Characteristics of Mastery Learning Excellence
The following seven characteristics collectively capture the standards to which we encourage schools rise as they seek to establish mastery learning programs of excellence.
1. Commitment
The unwavering dedication of the school’s leadership to the principles and goals of personalized mastery learning. This involves creating a shared vision, allocating necessary resources, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
2. Connectivity
The seamless integration of technology infrastructure to support digital learning. This encompasses reliable access to electricity, sufficient internet bandwidth and data, and the provision of appropriate digital devices for students across different grade levels.
3. Coordination
The strategic alignment of the school’s annual calendar, daily schedules, and lesson plans to accommodate the allocated time for digital learning, one-to-one tutoring, and complementary whole-group, small-group, and independent learning activities. It aims to optimize time-on-task for learning without compromising other essential activities.
4. Capacity
The collective readiness of teachers, technologists, and school leaders to effectively implement personalized mastery learning. It involves orientation, onboarding, and ongoing professional development to ensure that all stakeholders are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge.
5. Context
The holistic consideration of the learning environment, encompassing whole-group, small-group, independent, and home learning activities. It involves designing a conducive, culturally sensitive, context-specific, and child-centric atmosphere and learning ecosystem. It includes developing comprehensive lesson plans that both appeal to the varied needs and interests of multiple learners in a typical conventional classroom, while also expertly equipping, guiding, supporting, and reinforcing each child’s mastery learning journey.
6. Content
The intentional selection and integration of both digital and non-digital resources that align knowledge maps, curriculum, and various learning modalities. One that reinforces mastery learning by considering the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and creative needs, interests, and aspirations of learners, and then adapting the learning process, both dynamically and responsively, to suit. Thereby creating a Personalized Mastery Learning Ecosystem™ that inspires children to discover and cultivate their Mastery Learner Identity, both at school and at home.
7. Competencies
The focus on learning outcomes that extend beyond content acquisition to mastery of skills. Intentionality that generates, sustains, and grows curiosity, confidence, capability, and creativity in learners. It emphasizes the development self-concept, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and self-actualization. This focus supports mastery of foundational literacy and numeracy, social emotional competencies, digital literacy, and 21st-century skills (critical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts).
