Competency-Based Professional Learning

Professional development has long been the Achilles’ heel of school improvement (Harvard University & Annenberg Institute at Brown University & Annenberg Institute at Brown University, 2022). Too often, educators are pulled into sit-and-get sessions that are disconnected from their day-to-day realities. They check the box. They go back to work. Nothing changes.

But the tide is turning.

Competency-based professional learning is gaining traction as a powerful alternative that values what educators know, builds what they need, and puts student outcomes at the center. Unlike traditional PD, this model is flexible, job-embedded, and grounded in real practice. When paired with micro-credentials, competency-based professional learning can fundamentally change how educators grow in P20 education.

At Mira Education, we’ve seen this shift firsthand, across systems, across states, and with partners, drive meaningful change.

What Is Competency-Based Professional Learning?

Competency-based professional learning (CBPL) flips the script on traditional PD. Rather than measuring seat time or compliance, it focuses on evidence of skill. Educators progress once they demonstrate mastery and not just because the calendar says it’s time to move on.

According to EdWeek, more states are allowing teachers to use micro-credentials — a self-paced, competency-based training — to fulfill license renewal requirements and professional development hours. This shift underscores the growing recognition of CBPL’s effectiveness in meeting educators’ needs (EdWeek, 2025).

This approach aligns with what we know about adult learning and improvement science: when professionals are trusted to lead their growth and supported with the right tools, they rise to the challenge (Hatling, 2021). 

The Power of Micro-Credentials

Micro-credentials take competency-based professional learning one step further. These bite-sized, practice-anchored certifications are designed for action, not theory. Educators demonstrate skills by solving real challenges in their schools, not by sitting through one-size-fits-all sessions.

And the results? They speak for themselves.

Since January 2024, more than 325 education professionals across 13 organizations have engaged in personalized professional learning through Mira Education’s micro-credentials. Of those enrolled, 73 percent successfully completed a micro-credential, showing a clear commitment to competency-based learning and leadership growth.

This isn’t abstract development. Educators are applying what they learn immediately and impactfully. Here are some of the ways our partners are seeing the positive impact of personalized professional learning in their work: 

• Addressing Absenteeism — At Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Assistant Principal Allison Johnson tapped into tools from the University of Maryland School Improvement Leadership Academy (SILA)  micro-credential experience to address chronic absenteeism. As a result, attendance jumped from 70.1% to 83.1% in just one year.
• Building Capacity for Problem-Solving — In Baltimore County Public Schools, Principal John Noonan is applying his SILA learning to tackle his school’s most significant challenges through improvement science. “Pursuing an Ed.D. will enhance my understanding of improvement science to help me solve our most significant problem of practice, ultimately improving our school,” Noonan said. By integrating these tools into daily leadership practice, he’s building a foundation for lasting school improvement.
• Systemic Change — At Walker Mill Middle School in Prince George’s County Public Schools, Principal Erin Cribbs credits SILA as a pivotal moment in her leadership journey. “SILA was a turning point—it expanded my understanding of how to lead systemic change and drive meaningful improvements in education,” Cribbs said. “After 20 years in education, I’m ready to tackle critical challenges and make an even greater impact on students and educators.” Equipped with new strategies and a clearer vision, she is leading initiatives that strengthen teaching, learning, and school culture across her community.

But, what are educators choosing to focus on most? Time management. Specifically, the Mira Education Collective Leadership and Cultivating Leadership stacks top the list, with Analyzing Time emerging as the most frequently completed micro-credential, completed 126 and growing. 

The message is clear: school and system leaders are hungry for job-embedded, relevant learning that meets them where they are.

Micro-credentials don’t just build confidence, they catalyze change. From increasing attendance to shifting how school leaders manage time and lead improvement, they’re helping educators master high-leverage competencies that matter most for students.

Why This Matters in P20 Education

CBPL and micro-credentials aren’t just good practice. They’re smart strategy.

In teacher preparation programs, they create alternative pathways that diversify the pipeline. In K–12 systems, they provide targeted, just-in-time support. In higher education and policy spaces, they drive coherence and innovation.

Research backs this up. A 2020 study from Digital Promise found that educators who earn micro-credentials report greater confidence, improved instructional practice, and increased student engagement (Digital Promise, 2020).

In other words, it works and it scales.

Our Approach: Support That’s Strategic, Sustainable, and Systemic

Mira Education partners with states, districts, and organizations to build competency-based systems that are more than just a nice idea. Our work is grounded in:

• Co-creation with local educators,
• De-siloed structures that align with improvement goals, and
• Sustainable systems that keep growing after we’re gone.

You can see it in our Personalized Professional Learning approach, in our design of micro-credentials with CarolinaCred, and in our support for partners like SILA and Modiv EDU.

Ready to Rethink Professional Learning?

If your PD strategy is feeling more like a compliance checklist than a catalyst for growth, then it’s time to shift.

Let’s talk about how competency-based professional learning can help your educators lead with confidence, skill, and purpose.

Contact us to learn more.