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Carnegie Foundation, ETS Partner to Transform the Educational Pillars They Built

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Carnegie Foundation, ETS Partner to Transform the Educational Pillars They Built: The Carnegie Unit and Standardized Tests

Influential institutions throw their weight behind bringing competency-based education to high school and college.

Over 100 years ago, in 1906, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching brought us the "time-based standard" called the Carnegie Unit. This "stalwart tool" measures teaching and learning by the clock and requires students to spend "a minimum number of hours receiving instruction in the classroom." Last week, they announced its "intentions to change that currency from 'seat time' to 'skills.' Partnering with ETS, they are proposing that the "new currency of education should be based upon meaningful skills and accomplishments demonstrated through assessment."

"It is time for a seismic shift in education that puts the focus on skills. And not just cognitive skills accounted for in curriculum written for 20th-century skills and work, but the rich tapestry of skills that enable individuals to thrive in the 21st century," said Amit Sevak, President & CEO of ETS. "This is a fundamental paradigm shift from time-based to skill-based units of learning. Smarter assessments are the key to unlock the future."

News Release: Carnegie Foundation, ETS Partner to Transform the Educational Pillars They Built

Related Article: What If We Measured Learning Through Skills Gained, Not Time Spent in the Classroom?