One Teacher’s Approach to Grading and Revision in a Mastery-Based Classroom

Nora Barnett Lieberman, Middle School Math Teacher

modernclassrooms.org

Mastery-Based Learning

Mastery-based learning refers to an instructional approach where students have to exhibit a certain threshold of competence with a task before moving on to the next.

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In a mastery-based classroom, learners are given opportunities to develop their understanding of a skill or concept through practice work. After sufficient practice, they are able to “prove” what they’ve learned through a mastery check.

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During this process, it is important for learners to receive feedback on their practice and mastery checks. When learners fall short of mastery, it is equally important that they know when and how to revise.

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After developing grading and revision policies, it is critical to communicate clear routines and procedures for learners to successfully navigate their own mastery-based learning.

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The following slides will illustrate what this process looks like in one teacher’s classroom.

One Teacher’s Approach…

The next slides will introduce you to one Modern Classroom Educator and learn about her approach to grading and revision in her Mastery-Based Classroom.

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You will…

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• Meet Modern Classrooms Educator and Mentor, Nora Barnett Lieberman
• Review Nora’s grading and revision routines
• Explore Nora’s grading process for:
• Practice assignments
• Mastery Checks
• Learn how Nora tracks student progress
• Read how Nora launches class, using student data
• Consider Nora’s triage approach, using student data to support all learners

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Let’s visit Nora’s classroom!

Meet Nora Barnett Lieberman

I starting teaching sixth grade math through Teach For America in Fall River, MA in 2013. I taught for 5 years in the Boston area before moving to Washington, DC, where I was born and raised. I now teach sixth grade math in Alexandria, VA.

I started using the Modern Classrooms model in 2019 and instantly fell in love with how it transformed my classroom; I loved how it freed me up to spend meaningful time working with small groups and with individual students, building relationships and addressing mistakes and misconceptions.

In my spare time, I love to do crossword puzzles, unicycle, and spend time with my husband, my family, and my friends!

Nora: Grading & Revision Routines

In my classroom, it is important to me to give immediate feedback through daily grading and revision. That means that I grade assignments and mastery checks during class and update my teacher-facing progress tracker in real time, as much as possible.

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Why have I committed to daily grading and revision?

Immediate feedback helps address misconceptions right as they are happening and students love to know if they are right or wrong as soon as possible! I also have a better sense of which students need help and can step in before they get too far off-track.

What happens if I can’t grade assignments and mastery checks in the moment?

When I am in the middle of working with a student or small group and students want their work checked, I have them submit and move on. As soon as I have a free moment, I review that work and give feedback as follows:

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Whatever work can’t be graded in class is graded after class. After grading all submitted work, I update my teacher-facing tracker and the public tracker. If a student has moved on but needs to revise, I indicate this through my public tracker and will meet with him/her at the start of the next class.

Try again!

Nora: Grading Process for Practice Assignments

I review paper assignment turned in during class or I open up my LMS to review digital work.

• When work has…
• No mistakes, I keep it in my own completed work pile and students move on to their Mastery Check.
• Minor mistakes, I circle mistakes and return it so students can revise mistakes at their seats.
• Minor conceptual mistakes, I circle mistakes and have students revise at their seats or with me at my table.
• Large, conceptual misunderstandings, I circle mistakes and have students sit with me at my back table to revise.

Practice Assignment

Incorrect

All Correct

Student receives Mastery Check

Minor Conceptual Mistakes:

Rewatch lesson video at seat or revise work at teacher table

Large, Conceptual Mistakes:

Rewatch lesson video, then revise work at teacher table

Minor mistake:

Quick feedback given when picking up revisions; Revise at seat.

When revision is complete, student receives Mastery Check

Nora: Grading Process for Mastery Checks

I review paper mastery check (or open up LMS to review digital version).

• When mastery checks have…
• No mistakes, I quickly meet with students to give positive feedback. Students move to next lesson.
• One or more mistakes, I mark the top of the mastery check. Depending on the student and his/her mistake:
• I return to students to revise on their own

Or

• I meet with student before having them revise at my back table.

After they revise and I check that mistakes a fixed, I have them take another mastery check (on the back of the paper mastery checks).

• Mistakes on second (or third) mastery check, I meet with students.

Mastery Checks

Any Part Incorrect

All Correct

Student moves to next lesson

Find and fix mistake on Mastery Check 1

Complete Mastery Check 2

If mastery is shown, student moves on to next lesson.

Mistakes on Mastery Check 2, student meets with teacher.

Nora: Tracking Student Progress

In order to easily see what each student is working on and who I need to meet with first in a small group, I use this teacher-facing progress tracker. I have one of these for each class.

These trackers are stapled together and they live on a clipboard that I carry with me all class. At the end of each day, I update my public tracker based on my teacher-facing tracker.

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My Teacher-Facing Progress Tracker Routines:

When grading, if work is all correct, students receive:

10/10 for Practice Assignment

2/2 for Mastery Check

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Any mistake → Revision occurs → Small dot goes next to score

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Work has been revised → Check off the dot and rewrite score

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I cross out Should Do lessons for students that are behind if they don’t need to complete them.

Nora: Launching Class with Revisions

At the beginning of work time, I post my Daily Seating Chart so students know where to sit during work time.

• Students with no revisions:
• Students find their assigned seats and continue with their work.

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• Students with revisions:
• Those assigned to my back table sit and start looking over mistakes until I check in with them.
• Those assigned to sit elsewhere come to my back table to collect their revisions (or open up their work on their chromebook) before going to their seats.

When students collect (or open) their revisions, I provide quick feedback:

• Ex. “Look at questions 2 before you redo question 3.”
• Ex. “Slow down and read the question carefully.”
• Ex. “Rewatch the last example in the video”
• Ex. “Remind me, what is percent out of?”

Nora: Triage Approach to Support

To meet the needs of all learners, I take a triage approach to support. In my classroom this looks like:

A Triage Approach to Support

I periodically circulate around the room to check in with all learners and hold them accountable for being on task.

Students who are ahead-of-pace are listed on my board as Teacher Assistants. I direct students with questions to these TAs.

1. First, I launch all students with an opening routine and check in with students I have identified as needing extra support.

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• Next, after the mini lesson, students with revisions check in with me at my table. I return revisions to students who need the lowest level of support, quickly checking in with them to give support. These students return to their seats.

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• Then, I return revision and provide feedback and strategies to students who are in need of a middle-level of support. Some students return to their seats and some stay at my table to work with me.

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• Students who need the highest level of support sit with me, spending most of the class period working with me.

Next Steps: Mastery-Based Grading and Revision in Your Classroom

modernclassrooms.org

I currently use

mastery-based grading practices…

✓ Create a graphic that shows students your grading processes for practice assignments and mastery checks.

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✓ Reflect on how you use your teacher time to work with different groups of students. Try the Triage Approach to Support or use our Teacher Action Plan template.

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✓ Read more about how to Grade Smarter, Not Harder.

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✓ Reflect on what is working and what could be improved. Remember, this takes time!

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✓ For one unit (or one smaller chunk of a unit), plan what students will be expected to do for Practice and Mastery Check activities.

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✓ Determine what your grading policy will be.

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✓ Communicate your grading policy to your students, their caregivers and your administrators.

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✓ Reflect on what is working and what could be improved. Remember, this takes time!

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Like any change instructional practices, starting mastery-based grading and revision may feel overwhelming at first. See below for where you might begin.

I haven’t used mastery-based grading practices yet…