Mastery Learning and Grading

Students are graded on their Mastery of 14 Learning Targets for English Language Arts

1. Support analysis of content with strong textual evidence and use evidence to strengthen ideas
2. Determine a theme, idea or claim of a text, determine its purpose, and analyze in detail its development.
3. Understand and interpret the text-specific meaning of words and phrases.
4. Develop arguments to support claims using reasoning and evidence.
5. Create informative/explanatory documents to examine and convey complex ideas.
6. Write narratives using effective details and sequencing.
7. Produce writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
8. Utilize writing process to develop writing (planning, revising, editing, rewriting, and publishing).
9. Use technology to produce and publish dynamic content for academic and creative purposes.
10. Conduct research projects by gathering credible information and synthesizing multiple sources.
11. Utilize and attribute textual information appropriately and cite sources using MLA Format
12. Participate effectively in classwork and discussions by posing and responding to essential questions.
13. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard academic English.
14. Collaborate productively in whole group, small group and partner settings.

Mastery Rubric

Students will be given scores on assignments within each Learning Target based on a 4 Point Rubric

 4 Point Rubric                   Description

 4 - Mastery                        Complete and detailed understanding, above grade level, and beyond what has been taught

 3 - Proficiency                   Considerable understanding at grade level of what has been taught

 2 - Basic                            Some understanding, but just below grade level

 1 - Limited                         Little understanding or demonstration of what has been taught

 0 - Inconclusive                 Student has not shown ability or teacher cannot determine student’s ability

Notes about Mastery Grading

•      Students class grades are based solely around student performance on learning targets.
  • What do they know?
  • What can they demonstrate?
•      Students are graded on a median of their scores, not an average. 
  • What score to they have the most of in each Learning Target?
•      Emphasis is placed on the process involved in producing work, not just the final product
•      Extra credit is not offered, but students can re-submit most assignments for higher scores.
•      Mastery learning provide opportunities for enrichment for students who require a challenge, and continued support for those who are struggling to meet proficiency.
•      Marking period grades reflect the progress that students have made. If a student has struggled at the beginning, but then mastered a learning target, the grade they get will reflect that mastery.
•      Students receive a Mastery Score for each Learning Target.
•      Final Grades will reflect the median of the Mastery Scores.
•      No more points, no more percentages, no more averages.
•      Students and parents are expected to use Schoology to monitor their own progress.

Grade Equivalencies

This is how scores are transferred to a letter grade.

      3.5 to 4        =    A

      3.2 to 3.4     =    B

      2.9 to 3.1     =    C

      1.8 to 2.8     =    D

      below 1.8     =    F

How FINAL GRADES are determined