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Hi friend,
As the school year finds its rhythm, many of us are asking: how do we keep learning focused on what matters most—growth that lasts?
Traditional grades often shift motivation toward avoiding failure, fueling anxiety and dampening creativity. By contrast, constructive teacher feedback significantly boosts student self-efficacy—especially for those who usually receive less encouragement.
Competency rubrics make this kind of feedback possible. Done well, they turn grades into growth—helping students see where they are, where they’re headed, and how to get there.
This month, you’ll find tools and strategies for building rubrics that track progress, not just scores.
Warmly,
Antonia
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IN THIS EMAIL
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FEATURED reD RESOURCE |
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Meet the Rubric Co-Builder Bot |
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Rubrics are the heartbeat of competency-based learning—when they’re done right. CBE Catalyst members are using the Rubric Co-Builder Bot</> to design rubrics that are developmental and actionable.
With this tool, you can:
↪ Generate developmental rubrics in minutes
↪ Show clear skill progression, not just end products
↪ Guide instruction, feedback, and student reflection
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| TEST DRIVE THE RUBRIC CO-BUILDER |
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CBE PROBLEM OF PRACTICE/STRATEGY |
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6 Ways to Use Rubrics for Learning That Lasts
Too often, rubrics are built, shared once, and tucked away. But when they’re used intentionally, they can transform how students engage with their learning.
Here are 6 ways educators are putting rubrics to work:
➊ As goal-setting tools—students self-assess and set next steps.
➋ For feedback loops—rubrics structure peer and teacher feedback.
➌ In conferencing—guiding meaningful student-teacher check-ins.
➍ For tracking growth—students document progress over time.
➎ To clarify expectations—anchoring instruction and assessment in shared language.
➏ As reflection prompts—helping students connect daily work to long-term goals. |
| DOWNLOAD OUR GUIDE FROM OUR FREE RESOURCE HUB |
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UPCOMING EVENT |
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5 Proven Practices to Boost Competency, Agency & Engagement in Every Classroom
Wednesday, October 1
4:00 PM ET (US) / 1:00 PM PT (US)
Discover five high-impact, research-backed practices that spark student engagement, nurture learner agency, and accelerate academic growth. In under an hour, we’ll unpack familiar (yet often under-leveraged) teaching moves and show how to use them to help students build future-ready skills within your existing curriculum.
You’ll learn how to:
✦ Increase student engagement every day
✦ Build future-ready skills within your existing curriculum
✦ Support accelerated academic growth while nurturing learner agency
This session is part of the CBE Catalyst Webinar Series—free webinars designed to spotlight the most powerful levers for competency-based transformation. Each includes concrete strategies you can use right away, live Q&A with our coaches, and recordings sent to all registrants.
Whether you’re a classroom practitioner, instructional coach, or school or system leader, you’ll leave with practical tools to deepen learner ownership, accelerate progress, and expand what’s possible in your school or district. |
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