Mastery of Standards in the Classroom
I love summer break. Summer break for educators is a time to relax, de-stress, and recharge for next year. All educators have their own approach to summer break. Some educators take summer jobs, some take vacations, some focus on family and fun, some reflect on how the past year went, and some plan their strategy for the next school year. And many educators partake in a combination of the above. In this time to reflect and grow, some educators find that they were not showing up as their best selves in the classroom. Many teachers find that they are frustrated in their jobs and not as effective as they would like to be in their classrooms. If this is you, it may be time for a new approach to teaching. In last week’s blog, we discussed the system for mastery-learning and its benefits for teachers and students. This week, we will discuss a similar system: standards-based learning. Ultimately, these two systems can easily combine into a system I like to call mastery of standards.
Defining the Two Systems
Last week’s blog discussed mastery-based learning. This is a system where students must reach a “mastery level” of the content before moving on to more complicated topics. It’s a simple concept but can seem intimidating to anyone trying it for the first time. Yet the benefits for students are numerous and well-documented.
The way that students demonstrate mastery of the content varies. One common way is to require a specific percentage on a final test or final project. In this system, students have the time they need to understand foundational concepts before moving on to more advanced ideas.
Standards-based learning is defined as grading students against an academic standard. The school chooses the standards (common core, state standards, etc.). Then those standards become the basis of student grading. The lesson/unit/class will have a learning objective based on the chosen standards that students complete. Standards-based learning often has fewer grades in the grade book. Students are graded on standards-based assessments, not practice assignments like homework or classwork.
How They Work Together
These two systems fit together really well and, in my opinion, they should always be used together. The combination is so much more effective than just one system alone.
To use the two systems together, start with the standards that students need to learn. In my own teaching, I take my whole list of state standards, then I start by picking my “power standards.” I define power standards as the standards students have to know by the time they leave my class. This helps me make a hierarchy of standards. Then I know what standards to prioritize if students cannot accomplish all the standards.
Once you pick the standards for class, set the assessment or project where the student will demonstrate that they have understood the content of the standard. This could be as simple as earning a certain percentage on a test or it could be a portfolio of work or even one big final project.
After you have the standards and the method of demonstration based on the standard, you can set up a system that will allow students to work at their own pace with unlimited retakes on the mastery task.
Voila! You now have a system of mastery and standards-based learning.
In my opinion, each system is incomplete without the other. You can have lessons, tests, and projects based on standards, but if you don’t allow students to retry, retake, and relearn, they are unlikely to actually accomplish those standards. Likewise, if you have a great mastery system in place with unlimited retakes and student empowerment but your tests and projects are not based on standards, students have not learned what they need to learn.
Why Mastery of Standards?
Being out of the classroom and having a break during summer can cause teachers to realize how frustrated they have become in teaching. The root of much of this frustration is that teachers feel responsible for their students’ success. Yet teachers are not taught the teaching strategies necessary to reach modern students. This can become incredibly frustrating for both teachers and students. If students are not achieving success in school, they also will become frustrated with the education system that does not know how to teach them effectively.
The great thing about a mastery of standards approach is that it takes the responsibility for success and puts it right back where it should be – with the student. The teacher is there to guide, teach, give advice, and intervene when necessary but with clear standards and a system that allows students to learn at their own pace, the student finds that their effort equals their outcome. The student sees direct progress when they put in the effort and also the backsliding when they don’t. Using this system is empowering for both teachers and students and ultimately teaches students that they are responsible for their own lives and that their own actions cause positive and negative outcomes.
So, fellow educator, when you’re sitting by the pool this summer, trying not to think about how frustrated you were last year and worried that next year will be the same, why not consider a different teaching approach?
If you’re an educator that would like to change how we view teaching, consider joining our Facebook group. We’re building a community of educators who want to bring radical change to how we teach our students and radical change requires support. Let’s level up learning together!
