Home / About APEX / The Five Tiers

Five Tiers. One Standard. Real Capability.

Each APEX tier defines a distinct level of capability, a specific sphere of influence, and a clear set of competencies demonstrated through real assessment. Advance when you prove you're ready — not when you've logged enough hours.

The Journey

From Personal Literacy to Field-Level Stewardship

1
Aware
Your own understanding & conversations
→
2
Practitioner
Your own work, decisions & daily life
→
3
Integrator
A team, community, or organization you affect
→
4
Leader
Your full sphere of authority & relationships
→
5
Steward
The field, the community of practice & the future
1
Tier 1

Aware — Foundational AI Literacy

The Aware learner accurately describes what AI is, recognizes it in everyday tools, articulates basic capabilities and limitations, and engages in informed conversations about AI — without requiring a technical background.

⏱ 6–8 CPD Hours 📚 6 Modules 🎯 No Prerequisites

Who This Tier Serves

Learners at any point in their relationship with AI — from those who have never deliberately used an AI tool, to those who use AI daily but lack a framework for understanding what they're engaging with. No prior knowledge required. No technology prerequisites.

◆ Core Competencies
AI Literacy
Accurately describes how AI systems work at a conceptual level — without requiring technical expertise
AI Recognition
Identifies AI in real products, tools, and everyday experiences with specific, accurate examples
Ethical Baseline
Articulates at least two ethical considerations relevant to AI use in their own context
Human-AI Relationship
Distinguishes what AI does well from what requires human judgment — with examples from their own life
Plain Language Communication
Explains AI concepts to someone unfamiliar with the subject without jargon or technical language
✦ Assessment Artifacts
📝
Knowledge Check
20-question scenario-based assessment. No memorization — every question presents a real situation. Passing threshold: 70%.
🔍
Personal AI Audit
Audit of five tools the learner actually uses — identifying the AI component, describing its function, and evaluating one potential concern.
💭
Reflection
300-word or 3-minute spoken response: What do you understand now that you didn't before? What will you do differently?
🚪
Advancement to Tier 2
Complete all three assessment components and score Meets (3) or higher on all four rubric criteria. Then submit a Problem Statement — one real problem in your work, community, or life that you believe AI might help address.
2
Tier 2

Practitioner — Independent, Intentional AI Use

The Practitioner independently selects, applies, and evaluates AI tools to accomplish real tasks — demonstrating intentional, critical use rather than passive consumption.

⏱ 8–10 CPD Hours 📚 5 Modules 🎯 Requires Tier 1

Who This Tier Serves

Learners who have completed Tier 1 and are ready to move from understanding AI to using it deliberately. Professionals, community members, and students who need to integrate AI tools into real tasks with intentionality, critical evaluation, and personal ethical standards.

◆ Core Competencies
Tool Proficiency
Selects appropriate AI tools for specific tasks based on genuine understanding of capabilities and limitations
Prompt Craft
Writes effective prompts that produce useful outputs — with evidence of iteration and critical evaluation
Output Evaluation
Consistently evaluates AI-generated content for accuracy, bias, and fitness for purpose before using it
Workflow Integration
Incorporates AI tools into real workflows with documented evidence of improved outcomes
Responsible Use
Applies a personal ethical framework to every AI use decision — with documented examples of declining to use AI when inappropriate
✦ Assessment Artifacts
⚡ Task Challenge
Complete three AI-assisted tasks demonstrating deliberate tool choice, effective prompting, and output evaluation for each.
📋 Prompt Portfolio
At least eight prompts for at least three different purposes — with the learner's own evaluation of each output and documented iteration.
⚖️ Ethics Case Study
400-word or 4-minute case study documenting a real AI use decision — context, decision, ethical principles applied, and hindsight reflection.
🚪
Advancement to Tier 3
Complete all three assessment components at Meets (3) or above, and submit a Problem Statement: a real, specific problem in a team, community, or organization — that AI could help address for others, not just for the learner themselves.
3
Tier 3

Integrator — Designing AI Adoption for Others

The Integrator designs, implements, and assesses AI-enhanced solutions within a team, community, or sphere of influence — guiding others through adoption, not just applying AI personally.

⏱ 10–12 CPD Hours + Project 📚 5 Modules 🎯 6–8 Week MVI Project

Who This Tier Serves

Professionals, community leaders, and practitioners ready to move from personal AI use to leading integration for others. Every Tier 3 learner enters with a real problem and builds a Minimum Viable Integration — the smallest version of an AI solution that solves a real problem for real people.

◆ Core Competencies
Solution Design
Translates a real problem into a scoped, achievable AI integration with clear success criteria
Change Management
Identifies stakeholder concerns, designs engagement approaches, and facilitates adoption — not imposition
Process Architecture
Documents AI-enhanced workflows clearly enough that others can follow them without the designer present
Impact Measurement
Collects and reports honest evidence of what changed — including what didn't work
Stakeholder Communication
Presents project outcomes to real audiences in ways that build trust rather than just reporting results
Risk Awareness
Identifies and mitigates risks and equity concerns before they materialize
✦ Assessment Artifacts
📁
MVI Documentation
Complete project file — Problem Brief, Process Architecture (third-party tested), implementation evidence, and change communication record.
📊
Impact Report
Structured outcomes — baseline metrics, what changed, what didn't, honest limitations, and equity review.
👥
Facilitation Summary
Structured facilitation with a real group (minimum 3 people) — topic, outcomes, and reflective self-assessment.
🎤
Stakeholder Presentation
8–10 minute trust-building presentation: problem, solution, real outcomes, honest limitations, recommended next steps.
🚪
Advancement to Tier 4
Complete all four assessment components at Meets (3) or above. The MVI must have been implemented with real people, documented with honest outcomes, and presented to a real audience.
4
Tier 4

Leader — Shaping AI Strategy, Governance & Culture

The Leader shapes AI strategy, policy, and culture across a sphere of influence — building the conditions, norms, and capability that allow others to use AI well and that endure beyond any single project.

⏱ 12–15 CPD Hours 📚 5 Modules 🎯 Strategy + Governance Portfolio

Who This Tier Serves

Leaders with real authority and influence — department heads, community directors, organizational founders, executive staff — ready to shape how AI is adopted, governed, and sustained. Tiers 1–3 were about what you can do with AI. Tier 4 is about what you can shape.

◆ Core Competencies
Strategic Vision
Developing a coherent point of view on where AI is taking their sphere — and what to do about it now
AI Governance
Establishing policies and norms that guide how others use AI — with accountability and clarity
Culture Building
Creating conditions where AI is used thoughtfully, ethically, and continuously improved
Talent Development
Growing others' AI capability intentionally — especially those at risk of being left behind
Cross-Sector Fluency
Engaging credibly on AI topics across sectors and communities beyond their own sphere
Systemic Risk Management
Identifying and managing AI-related risks at the level of systems — not just individual projects
✦ Assessment Portfolio
🗺 AI Strategy Document
Documented strategy for the learner's sphere — specific, shared with stakeholders, includes values layer and three-horizon framework.
📜 Policy or Guidelines Artifact
Governance document with three-zone structure (green/yellow/red), shared with at least one person it governs, revised based on feedback.
🌱 Talent Development Documentation
Intentional AI capability development for at least two named people — including one behind and at risk. Observable change documented.
📖 Leadership Case Study + External Engagement
Full narrative of Tier 4 work including one hard decision, plus documentation of at least one external-facing contribution.
⭐
Advancement to Tier 5 — Nomination Gate
Tier 5 cannot be applied for — it must be nominated into. Nominations may come from the learner themselves, a facilitator, a cohort peer, or a community stakeholder. All Tier 4 portfolio criteria must be met at Meets (3) or higher.
5
Tier 5

Steward — Ongoing Responsibility for the Field Itself

The Steward accepts ongoing responsibility for the integrity, accessibility, and evolution of AI competency development — contributing to the field itself. Stewardship is not a course. It is a practice. The title is not tenure. It is renewed trust.

⏱ 10–12 CPD Hours + Ongoing 📚 5 Orientation Seminars 🎯 Biennial Renewal

Who This Tier Serves

Leaders who have reached the edge of their sphere and started asking: what is my responsibility beyond it? Tier 5 is organized around five ongoing commitments and biennial renewal, because stewardship is a practice, not a certification endpoint.

◆ The Five Stewardship Commitments
Annual Curriculum Contribution
Written field observations, curriculum review participation, panel membership, or new case studies — documented annually
Active Mentorship
At least two named mentees, including one from a population underrepresented in AI leadership — documented and reported biennially
Specific Equity Practice
Not a values statement — a specific population, a specific action, specific evidence of impact, updated annually
Annual Public Contribution
Published work, external presentation, policy testimony, or public mentorship outcome carrying their unique perspective
Steward Circle Participation
At least two convenings per year. The circle pays attention to silence — absence initiates outreach, not as penalty, but as care
✦ Biennial Renewal Portfolio
📝 Two-Year Narrative
600–800 words: What happened, what it cost, what didn't happen, one person whose development the Steward is proud of.
📂 Commitment Evidence
Documented evidence for each of the five commitments — curriculum contributions, mentorship logs, equity practice reports, public contributions, circle participation.
🔭 Field Update
300 words: What has changed in AI since the last cycle, and what specific APEX update the Steward recommends.
🔄 Forward Commitment
Updated Stewardship Statement for the next cycle — naming mentees, equity practice, public contribution plan, and evolved commitments.
The Stewardship Statement
"I accept responsibility for the integrity of what APEX is meant to be — not as a credential, but as a pathway for people who have been told this conversation was not for them. I will develop the people I have named, protect the standards I have committed to, speak when silence would be easier, and serve the communities that most need a Steward's presence. I will renew this commitment only if I have earned it — and I will release it without shame when the time comes. This is not an honor I hold. It is a responsibility I carry."
Spoken aloud, in the presence of the Steward Circle, at entry and at each biennial renewal.
Three Ways to Deploy

Every Tier. Every Mode. Same Standard.

APEX is designed for three delivery contexts — ensuring format never creates a barrier to certification.

👥

Cohort / Facilitated

Learners move through modules together with a trained facilitator. Live discussion, peer accountability, and real-time assessment feedback.

Recommended: 8–20 learners. Facilitator certification required. Rubric-scored with written feedback.
💻

Self-Paced / Async

Independent module completion within defined windows. Written or recorded artifact submission. Facilitator review within 5 business days.

LMS-compatible (Canvas). Milestone check-ins at Tiers 3–5. Full assessment rigor maintained.
🏘

Low-Tech / Community

All content in print. Activities adapted for in-person small groups. One shared device sufficient for facilitator-led demos.

This is not a reduced version of APEX. Same standard, adapted for communities most often excluded.
Assessment Standard

The Four-Level Rubric — Consistent Across All Tiers

Every APEX assessment uses the same rubric. The threshold for advancement is Meets (3) on all criteria. No shortcuts. No exceptions.

4
Exceeds
Capability beyond the stated standard — with depth, nuance, or impact that reveals genuine mastery
3
Meets
Full competency against the stated standard. This is the threshold for advancement.
2
Developing
Emerging competency — real effort and progress, but not yet at threshold. Feedback and revision opportunity provided.
1
Beginning
Evidence absent, generic, or does not demonstrate engagement. Significant additional work required.

Learners who score Developing (2) on any criterion receive facilitator feedback and a revision opportunity before final scoring.

Ready to Get Started?

Whether you're an individual beginning at Tier 1 or an institution licensing the full framework — there's a clear path forward.