Nevada’s Competency-Based Learning Program

Program Description:  

The state of Nevada is ushering in a new era to their public K-12 education with a personalized, competency-based instructional approach. Competency-based learning is an instructional approach that educators adopt and implement locally to allow students to advance once they demonstrate mastery of a concept or skill, regardless of how long it takes them. This design allows students to work at their own pace and reach individual goals alongside grade advancement requirements.  

Nevada is hopeful that this new student-centered approach to learning will create more collaborative educational communities. This new approach also shifts the role of the teacher from a more traditional, instructional model to that of a facilitator role, serving as a resource for students. Under competency-based learning, students collaborate with each other, providing each other with feedback and focusing on project-based learning.  

As part of this new approach, the state has also developed the Nevada Portrait of a Learner that showcases the skills Nevada learners will develop and how they will contribute to their community, connect with each other, and thrive through challenges.  

Impact:  

The competency-based instructional approach is designed to provide personalized learning to every student, ensuring they have the resources they need to master skills and reach their full potential. A personalized approach to education allows learners to make meaningful connections with what they are learning and acquire knowledge and skills in collaborative environments. Most importantly, it allows educators to meet students where they are on their individual learning journeys. 

Population Served:  

Following the passage of Assembly Bill 110 in 2017, local districts can adopt and implement the competency-based learning approach, as it is not mandated by the state.  

Learn more here.

Page last updated in August 2026