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Mastery-Based Grading

This course is built around inquiry, historical thinking, civic reasoning, and communicating ideas clearly. Mastery grading removes point-chasing and replaces it with clear expectations and multiple chances to demonstrate what you know. Your job is to show evidence of mastery across a set of course skills. My job is to give feedback, opportunities to revise, and consistent expectations.

Mastery means: you can apply a skill accurately, consistently, and independently across different tasks

You advance when you show it.

MASTERY LEVEL

Incomplete [X]: No attempt or not level of mastery has not been demonstrated
Ready for Revision [R]: You tried, but your explanation or model is incomplete or inaccurate
Practicing [P]: You’re on the right track, but need more precision or clarity
Mastery [M]: You show accurate understanding without prompting
Extended [E]: You go beyond the target by applying ideas in complex or unfamiliar situations

Only MASTERY and EXTENDED count toward final course credit. Revision is always available.

This course rewards curiosity, argument, and clarity. The more often you think with the tools of economics, the more mastery you’ll accumulate

Grade Equivalent:

Extended

100%

Mastery

90%

Practicing

80%

Ready for Revision

70%

Incomplete

69-BELOW

METHODS OF CALCUATION

Decaying Average (75/25) for HT, CR, CW

These are skills you build over time, like writing, using evidence, analyzing sources, and making civic arguments

The most recent assessment counts the most

Older assessments fade out

In this system:

Your most recent score = 75% of the calculation
All earlier scores combined = 25% of the calculation

This shows who you are now, not who you were at the beginning

Why This Matters For You

If you struggled early but improved, your grade rises quickly. You are not punished forever for early attempts while you were still learning

EXAMPLE (4-Point Scale)

Suppose you have three scores on Historical Thinking:

Early score: 1
Later score: 3
Most recent score: 4

Calculation

Step 1: Average your older scores

Older scores: 1 and 3 → average = 2

Step 2: Apply the 75/25 weighting

Most recent score (4) → 75%

Older average (2) → 25%

Final Mastery Score =

(4 x 0.75) + (2 x 0.25) = 3 + 0.5 = 3.5

What This Shows

You are currently performing at a 3.5 mastery level, even though you started at a a one. The system rewards your improvement.

Number of Times Method - for CD and RM

These competencies measure habits, behaviors, and growth in community skills

Collaboration & Dialogue (CD)
Reflection & Metacognition (RM)

These are not skills that steadily build like writing or historical reasoning – they are things you demonstrate in real time

To show mastery, you must demonstrate the skill 2 separate times

Scores are on a 4-point scale:

4 = Extended

3 = Mastery

2 = Practicing

1 = Needs Revision

How This Method Works

When you score a 3, it counts as one “mastery event.”
When you have two mastery events, you are marked as Mastered for the competency
If you have multiple 3’s or higher, they average to give your final score

REVISION PROCESS

Revision is built into the course. You may revise any task at any time.

Steps:

Read the feedback. Identify what needs clarity, accuracy, or evidence
Revise the original work or submit a new piece of evidence for the same target
Add the revision to your tracker with the new date
Write 1-2 sentences describing what changed

You’re not being graded on speed. You’re being evaluated on understanding

END-OF-CHALLENGE REFLECTION

At the end of each Challenge, you’ll complete a short reflection:

Which targets did you demonstrate mastery in?
Where did you grow the most?
What feedback helped you improve?
What economic ideas became clearer for you?
What goals do you have for the next Challenge?

This reflection becomes part of your portfolio.

HOW YOUR FINAL GRADE IS DETERMINED

Your Canvas grade is built from your competency mastery scores, not assignment points

Competency weights are:

Major Skills (decaying average, 75/45)

Historical Thinking (HT) - Course Weight → 30%
Civic Reasoning (CR) - Course Weight → 30%
Communication & Writing (CW) - Course Weight → 20%

Learning Habits (number of times method)

Collaboration & Dialogue (CD) - Course Weight → 10%
Reflection & Metacognition (RM) - Course Weight → 10%

Each competency shows up as a separate line in Canvas

Your overall grade is based on your Mastery Scores Across Competencies, combined using course-wide weights

How did you decide to use this method? I have spent the past few years researching ways to make mastery and learning the focus of my classroom. Some of the books that I read included Rethinking Grading by Cathy Vatterott, Hacking Assessment by Starr Sackstein, Assessment 3.0 by Mark D. Barnes, Teaching Students to Self-Assess by Starr Sackstein, and Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman. It is my belief that this system is the most equitable form of grading and reporting students' understanding of the material learned throughout the course.

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Mastery-Based Grading

MASTERY LEVEL

Grade Equivalent:

METHODS OF CALCUATION

Decaying Average (75/25) for HT, CR, CW

Number of Times Method - for CD and RM

MATI BARKER | SHE/THEY | EDUCATOR | MATHEABARKER@GMAIL.COM