Punahou to depart from our traditional letter-graded transcript.

Punahou’s approach in this area will be measured, careful, and pragmatic. As we review this work, we will define a way forward that fits with our own students, teachers, and learning goals. We will also continue to listen carefully to you. I hope you will take the opportunity to participate in one of the upcoming CBL information sessions. I also hope that you will remain engaged, ask questions, and join us as we continue to deliver the rigorous, innovative, and forward-looking education that Punahou has always stood for. It is a hallmark of our educational community, and one that I am deeply grateful to see flourishing.

Mahalo,
Michael E. Latham, Ph.D. ’86
Michael E. Latham, Ph.D. ’86
President
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