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Erica Pappalardo Ed.D., is a 2026 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.
Dissertation Committee:
Paul Bocko, Ph.D., Committee Chair
Richard Kahn, Ph.D., Committee Member
Amanda Downing, D.A., Committee Member
Document Type
Dissertation
Publication Date
2026
Abstract
Since 1998, the New Hampshire Department of Education has supported the integration of competency-based education (CBE), promoting a shift from traditional time-based models toward mastery-based, personalized learning. While important progress has been made through pilot programs and local innovations, full system-wide transformation remains incomplete. Many districts, including the Inter-Lakes School District (ILSD), continue to face challenges in dismantling entrenched structures and fully operationalizing CBE principles. One critical gap is the lack of a clearly defined, job-embedded professional development (PD) model that prepares educators to lead the shift to learner-centered, competency-based practices, a pathway to disrupt traditional systems. This study investigates the central question: In what ways can the professional development practices at the Inter-Lakes School District be modified to bring about positive transformations in our vision for competency-based, learner-centered practices? Building on ILSD’s current vision, the study seeks to develop a replicable model that bridges theory and practice, rooted in the belief that a shared, practical tool aligned with CBE principles can catalyze transformative instructional change. The literature review explores the complexities of educational reform, the challenges of implementation, and the essential role of educator capacity. It underscores the need for a blueprint articulating the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective CBE implementation. As part of this research, a series of competency-based, stackable professional learning badges have been designed to model and support these shifts. Each badge represents a discrete, job-embedded learning experience aligned to ILSD’s Competency-Based Instruction Learning Progression, enabling educators to personalize their pathways, progress at flexible paces, and demonstrate learning through performance-based tasks. This badging model not only delivers PD but also exemplifies the very CBE principles it promotes. Guided by the frameworks of competency-based education and adult learning theory, this study has implications beyond ILSD. It offers a professional innovation model for districts navigating similar change efforts and contributes to broader conversations around equity, educator development, and personalized learning for all students. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).
Recommended Citation
Pappalardo, E. (2026). Building Capacity for Change at the Inter-Lakes School District: Modifying Professional Development to Support the Transformation to Competency-Based Education. https://aura.antioch.edu/edd/5
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ORCID No. 0009-0002-5856-8283
Bio: Erica Pappalardo’s professional journey began in the classroom as a French and mathematics teacher, where she quickly discovered that traditional systems of grading and instruction often limited student agency and authentic learning. That realization sparked a career-long commitment to rethinking how schools define, measure, and support learning for both students and adults.
Erica is a curriculum leader and practitioner-scholar whose career has been dedicated to advancing competency-based, learner-centered systems of instruction. As Curriculum Coordinator for the Inter-Lakes School District, she leads strategic alignment across curriculum, assessment, instructional practice, and professional development to ensure districtwide coherence from policy to classroom implementation.
Her leadership experience spans classroom teaching, instructional coaching, district administration, consulting, and higher education partnerships. She has collaborated with the New Hampshire Department of Education on statewide performance assessment initiatives and served as Senior Consultant with 2Revolutions, supporting district transformation efforts nationally. Through partnership with Southern New Hampshire University and Antioch University New England, she has contributed to the preparation of graduate-level educators and leaders in competency-based systems.
Her dissertation advances the field of competency-based education by addressing a persistent implementation challenge: the misalignment between learner-centered instructional expectations and traditional professional development structures.
Grounded in adult learning theory and competency-based design principles, her study introduces a stackable, performance-assessed professional learning model that integrates reflection, coaching, and digital credentialing. The work contributes a theory-aligned, practice-based framework for systemic adult learning redesign within public school districts. Her work provides a scalable framework for districts seeking to institutionalize learner-centered reform at the systems level.
Erica holds a Master of Science in Education from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine and certifications in Curriculum Administration, and Assistant Superintendency in New Hampshire. Throughout her career, she has been recognized for her collaborative leadership style, commitment to instructional coherence, and dedication to building systems that promote equity, rigor, and authentic learning.