How do you assess for mastery?
Assessment is one of the most important components of Mastery Learning. Carefully crafted and aligned assessments are at the heart of assessing mastery and finding out whether a student knows what they are supposed to in order to move on.
Types of Assessment you can use:
A common misconception is that traditional assessments can’t be used within The Grid Method. The truth is: any and all assessment types can be used within this system.
Assessments are broken into two categories: Summative and Formative.
Formative Assessments:
This type of assessment is meant to measure smaller “chunks” of information during the learning process. This is where multiple mistakes and errors, and productive struggle should occur for learners. Formative assessments should be “shorter” and assess very targeted pieces of the content.
There are many types of formative assessment you can use in The Grid Method. Exit slips are one of the most common types of formative assessment. If you want some help with formative assessments, you can download a free Exit Slip Survival Kit here.
Here are some important things you need to remember when planning for formative assessments in The Grid Method:
- Formative Assessment should occur after EVERY Learning Opportunity.
- Maintain an expectation of at least 80% Mastery before allowing a student to move on.
- You should always provide targeted and purposeful feedback and intervention for learners on their assessment.
- Multiple attempts should be given
- F.A.I.L = First Attempt In Learning
- Failure no longer means the end but the beginning of learning, reteaching, and corrective action!
- Integrate technology when possible. There are some amazing apps, sites, and software that can make grading quicker and more efficient so you can focus on learning not grading.
- Differentiate based on need. Make sure you are only assessing the knowledge being focused on. (Ex: if a student can explain mastery of concept verbally instead of writing…that’s ok!)
Summative Assessment:
Summative assessments should be thought of as “end of unit” tests or tasks that include all knowledge that should have been mastered in an area of your content. The formative assessments we just discussed should align and help students practice and meet the needs of the summative assessment.
There are multiple ways you can assess students knowledge at the end of a unit in The Grid Method including but not limited to:
- Project / Problem Based experiences: You can make a PBL into a single learning opportunity, or break the project down into an entire Grid with the product being your Level 4 / 5 Learning Opportunities)
- Traditional Assessments: These should be TIERED to match up with the targets (ex: first set of questions aligns with Level 1 Learning Target and so on…)
- Performance Based Assessments: Using task-based performance to demonstrate mastery can also be used in a self-paced system by utilizing stations or a teacher center where the student demonstrates a concept with action.
- MANY MORE CAN BE USED: AS LONG AS THE TASK AND OPPORTUNITY ALIGN WITH AND DEMONSTRATE MASTERY OF CONTENT COVERED.
What about Grading!?
Grading is perhaps one of the most common concerns we get from teachers taking this course, or while working with schools and districts.
The important thing when considering grading in a mastery-based system is that the grade received by the learner represents mastery of the learning targets or standards being taught NOT completion of tasks.
When any stakeholder (educator, principal, parent, etc.) looks at that grade or description of grades in your grade book, they should be able to conclude exactly what a student knows and doesn’t know after completion of that unit.
Furthermore, stakeholders should know what level of mastery or competency that learner showed in the unit covered. This aligns very well with the current movement towards Standards Based Grading / Instruction (SBI) that many schools are moving towards.
Grading is going to be different depending on the school or district you are in and the policies they have in place.
While there is plenty of flexibility to grading in The Grid Method, it is important to realize that, depending on your comfort level and how you currently grade, you may have to rethink your grading.
All of this and more are explained even better in The Video below!
Watch the Video! Part 5: Assessment for Mastery