Making the Move to Mastery Lessons Learned at Windsor Locks Middle School Windsor Locks Middle School Windsor Locks, CT

Who we are Erick Knickerbocker 6th Grade Social Studies Doug Knowe 8th Grade ELA David Prinstein Principal Names, roles, and brief introductions. Feel free to get deeply personal.

Session Targets I can prioritize my school or district’s needs, based on the realities of our stakeholders. I can begin to set a course for school or district change to mastery-based learning.

Agenda Contextualizing the Change Compartmentalizing the Student Defining Mastery Translating Student Progress Communicating the Plan Reflecting on the Present Make sure audience understands that all of this work is still very much in the present tense. Even things that we have already done are still works in progress.

Contextualizing the Change “What is the impetus for change in your school or district?” Turn to a neighbor, or discuss at your table. Why are you in this session? What draws you to the necessity of MBL?

Contextualizing the Change Rationale Change process Problems & Solutions District vision and cause for that vision. Starting at WLMS, and slowly expanding. Problem- & solution-driven. Teacher-centered. Teachers problem solving with teachers. Fitting to logistics, OR fitting logistics to our system.

Compartmentalizing the Student “How would you best define an ‘A’ student?” Picture a name, a face, or characteristics.

Compartmentalizing the Student Why? How? Habits of Scholarship (HOS) Reporting Eligibility Pitfalls What is the necessity of doing this, based on the old way of assessing students? How do we draw a line between the two sides of a student? Demonstrations of academic standards: what a student can demonstrate; Habits of Scholarship: behaviors that are predictive of academic success. HOS process evolved out of a need for heightened student accountability and the need for students to receive feedback on their performance “as a student or worker”. Pitfalls: rubric application; runric interpretation; teacher accounting of scores; DECIMALS! Also, students who don’t “fit” into the larger HOS system.

Defining Mastery ”What does it take for someone to be considered a MASTER at something? Consider real-world examples.” Question should be self-explanatory. Also, it should be interesting to see how folks interpret it.

Defining Mastery “Meeting” versus “Mastering” Evidence of Mastery Quantifying Mastery Presentation versus Substance The struggle of teachers to wrap heads around this. “Consistent and independent demonstration.” Students shifting mindset: those who require support, and those who are ready to attempt independently.

Translating Student Progress “In a perfect world, how does a student know exactly where s/he is performing?” “What are the student performance implications of knowing (or not knowing) this?” Feel free to apply these questions to life, and not just to a school. Consider PROGRESS and PERFORMANCE.

Translating Student Progress Academic Reporting Performance Levels Grading Reporting Teacher Learning Curve & Time Philosophy versus Practice ES,MS,PS,LP,(NE). Much more student performance data than we’ve had in the past. What do we do with it? How do we communicate it. Evolution of learning standards and the report card. The balance of useful feedback VS. overloading students and families. Teachers shifting holistic (numerical?) grading practices toward isolating specific standards that make up a demonstration. Very much a work in progress.

Communicating the Plan “What’s the proper balance between stakeholder input and district communication?” “OR, how much of a voice should stakeholder groups actually have?” Conventional wisdom dictates everyone should have an equal voice, throughout the process. When is this true, and when is this not true?

Communicating the Plan Teacher to Teacher Teacher to Students School to School District to Families District to Community Families to District Students to Teachers The importance of two-way communication. The importance of big-picture communication to families and community. The importance of status updates as the change process moves on. Be proactive, so as to not have to be reactive.

Reflecting on the Present “Why can’t you make these changes tomorrow?” What is holding you back?

Reflecting on the Present Classroom Teaching Communication Grading & Reporting Student Feedback What does this look like today? What are our priority areas of work, based on what we now know? Four Hallmarks of WLMS learning? Visible Learning Visits? What advice would we give our 4-years-ago selves?

Unanswered questions?