Daily Lumina News 112921

Competency-based education is one of those big ideas about how to reshape education that’s been around for some time. Advocates of the approach say this time of change brought on by the pandemic is an opportune moment to give it a closer look.
Paul LeBlanc, president of Southern New Hampshire University and a longtime proponent of competency-based education, offers his thoughts on reimagining a learning environment that values competencies rather than credit hours.

Genesis Duran left her school in March 2020 as a sophomore when New York City shut down. Her center of gravity suddenly shifted from classrooms to her living room, where she helped her younger sister manage kindergarten while coping with the most consequential year of her own academic life.
When Duran returned to the classroom this fall, she became consumed with college and her future. This photo essay captures her journey—and the continued responsibilities that the pandemic forced upon her.

Prison was once considered plain warehousing for around 30 percent of Idaho inmates: They were back in custody within three years of release. And like other prison systems, Idaho’s has many people for whom education hasn’t worked: 29 percent to 35 percent come in without a high school diploma or equivalency.
Yet Idaho is trying to make a difference, revamping career-tech education in prison with the goal of reducing recidivism.

Finding a good-paying job right out of the military can be challenging for the 200,000 women and men who transition from military service into the civilian workforce each year.
Several members and representatives of the military-connected community provide insight into these challenges and the solutions that may help.