Transforming schools through mastery learning may solve education's existential crisis, offering today's learners the relevance and individualization they need while returning to the most ancient form of assessment, proving that learning has occurred. Mastery learning requires significant change to all the norms and practices of school, altering…

Research on engagement in schools as well as research from the Challenge Success-Stanford Survey of School Experiences on how high school students' perceptions of classroom practices correlate with their engagement levels shows that more students are engaged in school when educators emphasize practices that promote learning and mastery. Authors…

A mastery-based learning model has limited value in secondary English classrooms, particularly as it relates to writing instruction. Kelsey Hammond and Chelsey Barber argue against the focus on standardized benchmarks that are tied to mastery-based models in favor of an approach to writing that is explorative, personal, and imaginative. The rise…

The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial reckoning in the United States make 2021 a potent moment to reimagine American education. This article introduces an ongoing Kappan series in which scholars look ahead to imagine what K-12 education will look like in 25 years. Na'ilah Nasir, Megan Bang, and Hirokazu Yoshikawa discuss some of…

Opinions about whether comments, grades, or both are the most effective forms of feedback vary widely among teachers, school leaders, and even grading and assessment consultants. Thomas Guskey maintains that the truth is not as clear-cut as some suggest. He reviews the research, going back to the 1950s, to better understand when certain types of…

What can educators do to help students care about their learning and become more invested in their own success? Chase Nordengren describes how a school district created a goal-setting culture in all classrooms at all grade levels. The district began with a complex, research-based, prescriptive program that teachers found did not work well with…

Learner-centered education has been touted as an improvement over teacher-centered educational systems. However, educators and researchers need to be cautious about its problems, in addition to considering its benefits. The authors set out to identify challenges to learner-centered education through the eyes of educators in a truly…

In June 2016, the Mastery Collaborative completed its first year as an official program, working with more than 40 public middle and high schools across the five boroughs of New York City to improve, document, and advocate for mastery-based teaching and learning. The collaborative has eight Living Lab schools that practice schoolwide mastery; most…

This program takes advantage of the mastery learning strategies, fits the Chicago reading curriculum, and keeps in mind the "facts of life" of urban education. (Author/IRT)

Describes the introduction of the Prescriptive Reading Inventory in an elementary school, outlines its use, and presents several mastery learning theories that support and clarify its use. Concludes by recounting the benefits of the program. (Author/IRT)

Examines Bloom's theories of mastery learning as developed in his book--"Human Characteristics and School Learning." (IRT)

In this article, the author argues that, if schools truly were based on standards, they would look much different than they do now. She describes the standards-based system of an experimental school in Colorado. Here, she discusses how students document their work in a variety of ways, such as: (1) various types of portfolios; (2) oral delivery;…

Presents two new approaches to improving academic achievement in inner-city schools--group-based, mastery-learning reading instruction and curriculum alignment. Explains why fundamental school reform and incremental improvement, introduced in the 1970s, failed to yield consistent results. (Author/WD)

Describes a program in which student promotion is based on achievement. Standardized test scores have risen as a result of the program. (IRT)

Detroit's minimum competency testing program focuses on improving basic skills instruction. Using test results as indicators of areas of weakness and strength in 12 subjects, teachers have a better understanding of the learning tasks and subskills needed for mastery. (WD)