
What is Better Measures for Learning?
Better Measures for Learning is a community of practice created by North Carolina educators for North Carolina educators who want to improve the way student learning and readiness is assessed and measured. We believe we can do better than letter grades, GPA, standardized test scores, and other status-quo measures.
We created the Better Measures community of practice as a way to highlight and support new and better ways to measure student learning and readiness. Whether you are a teacher interested in developing performance tasks, a superintendent interested in moving your district to a competency-based approach, or a parent or business leader who wants to collaborate with a school to develop a “portrait of a graduate,” Better Measures can help you improve student learning and readiness.
How to Get Started
Join Better Measures
We’ve partnered with Participate, to create our online community of practice. In this quick introductory course, you’ll learn more about the Better Measures community, and we’ll learn more about you.
Take the Course
Enroll in our Introduction to Mastery Learning course, if you are interested in beginning to implement mastery learning and standards-based grading in your classroom, school, or district.
Try This Project
Work with a team at your school or district to create your own Portrait of a Graduate. This free online course will move you towards a common vision for student readiness.
Watch & Listen To Our First Better Measures Panel Discussions
Facilitators & Community Partners

Ben Pendarvis
Ben is a passionate advocate for personalized, competency-based learning. A former teacher at Tri-County Early College in Cherokee. He coaches with both Constructive Learning Design and Open Way Learning.

Liz Beck
Liz is a former English teacher, and current instructional coach who believes standards-based grading and rubrics can be powerful tools for improving student learning. She coaches for Constructive Learning Design and their RootEd program.

Constructive Learning Design
Constructive Learning Design partners with schools, districts, universities, and organizations to design and deliver powerful learning experiences and build powerful learning communities.

Open Way Learning
Open Way Learning helps schools develop, sustain, and scale cultures of innovation that better prepare students for the realities of the 4th Industrial Revolution, especially students historically furthest from opportunity.