Chugach School District, Whittier, AK

In 1994, Chugach School district created a new vision for what learning in the Prince William Sound area could look like and got to work developing this model. Now known as the first competency-based (or performance-based) school district in the United States, students move at their own pace, ­advancing upon their own individual performance rather than in age-based grade cohorts. The Chugach team has provided insight in the process of developing a learner-centered education from designing, refining and continuously improving the education system to meet the needs of all students. This work influenced systems like Highland, Lindsay, Westminster and many others across the country. Chugach has removed the organizational structures that are driven by time and age and replaced them with learning as the constant for which they strive.