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Learning experiences build intentionally towards mastery. Students have a clear understanding of where they are and where they are going, with multiple opportunities and ways to get feedback, demonstrate competency, and plan next steps.

In this topic, explore the ways in which in-person learning strategies are implemented, including:

Goal-setting and planning
Sustained opportunities for practice
Meaningful feedback
Progress monitoring and reporting

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Goal-setting and planning

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Student speaks with teacher, smiling

Locust Grove Middle School

Teacher-Student Conferences

Individualized conferencing for students to discuss appropriate academic progress and supports
Girl writes on paper, sitting near computer

Pleasant View Elementary School

Authentic Projects

Assessment of mastery through projects in addition to skill-based learning
Photo of teacher aide standing and helping student with his work

LPS Richmond

Pre-Unit Diagnostics

Pre-assessments taken at the beginning of each unit to enable mastery-based progression and student choice, as well as promote student growth
This is a photo of students working together to provide support to each other.

Remote Buddy Projects

Grouping in-person and remote students together for projects
One teacher works with one group of students as another teacher in the background works with other students

Valor Collegiate Academies

Coordination Between Core Content and Math Focus Teachers

Collaborating over student data to ensure instructional time is used effectively
image of workshop.png

Holmes Elementary School

Workshop

Student Led Collaborative Groups
Student writes on paper with pencil

Valor Collegiate Academies

Math Notebooks

Organizing student progress through content with a structured system of notes
Photo closeup of student reading on her tablet device

CICS West Belden

Personalized Learning Plan

Linking objectives in skill-based units to offer unique pathway to mastery
Photo of teacher seated at front of class with group of students seated in front and copying teacher patting head

Roots Elementary

Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Groups

Differentiated groups to enhance different learning experiences
Photo closeup of two laptops

Lindsay High School

Triangulation of Data

Looking at data to determine appropriate Learners supports during Personalized Learning Time
A young boy sitting at a desk with his arms crossed, smiling

Student Badges

Micro-credentials for students who demonstrate specific skills
Chart of student names and progress across objectives

Lindsay High School

Capacity Matrix

Providing an explicit learning agenda to guide Learners through each learning unit
Close-up of a student working, with pencil in hand, on paper at desk, with blurred view of student to her side

Valor Collegiate Academies

Playlist Data Trackers

Monitoring student progress through a simple, paper-based tool
Teacher speaks to students while they touch and observe a 3-D city map

Trailblazer Elementary School

Genius Hour

Self-paced passion projects that students pursue through inquiry-based learning
Student works off of tablet in front of interactive white board

Lovett Elementary School

Student Choice of Mastery Demonstration

Allowing students to choose how they show mastery of the application of a skill
Photo of teacher standing and talking with student seated in front of his laptop

Lindsay High School

Supports for Pacing

Multiple opportunities to help Learners stay on-pace
Student sits at desk, working

Cisco Junior High School

Using Pretests and Posttests to Identify Learning Growth and Needs

Creating formative data with pretests and summative data with posttests
Two students sit on couch, reading from tablets

Lovett Elementary School

Accountability Partners

Student meetings with a partner to help them meet learning goals
Student smiles as she looks at laptop

Locust Grove Middle School

Customized Learner Pathways

Creating common pathways for academic progress that can be customized for individual students
Student wearing earphones smiles as he works on laptop

Valor Collegiate Academies

Self-Paced Progress through Playlists

Students work through playlists at their own pace
Teacher works with students on project in classroom

Using Data to Advocate for Students with Learning Differences

Strategically using data to understand and support students with learning differences, inside and outside the classroom
Three male students sitting in hallway, holding pencils and looking down at papers

Lovett Elementary School

Lovett's Modified Grading Based On Skill Level

Measuring academic growth based on students’ current skill levels
Teacher talks directly with student

Bronx Arena High School

Co-Creating Graduation Plans with Credit Mapping

Students and teachers map out learning and graduation goals and create a plan to achieve them
Student smiles at laptop screen

West Chester Area School District's Cyber Program

West Chester Area School District's Approach to Mastery and Expectations

How a virtual/hybrid program addressed student mastery and expectations around rigor for virtual learning
Photo of student arm writing in notebook with laptop in background

LPS Richmond

Daily and Weekly Goal-Setting

Students review their data to determine goals for the day and week
Student types on laptop while wearing headphones

Trailblazer Elementary School

Integrating Online Programs to Differentiate Learning

Personalizing content by student need, with bounded student choice
Photo of student and his laptop with screen showing data dashboard

LPS Richmond

Data Dashboard for Progress Monitoring

Teacher uses data dashboard to understand where each student is in their learning pathway
Close-up shot of several pairs of hands, holding pencils, writing on papers on desk

Lovett Elementary School

Student and Teacher Progress Tracking through Tracker Sheets

Simple data sheets populated by students for progress monitoring
Male student looks over colorful board on wall

Trailblazer Elementary School

Common Mastery-Based Practices

Creating a common understanding of mastery practices among staff and students
Students work individually on laptops

Bronx Arena High School

Demonstrating Mastery with Two Challenges and a Capstone

Students complete challenges to progress through a course and a capstone to earn a credit
Teacher and student speaking, working on laptops

Bronx Arena High School

Conferencing to Set and Review Goals

Collaborative check-ins to ensure progress and productivity
Two students working on laptops

Bronx Arena High School

Measuring Three Levels of Mastery

Students can show proficiency of academic skills at learning, functional, and nuanced levels
Example of learner pathways showing different folders for math topics

Trailblazer Elementary School

Promoting Personalization through Learner Pathways

Students choose how to engage with learning activities based on daily pre-assessments and personal preferences
Student smiles for photo, standing in front of table with experiment materials

Locust Grove Middle School

Implementing Learner Profiles

Gradually rolling out a tool designed to increase personalized teaching and learning
Photo of teacher working with two students on their laptops

LPS Richmond

Flexible Daily Small Group Instruction

Customized groupings to address learning needs and create team experts for specific learning objectives
Teacher leans down by one student, looking down at desk

Bronx Arena High School

Student Pacing Based on Content Mastery

When students show mastery, they immediately move on to new content or courses
Two students sit beside each other in hallway and hold up reports, smiling

Lovett Elementary School

Lovett Learner Profiles

Collecting data to understand students beyond academic progress
Student sits alone in lounge chair, working on laptop

Cisco Junior High School

Balancing Student Choice and Needs with Playlists

Students select their work from skill-level appropriate playlists
Photo of teacher working with a group of students at table in classroom

Roots Elementary

6-8 Week Learning Groups

Periodic benchmark assessments to determine student progress and adjust student learning paths
Student sits inside classroom, looking down at book and reading alone

Implementing a Flex Time Period

Creating flexible learning time for students to focus on high-value instruction
Overhead view of person writing on paper while another looks on

Bronx Arena High School

Coordinating Student Supports with Facilitation Plans

Creating a common document to help track students’ progress and supports in a flexible learning environment
Chart showing mastery level of a particular student across subjects

Roots Elementary

Roots' Mastery-Based Reporting

Actionable growth reports after every assessment cycle
Teacher and student look on at computer screen

Cisco Junior High School

Empowering Ownership of Learning through Monitoring Learning Progress and Goal-Setting

Students reflect on their learning data and use it to set goals for academic growth
Student speaks in front of class

Bronx Arena High School

Graduated Student Autonomy

Consistent learning structures that shift from teacher-led to student-led as students gain ownership of their learning
View of bulletin board showing class progress markers

Bronx Arena High School

Providing Productivity Guidance through Tasks and a Banking System

Students work on different courses in different places, but all are expected to complete five learning tasks each day
Two female students sit at desk in classroom as one raises her hand

Lovett Elementary School

Modifying Standards to Meet Student Needs

Teaching a topic at different levels of depth & complexity to make it accessible for all students
Photo of student working on her laptop and writing by hand

LPS Richmond

Assessment Initiated by Student

Students request assessments to demonstrate mastery and set pace of course
Photo of seated student working with her notebook and on her laptop

LPS Richmond

Student Choice Over Path, Place, and Modalities

Students choose assignments and learning resources to create a more personalized learning experience
Teacher sits at desk with individual student, looking over textbook

Cisco Junior High School

Creating Extra Time for Student Support in Extension Classes

All 6th graders and some 7th graders have an extra class period for personalized support in math and ELA
Teacher looks on as group of students work together

Locust Grove Middle School

Selecting Small Groups by Learning Level

Continually shifting groups to support students working at the same learning level while moving at their own pace
Teacher speaks with four students in a group at one table

Cisco Junior High School

Targeted Small Group Instruction

Supporting students in small group instruction during individual rotations
Woman smiles, presenting at front of room with marker in hand

Communicate the Plan

Ensuring all students know what to do, when to do it, and how
Students sit in row at computers, looking at screens

Cisco Junior High School

Providing Pacing Guidance with "Must Do" and "May Do" Tasks

Playlists contain components that students must do to show mastery, as well as additional options that extend learning
image of DefiningRoles-strat.png

Defining Clear Roles in Group Work

Supporting each student to be successful and collaborative during small-group time
Two students raise their hands while sitting in classroom

Locust Grove Middle School

Depth of Knowledge Levels

Clarifying rigor by identifying four different levels of content mastery
A man sitting at a desk working on a laptop

Two Steps to Improve Lesson Planning Through Instructional Design

Utilize instructional design principles to improve student learning and increase effectiveness in lesson planning
Student looks closely at another person at desk

Bronx Arena High School

Students Focus on Three Credits

Enabling opportunities for deeper and faster learning by limiting the amount of classes a student can take at the same time
Photo of Road to Success chart with student and teacher hands implying explanation

CICS West Belden

Student-Led Progress Tracking

Assessment initiated by student to increase ownership
Photo of high-school classroom

LPS Richmond

Common Launch

Opening class with shared problem solving to create a culture focused on growth
Two students and teacher look at laptops

Bronx Arena High School

Creating Competencies for Mastery-Based Learning

Developing broad and specific learning goals that are easy to understand and act on
Photo of creative classroom with flexible groups of students

CICS West Belden

Flexible Grouping

Combining students to differentiate instruction
Student standing at white board with tablet in hand, looking back and speaking toward classroom

Lovett Elementary School

Student-led Conferences

Empowering students to advocate for their learning during teacher conferences
Male student sits at laptop while female student looks on from the side

Trailblazer Elementary School

Student Voice and Choice - Common Practices

Providing students with the ability to decide when and how they learn best throughout the day
Teacher speaks to student as she looks at laptop

Bronx Arena High School

Promoting Student Ownership and Agency

Building consistent structures that continually allow students to own their learning experiences
Photo of teacher and student working on a worksheet side by side at table with laptops directly in front of them

LPS Richmond

Weekly Formal One-on-One Teacher Support

Planned weekly meetings to review goals and progress, and provide support
Student sits in classroom, looking off to the side as he holds a pencil

Lovett Elementary School

Collecting Student Data through Varied Assessments

Teachers use multiple data points to better understand student progress
Photo of small group of students seated and working together

Roots Elementary

Daily, Weekly, and Long-Term Student Groupings

Employing multiple grouping approaches to meet immediate needs as well as provide stable working teams