Glossary of Terms

Core Competencies

Core Competencies are a set of intellectual, personal, and social competencies that students develop to engage in deeper learning and to support lifelong learning through the course of their schooling. The Core Competencies are embedded in each area of learning, and are activated through the learning experiences and activities. In BC, the Core Competencies are the Communication competency, Thinking competency, and Social and Personal competency. 

Curricular Competencies

Curricular Competencies are the skills, strategies, and processes that students develop over time. They reflect the “Do” in the Know-Do-Understand model of curriculum. The Curricular Competencies are built on the Thinking, Communicating, and Personal and Social competencies relevant to disciplines that make up an area of learning.
For example, the Curricular Competencies in Mathematics are organized using a problem-solving scheme, based on work from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. Other examples are Social Studies, where Curricular Competencies are organized using inquiry and historical thinking processes, and English Language Arts, where Curricular Competencies are organized around how we use language to comprehend and connect with others and how we create and communicate through language. 

Goals

A goal is a statement of intention about what students should learn and understand in an area of learning. Goals may be used as criteria for selecting content, instructional approaches, and assessment strategies and techniques.