Introduction

When schools closed due to COVID-19 this spring, many parents learned what education researchers already knew—that teachers are key to student success.¹

So how do we attract, develop, and retain more high-quality teachers, particularly in our highest-need schools—during the COVID-19 crisis and after—as interest in becoming and remaining a teacher is declining?² As with many intransigent public issues, there is no single solution. But there is an effort underway to leverage a digital tool that has the potential to improve teacher efficacy and retention: micro-credentials (MCs).

High-quality MCs verify a discrete skill that educators demonstrate by submitting evidence of application in practice. They offer a stark change from the typical teacher professional development* (PD) processes that have existed for decades. A recent national survey found that only one-third of teachers were satisfied with the PD opportunities currently being offered through their school.³ Teachers offered two primary complaints: opportunities were too generic, and schools did not provide sufficient time for them to engage in the work.

MCs could change the check-the-box culture of teacher professional learning. Instead of having to pursue the same content as every other teacher, educators could have a myriad of online MC options to choose from, ideally based on individual, school, or local education agency (LEA) needs. Instead of being focused on how many hours an educator engages in a particular professional learning experience, MCs require demonstration of competency (typically in a teacher’s own classroom), vetted against a rubric. Educators who fall short of meeting the competency receive feedback explaining what they need to improve and can continue to hone their practice until submitted evidence shows skill mastery.

Additionally, state education agencies (SEAs) and LEAs can use MCs to better define teacher roles and career pathways and help retain teachers who might otherwise leave the field. But many questions remain around defining and measuring the quality and impact of MCs. This report draws on relevant research and the most recent available data from leading MC providers and users to examine the potential of educator MCs to improve teacher learning and advancement, and lessons on how to best harness this potential.

*Note: Some in the education field differentiate between stand-alone workshops and seminars, which they call “professional development” (PD), and experiences that are more embedded in the classroom work of teachers, which they call “professional learning.” In this paper, the term “PD” is used throughout to refer to any type of experience that a practicing teacher engages in (on a voluntary or a required basis) with the explicit intention of improving his or her practice. When we use the term “professional learning” in this paper, it is to refer to a desired outcome of PD—learning leading to improved practice—or the system of adult learning within which all PD experiences fit.