Strengthen Competency-Based Assessment with Essentials Progression Indicators

At the beginning of October, AACN released a comprehensive set of progression indicators (PIs) to support schools of nursing as they make the transition to competency-based education (CBE). The PIs are descriptive, observable behaviors that serve as action-oriented markers for tracking learners' attainment of the sub-competencies outlined in the Essentials. Using the PIs will improve assessment by clarifying expectations for faculty, practice partners, and students in entry- and advanced-level nursing programs.
  
To aid schools in implementing the PIs, AACN has created a progression indicator hub with written guides and instructional videos, such as:

• Progression Indicators: An Overview
• Clarifying Expectations & Advancing Competency with PIs
• Clustering Competencies During Assessment

The hub is home to detailed information about the PIs, so faculty are encouraged to review the guides and videos prior to strategizing how the PIs can be aligned with their program's needs.

Additionally, AACN is hosting a PI webinar on October 27 at 11:00 am (ET) that will cover their purpose, how they improve assessment, and strategies for implementing them into curricula. Designing Nursing Curricula for Competency-Based Education: The Role of Progression Indicators will explore how PIs support backward curriculum design, clarify expectations, and align assessments with the behaviors students must demonstrate in practice. By making competence visible, PIs help educators foster transparency, strengthen experiential learning opportunities, and promote equitable readiness for professional nursing practice. Spots for this webinar are filling up quickly, so register today.