Abstract
The Competency-based Education (CBE) Collaborative was developed in 2012. Ten school districts initiated CBE implementation as part of the Collaborative. With CBE implementation in Iowa only occurring for a few years, very little information is available. The purpose of this qualitative dissertation in practice case study is to examine and analyze the leadership practices of three Iowa K- 12 public school leaders immersed in the process of implementing CBE at their respective sites. The study allows other schools implementing CBE to have a greater understanding of the process, and how to develop an effective sustainable implementation. The aim allows school leaders who are hoping to adopt CBE to better anticipate the challenges that may be faced, prepare a thorough implementation plan, and understand what leadership is needed for successful implementation. This qualitative case study interviewed three school administrators who had been leading CBE implementation for at least four years. The interviews were hand and open coded. The coding discovered five general themes for implementation of CBE: building a cohesive team, fostering collaboration, utilizing feedback & accountability, create a unified organizational structure, and strong leadership. Further analysis of the themes discovered CBE implementation process with the components of building a cohesive team and purpose of change, learning, preparation, implementation, accountability, and instructional leadership.