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Micro-credential pilot grant

PESB offers up to twenty $18,000 grants to Washington State school districts, district consortiums, ESDs, and clock hour providers/higher education institutions (partnered with a district)that are interested in piloting competency-based micro-credentials.

What are micro-credentials?

Micro-credentials create an opportunity for educators to “learn by doing”. Educators can earn micro-credentials by demonstrating a competency or skill set in their classroom. While working on their selected task, the educators are coached along the pathway with effective and timely feedback. Their work is reviewed by a group of trained educators who determine if competency has been reached.

The micro-credential implementation contractor will provide support in terms of communication materials, registering identified participants, and support of participants on the online platform.

Micro-credentials ARE: Micro-credentials are NOT:
  • Competency-based
  • Personalized, self-directed
  • Demonstration of new or existing expertise
  • Available on demand
  • Job embedded learning
  • Learning by doing
  • Seat-time based
  • One size fits all
  • Traditional online course or class
  • Available only at set times
  • Separate from teachers’ classroom contexts
  • Learning by absorbing information

Source:
Micro-credentials: driving teacher learning & leadership
by Barnett Berry and Karen Cator

Pilot micro-credentials

Grant applicants select one micro-credential for focus. The three micro-credential options are:

Micro-credential Description Minimum Number of Participants Application Deadline
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) SEL is comprised of a set of strategies that support an individual’s ability to develop and apply a set of foundational skills one needs to be successful in school, work, and life. 25 6/1/2018 5pm
Elementary Computer Science (ECS) Identifying existing patterns of instruction in the classroom around unplugged Computational Thinking and the basics of computer science. 25 6/1/2018 5pm
Recruiting Washington Teachers (RWT) A specialization of three micro-credentials designed to prepare educators to support high school students in learning about the teaching profession in a RWT course. The RWT program aims to diversify the educator workforce. 3 Teachers from different High Schools, 2 partner teachers (elem. or middle school teachers hosting RWT students for the practicum), 1 district level admin or HR staff. 6/1/2018 5pm

Timeline for micro-credential pilot grant

Date Event
May 3, 2018 Announcement about the grant released
Tuesday, May 22, 3:00-4:00 pm Informational webinar for grant applicants.
Friday, June 1, 2018  Proposals due by 5:00 pm. No extensions.
Friday, June 15, 2018  Awardees announced.
August 1, 2018  Grant funds distributed by this date.
Thursday, August 16, 2018  Statewide micro-credential kick-off
September 2018  Micro-credential coordinators meet virtually
Week of September 17  Local kickoff. Participants begin micro-credentials.
October 2018  Micro-credential coordinators meet virtually.
October 26, 2018  Potential deadline for micro-credential submission.
November 9, 2018  Potential deadline for portions of any micro-credentials which may need to be resubmitted.
November/December 2018  Micro-credential coordinators meet virtually.
Friday, January 18, 2019  Final reports due.
Thursday, January 24, 2019  Micro-credential policy convening. Olympia or SeaTac area.
February, March, April 2019  Micro-credential coordinators meet virtually. Participants engage in micro-credentials.
May 15, 2019  RWT implementation plan due.
May 31, 2019  RWT final report due.

Resources

Detailed grant application information (Document)

Micro-credential grant flyer (Document)

Have questions?

Please contact Maren Johnson at maren.johnson@k12.wa.us.