After learning about micro-credentials through their school district, the teachers we interviewed shared that they were interested because it allowed them to advance on the salary schedule. Their school district created a program that would enable teachers to earn 30 micro-credentials and receive the equivalent pay of earning a master’s degree. Of the 30 micro-credentials, 15 were required by the district, and the other 15 could be personally chosen from an approved list. After completing the first couple of micro-credentials, they enjoyed the program’s applicability, flexibility, and affordability. Making it work in their classroom “was an organic part of the micro-credential experience.”
A micro-credential can only be earned by truly demonstrating competence in a skill. For example, micro-credentials on personalized learning helped improve practices in specific content areas and transfer ownership and learning to students. As a pioneer in earning micro-credentials at their school district, they became a colleague mentor. Earning micro-credentials impacted their career by allowing them to move up on the pay scale and become a better teacher without pursuing a master’s degree.
After learning about micro-credentials from a colleague as a way to obtain a raise, this teacher became interested in earning micro-credentials related to global education. Working in a small community with low parent engagement, these micro-credentials specifically helped them increase parental involvement. Having learned new strategies to overcome language and cultural barriers, pursuing these micro-credentials allowed them to communicate better with parents/guardians and strengthen the relationship between schools and families. This educator shared they have taken a “more holistic and wraparound approach to education, realizing that my students in class, that’s only a part of who they are and a part of what I’m able to see,” and “by tapping into their families, I’ve been able just to get to know them on a completely different level.” As a result, parental engagement increased during curriculum nights, conferences, and school activities. Getting to know the families provided the educator with a different perspective on their students, allowing them to help their students be more successful. What they thought would be just a way to obtain a raise ended up being the solution to the school’s problem of low parental involvement.
Attending a conference session introduced this new administrator to micro-credentials, becoming intrigued and wondering how micro-credentials could be incorporated into their district’s new professional development program, which they were spearheading. Pursuing a micro-credential created “an expectation for any time and any place learning,” easily fitting into quiet times like planning periods. They truly enjoyed how collaborative and social the micro-credential journey was, relying on support from colleagues. They also truly appreciated how personalized and applicable earning a micro-credential is, since it is personalized and applicable to the teacher’s and/or students’ needs, versus a “sit-and-get” professional development.
Earning several micro-credentials has allowed the administrator to continue learning as their job needs evolve. The micro-credential experience has validated their practices, giving them confidence and making their skills more visible. Earning micro-credentials gave them feedback and validation for their acquired skills.
Being a part of the League of Innovative Schools made this former teacher aware of micro-credentials. Their school district created a professional learning system that awarded teacher leader status by completing specialized micro-credential pathways. At this educator’s school, micro-credentials are not only a way to recognize skills but are also tied to financial incentives. Micro-credentials gave them “lots of choice in how you demonstrate that competency or your growth in that area,” differing from other professional development because of their applicability and personalization, and the ability to align them to their classrooms and students’ needs. They noticed their learnings from completing micro-credentials had a bigger impact in their classroom than the courses they completed for their master’s degree. In addition to being accessible and flexible, micro-credentials exposed them to excellent research and led to them collaborating more with colleagues. For this educator, earning micro-credentials came with both financial incentive and skills recognition, allowing the teacher to become an instructional coach.
After learning about micro-credentials through their school district, this educator became interested because it offered them the equivalent pay of earning a master’s degree. They joined a group of teachers participating in the micro-credential program, which allowed them to brainstorm and collaborate on classroom implementations. They shared that earning micro-credentials was a very individualized learning experience that made their classroom “more engaging and meaningful to students.” They became more intentional about their teaching strategies and style, and even began to feel more well-rounded as a teacher. They developed more formative assessments and incorporated student reflection into their lessons. Earning many micro-credentials allowed this high school mathematics teacher to bring different learning opportunities into their classroom, such as developing more formative assessments and incorporating student reflection into their lessons.
These stories highlighted some of the many ways micro-credentials have impacted career pathways for learners. For these educators, earning micro-credentials has not only opened doors to career advancement and financial opportunities but has also brought more meaningful, real-world learning into classrooms. As educators continue to grow their skills through these micro-credentials, their schools and students will also reap the benefits.
Digital Promise has been a pioneer in competency-based micro-credentials and has more than 10 years of experience in supporting organizations with their micro-credentialing needs. Check out this eBook, The Role of Micro-Credentials in Lifelong Learning and Development: Empowering Learners, Empowering Organizations, a comprehensive resource accessible to all interested in understanding micro-credentials. If you are interested in learning more about Digital Promise’s micro-credential services, please contact us at centerforlearnerpathways@digitalpromise.org.
