Micro-credentials—qualifications awarded to students and workers who complete short, often skills-based courses—have become increasingly popular in higher education and the workforce. Now, K-12 schools are beginning to explore their potential to better engage students, build career readiness, and deliver more personalized learning.
In Skill Building: The Emerging Micro-Credential Movement in K-12 Education, FutureEd Senior Fellow Anne Kim offers a comprehensive analysis of how these credentials are taking shape in the K-12 landscape. Drawing on interviews with nearly two dozen leaders in the field, the report traces the rise of micro-credentialing, examines how it’s being used in schools, and explores whether it can live up to its promise of transforming the high school experience.
While some early efforts have shown promising gains in student engagement and achievement, the field faces significant challenges around inconsistent program quality, limited accountability, and skepticism from educators and students alike. This report distills the lessons from the movement’s pioneers and offers recommendations for policymakers and education leaders to help K-12 micro-credentialing reach its full potential.