Let's Modernize Learning, Together.

CBL Partners' programs are designed to help you modernize learning and achieve measurable growth wherever you are in your competency-based learning journey. With visible results.

PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU MODERNIZE LEARNING.

CBL Partners is here to provide the clarity, expertise, and tailored support to help you lead change with confidence and success as you modernize your learning system.

LEARNING OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK

Ready to modernize your learning outcomes? Let's bring together the best of standards, competencies, and the research on learning to build a coherent, student-friendly learning outcomes framework for your school.

Aerial photograph of five people sitting out a round table working together on a plan to implement competency-based learning during a workshop.

QUALITY ASSESSMENTS: PORTFOLIOS OF LEARNING

Ready to modernize your assessment system? Let's build meaningful, rigorous assessments that showcase students' "portfolio" of knowledge, skills, and measurable growth–while laying the groundwork for flexible advancement.

Performance Assessment Program | CBL Partners Media. Image shows four teenage students sitting at a round table

GRADUATE PROFILE PROGRESS REPORT

Ready to bring your Graduate Profile to life? Through this unique pilot program, you'll access the reporting system, educator training, and implementation support you need to deliver a customized Graduate Profile Progress Report that provides clear, meaningful progress data to students and families.

Photograph of a group of students smiling and sitting together in a circle while a teacher, not clearly shown, is reading a book, in a competency-based learning environment.

EQUITABLE GRADING & REPORTING

Ready to flip the script of industrial-era grading policies? Let's transform your school's approach with human-centered, evidence-based policies and practices that promote growth mindset, student agency, and equity.

CBL Partners Media - Grading and Reporting.

CBL Transformation Program:
A clear path, proven tools, and expert guidance for the journey.

Ready to become a fully competency-based school? You're in the right place. CBL Partners has teamed up with Building 21 to provide the leadership support, tech infrastructure, and educator training to help you lead transformation with confidence and success.

Stage 1: CBE Foundations

Explore the principles and practices of competency-based education with your team. Draw inspiration, calibrate, and prepare for the journey ahead.

Stage 2: Design & Build

Develop the vision, strategy, model, and roadmap for competency-based transformation in your unique context. Design and begin implementing an aligned professional learning plan.

Stage 3: Launch & Iterate

Move from vision to action–whether through an early adopter model, or full-scale implementation–while embedding action research cycles to learn, adapt, and improve.

Stage 4: Refine & Systematize

Fully systematize your learning, assessment, and advancement model through strategic use of technology, advanced policy and system decisions, and data systems and routines to support continuous improvement.

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Join our Smart Start Program

Let's take the next important step toward your vision for change.
Choose outcomes that align to your priorities or existing strategic plan, and we'll develop a custom program to meet your needs and monitor progress, every step of the way.
Here's how it works:

Focused outcomes become the through-line for effective change efforts.
We start with a clear vision for success, framed in terms of measurable, observable change. Put another way, "What specific change will we observe if this goes as planned?" Here are several examples of areas for defining specific outcomes:

Student Engagement

We need help ensuring all learners feel a sense of belonging, an appropriate level of challenge, and a high level of interest in the content.

Competency Growth

We need help ensuring all learners have access to high-quality instruction, meaningful practice, and authentic transfer opportunities that move the needle on developing the skill-sets that matter most to our vision for learning.

Student Agency

We need support ensuring learners have authentic opportunities to develop as self-directed learners, critical thinkers, and community members with hard-earned sense of self-efficacy.

Something else?

Choose a different student outcome, or an outcome related to systems change, that meets your needs and priorities.

A strategic focus sets the stage for impactful intervention.
Your strategic focus will be based on your unique goals, context, and opportunities. This might be a specific practice (e.g., "Improve the quality of feedback"), a specific design, (e.g., "Improve the systems that ensure ongoing feedback and revision are improving learning), or a powerful pairing of each. Below are a few examples of strategic focus areas.

*Our complete Design/Practice Intervention Sets are available to all program partners.

Curriculum Design & Planning

Let's focus on specific changes to how we design and plan curriculum to optimize relevance and scaffolding.

Feedback & Revision Practices

Let's calibrate all faculty on quality feedback, and its role in the revision process.

Flexible, Responsive Environments

Let's reimagine our learning spaces, norms, and rituals to strengthen learner's sense of belonging, connection, and ability to self-direct.

Equitable Grading Practices

Let's critically examine and redesign our grading practices and policies to ensure they align to a clear purpose, our core values, and insights from current research.

A clear and achievable plan, with the support you need to make it happen.
Your custom program plan will serve as the roadmap for a successful change initiative, and including the built-in supports for the journey, including: leadership coaching, professional learning experiences, high-quality implementation resources, and ongoing action research so we can study progress along the way.

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Testimonials

FROM THE FIELD

If I were starting a competency-based school or program, Sydney Schaef is the first person I would call.

I will never forget traveling throughout Idaho to visit schools several years ago after the state launched their new Mastery Learning initiative. I couldn't believe the depth of conversations we were having, and I couldn't believe the acceleration of their design and implementation efforts. When I asked, "Where did you learn this?" Everyone I spoke to replied the same: "Sydney!"

I've watched her work over the years–from early startup in Philadelphia alongside Building 21, to providing leadership TA for school leaders and state leaders alike while at reDesign. She has real expertise and knows what it's like to be shoulder-to-shoulder in the work.

Chris Sturgis

Co-founder, CompetencyWorks

FROM THE FIELD

Sydney is a trusted and respected partner for developing graduate profile competencies.

Her deep insights into personalized, competency based learning and strong research background ensure that every element is tailored to the specific needs of the partner organization.

Additionally, Sydney couples her technical expertise with a commitment to incorporating student and teacher voice in the design of robust resources to ensure a learner-centered approach to professional development.

Stephanie DiStasio

South Carolina Department of Education

TESTIMONIALS

Sydney made all the difference for our faculty as we opened our competency-based high school.

Sydney has an extraordinary ability to connect with teachers from diverse backgrounds and specialties. Sydney brought a wealth of knowledge, drawn from her background and research. But more than that, she brought her full self to every workshop – whether online or in person. She listened deeply, and scaffolded training to suite our distinct school culture and vision.

Sydney’s charisma, brilliance, and unwavering commitment to equity and student agency shone through in every interaction. She is detail-oriented and an amazing multitasker. She continually updated our documents and slide decks in real time, refining and reflecting our ideas back to us with precision and clarity.

Sydney has been a sincere partner with us in our journey to CBE. She aligned with our values and we are all the better for the opportunity to work with her.

Michael Prater

Director of HS Education, Tessellations

Ready to modernize learning with a competency-based approach? We're here to help.

Let's Modernize Learning, Together.

PROGRAMS TO HELP YOU MODERNIZE LEARNING.