Lake County Gazette

Westminster Public Schools will host its fifth Competency-Based Education Summit in October, attracting educators from around the country to Westminster to learn more about the benefits of CBS and personalized learning.

The summit allows attendees to not only hear from education experts through presentations, keynote speeches, and workshops but also to visit real classrooms and observe CBS in action. Visitors talk with students and teachers and take what they have learned back to their home schools and districts. Past summits have received rave reviews from educators who are curious about CBS or have already begun implementing their version of personalized learning.

WPS’s Competency-Based System recognizes that every child learns differently, and their education should focus not on their age but their skills. CBS allows some students to move more quickly through their learning targets, while others take more time to show mastery or fill in gaps in their learning. The end goal is to make sure that all students are prepared for the day after graduation.

The theme of this year’s summit, Pioneers of Personalized Education, highlights the leadership role Westminster Public Schools has played in personalized learning since 2009 when the district, then Adams County School District 50, first implemented the innovative learning model. The summit is scheduled for October 6-8 and will take place at the Marriott Hotel in Westminster. Details about Early Bird pricing, registration, and keynote speakers will be released this spring on the WPS CBS website.