The EduGals Podcast
Problem Solving Mastery-Based Grading - E095
Jul 19, 2022
Episode 95
This week, we are chatting all about mastery-based grading in skills-based curriculum areas. We've got a packed episode where Rachel is reflecting on her thought processes and Katie helps with problem-solving some challenges with mastery-based grading.
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Featured Content
**For detailed show notes, please visit our website at https://edugals.com/95**
- Mastery-based scales for skills - easy to understand for students, teachers, and parents
- Proficiency scales from the book: Going Gradeless by Dave Frangiosa and Elise Burns
- Start by breaking it down:
- What are the key skills you want students developing in your course?
- Break it down - what does it look like for each level of the scale?
- Consider benchmarks
- How many levels do you want in your scale?
- How would this convert into grades? Consider a grade conversion scale
- Standards-based grading scales - for science it can be tricky because you value both background knowledge AND skills (see Jessica Liew's episode E084 to learn more)
- Teasing apart knowledge and skills is challenging - what are you actually assessing?
- Assessment plan:
- Mastery checks for background knowledge only
- Checkpoints (cumulative quizzes) - both knowledge and skills (problem solving, communication) with re-tests focused on knowledge only
- Inquiry, design thinking, projects - all skills based scales
- Skills scales have 3 levels - Got It, Almost, Not Yet
- Scaffold building of the skills within the assessments themselves
- Regardless of system, communication is going to be key!
- Final grades:
- Percentage of mastery demonstrated of knowledge and skills
- Skills can be most recent, most consistent - replacing grades in your gradebook
- Try group moderated grading as you try this out
- Expect grading conversations to take a long time!
- I can statements as a checklist for mastery-based grading with space for comments/feedback
- You don't have to have all the answers - try, fail, learn, and iterate!
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