Mastery Grading for Equity

In this chapter:

Intent
Problem
Solution
Applicability
How to Implement
See Also
Source
References
Community Discussion

Intent

Mastery grading is an approach to assessment that emphasizes developing proficiency with content and skills, rather than points-based evaluations.

Problem

Conventional assessment examines students and awards points based on their current levels of content mastery. Students who score poorly on an evaluation are still forced to proceed to the next unit and have no opportunity to correct their misunderstandings before moving on to new material.

Further, conventional assessment often rewards students who know how to “do school” by allowing them to accumulate credit for behaviors (attendance, classroom demeanor, etc.) that may not actually correlate to mastering course content.

Solution

Mastery grading shifts the assessment focus onto students’ actual mastery of content. Students who have not yet achieved a target level of proficiency with a particular topic or unit are allowed to repeat that material until they achieve acceptable performance. Students who do achieve mastery are allowed to proceed when they’re ready for new material.

Applicability

Instructors may be interested in mastery grading when a course requires complex, scaffolded skills. It makes little sense to push a struggling student forward into more advanced material when they have not yet mastered prerequisite concepts.

Like other types of differentiated instruction, mastery grading can demand a high-level of individual attention and personalized learning plans, which may not be scalable in larger classes.

The source discusses moving away from traditional grading practices like rewarding attendance, due dates, or class participation, since these primarily privilege students who know how to “do school”. Mastery grading, of the kind discussed in the source, benefits students who can eventually attain content mastery, even if they struggle to stay on track with the intended course schedule. However, students who struggle with basic executive tasks like meeting deadlines and setting goals are also likely to struggle with the type of independent learning that mastery grading emphasizes. Therefore, low-supervision mastery grading is likely a better fit for more experienced students.

How to Implement

Here is a summary of recommendations included in the source:

Base grading on a limited 0-4 scale rather than a 100-point scale. In the source, a score of 3 constitutes the target level of mastery, with 4 exceeding expectations.
De-emphasize or eliminate aspects of the grading system that reward “doing school” rather than mastering course content.
Rethink late and missed work policies. Allow flexible submission of most assignments, since the overarching goal of the system is for students to attain and demonstrate content mastery, which may not be compatible with moving through the class at a fixed pace.
Use backwards course design to identify major learning goals for the entire course (big ideas), intermediate modules, and specific smaller-scale learning goals that make up each module. Within a module, students are assessed purely on their ability to meet the learning goals for that module.

Source

Source: Stirrup, Susan Garver. “Mastery Grading for Equity in a Chemistry for Engineers Course.” 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. 2023.

Described by: Dan S. Myers, dmyers@rollins.edu

References

Community Discussion

Community members are free to comment on, ask questions about, share experiences, or otherwise contribute to knowledge about this play by posting comments below. See Chapter 33. Join Our Discussions for details.

Insert a comment here.