Competency-Based Learning Breaks the Mold of Traditional Student Learning

Students Thrive When They Are Given Agency Over Their Learning

NHLI is a strong voice in the national conversation and in research on innovation in educational practice. We collaborate with districts and schools across the country to design pathways toward student-centered learning systems that empower students. We provide preparation and ongoing support to educators as they implement a more personalized learning experience.

group of educators working together

Our Mission

We are committed to creating and supporting meaningful, enduring innovation in education. NHLI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization implementing competency-based learning while preparing and supporting educators to break the mold of traditional student learning.

Areas of Impact

Distributive Leadership

We provide professional development and coaching to help move your district or school leaders toward student-centered learning through distributive leadership and Professional Learning Communities, to better understand student learning and evidence of learning competency.

Teaching and Learning

Curriculum, Instruction and Meaningful Assessment

We help districts and schools develop and implement innovative competency-based curriculum and instruction that support student-centered learning and lead to more meaningful assessment practices.

Future Learning Pathways

We work with educators to develop individual pathways with learning opportunities for all students to acquire the academic, work, and life competencies they need to pursue their college, career, and life goals.

school kids working together

Student-Centered Learning

Giving students agency over their own learning arms them with the tools to self-direct, instills positive success habits, and helps them truly see the value and purpose behind their learning.

“The work we have done with NHLI over the past year has been some of the most valuable professional development I have experienced in my professional career. The direct impact it has had on our district has been powerful.”

- Erin Messer, M.Ed. Principal, Groveton High School

Upcoming Events & Training

Recent Blog Posts

/ January 29, 2026

Reflections On the Outside: How Being a Teacher Prepared Me For My Next Chapter

Leaving the classroom is never just a career move—it’s an identity shift. In this reflective piece, the author shares what it meant to step away from daily lesson plans and into a system-level role at the New Hampshire Learning Initiative. Drawing on years of classroom experience, the blog explores how teaching shaped not only instructional practice, but also ways of listening, problem-solving, and understanding success. While the work has shifted from one classroom to many, the core beliefs remain the same: students thrive when they feel known, have voice and agency, and experience learning that feels real. This post reflects on what is missed, what is not, and how becoming a bridge between classrooms and systems has strengthened the author’s ability to advocate for meaningful, student-centered change—grounded in empathy, credibility, and urgency.

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/ January 28, 2026

5 tips for high-impact, student-centered math professional learning

Curriculum alone cannot close math gaps. Instruction closes gaps. And instruction improves when teachers have access to high-quality, research-based professional learning grounded in how students actually learn mathematics.

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/ December 29, 2025

Rethinking Grading Part 2: When the Gradebook Drives the Bus

Choosing a Reporting System That Actually Supports Competency-Based Learning In a lot of districts that say they’re “doing competency-based learning,” you can see two very different realities: Too often, districts […]

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Put your students at the center of their learning.

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