Powering Authentic Learning at Hancock Place School District

Today’s students increasingly need a personalized, data-driven education. In our recent research, we surveyed educators and 84% of respondents stated that individualized student pathways effectively enhance student learning outcomes. From a young age, students need to have the space, resources, and opportunity to learn. Assessment and grading have long been indicators of student learning. 

However, traditional grading systems often fail to provide a true reflection of student mastery, leading to frustration from students, teachers, and parents alike. But what’s the alternative? What could impactful assessment look like? How can we cultivate authentic learning in students that sets them up for lifelong success?

In the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, one school district is rethinking student assessment. Hancock Place School District serves approximately 1,200 students across K-12 and has embarked on a transformative journey from traditional grading to evidence-based instruction and assessment using Mastery Connect.

Hancock Place is a multi-generational community where many students follow in their parents' and grandparents' footsteps. The faculty is close-knit, putting students at the center of everything they do. With 100% free and reduced lunch participation and 1-to-1 Chromebook distribution, Hancock Place is committed to ensuring every student has access to quality education and resources.

The Journey to Evidence-Based Assessment

Before implementing Mastery Connect, Hancock Place followed a traditional assessment model. Students took tests either online or on paper and received grades on a 100-point scale. Assessment methods varied among teachers. 

Lauren Wiegand, a 6th Grade Teacher with 10 years of experience at the district, explained,” Rarely did we offer or do reassessments, and teachers all had very different processes. Parents checked students' grades online to see how their student was progressing through a course.”

The district's transition to evidence-based instruction and assessment began with a clear purpose: "to raise student achievement by clearly and accurately measuring progress toward learning expectations, to support all students when they struggle and challenge all students to excel."

Success Through Thoughtful Implementation 

Even in education, change is oftentimes hard and scary. Careful planning from administrators and teachers alike can help alleviate anxieties and lay the groundwork for success.

During the 2022-2023 school year, teachers were encouraged to experiment with evidence-based instruction before fully implementing it the following year. They created one proficiency scale for a single standard while maintaining traditional grading, allowing them to understand the process before fully committing.

Wiegand described the transition:

“We kept track of mastery within Mastery Connect and used a conversion formula to convert grades to a letter grade while encouraging students and parents to focus more on the mastery scores (on a 4-point scale) rather than the letter grade as a whole. This year, students only see their scores on a 4-point scale.”

Another critical aspect of the transformation was separating academic performance from behavioral metrics. As many educators know, academic knowledge and work habits are essential for success in school and life. While some students were good at “playing school,” it wasn’t a true reflection of their knowledge, just how hard they worked. Hancock Place wanted to separate academics from behavior to see what students know while holding them accountable for their behaviors, which they refer to as “habits of work and learning,” or HOWL.

The Reflective Learner: Transforming A Culture

The impact of this transition has been profound. Students are moving beyond going through the motions of school toward true learning. Instead of asking, “How can I get my grade up?” They now ask, “What can I do to improve my mastery?” 

Wiegand explained:

“A reflective learner believes that learning is a cyclical process. They learn, practice, show what they know about a given skill, and then reflect on their mastery in the sense of what they are proficient in and what they still need to refine to work toward mastery. Reflective learning has become ingrained in the process of evidence-based instruction and assessment in my classroom. Many times, at the end of a lesson or unit that students were assessed on, they go directly to their Mastery Tracker in Mastery Connect to see what level of mastery they demonstrated. Those who scored below proficient often start a conversation with me about what they can do better, “next time” or what they need to practice more. Through evidence-based instruction and assessment, my students know that learning and mastery is a process that doesn’t end and that we look at concrete examples of their work to determine what can push them toward mastery. Students took pride in their scores and were empowered to strive toward mastery through analyzing and reflecting on their mastery levels within Mastery Connect.”

By looking at proficiency standard-by-standard, schools can capture a more nuanced view of student understanding. However, students and teachers aren’t the only members of the school’s community who benefit from this new approach.

Another powerful example of this transformation came during parent-teacher conferences. A parent arrived at Wiegand’s classroom upset about their child's 'D' grade, but through examining the Mastery Tracker and HOWL scores, the conversation evolved from frustration to understanding. The parent realized their child wasn't a "bad student" but a diligent student who actively participated and simply needed more time to master certain concepts.

Looking to the Data-Driven Future

As Hancock Place continues its evidence-based journey, it focuses on refining its approach. The district plans to dive deeper into defining approaching mastery and advanced mastery while developing a universal reassessment process and enrichment opportunities for consistently proficient students.

For educators like Wiegand, the impact is clear: "Mastery-based learning and instruction, simply put, has made me a better teacher. I make more data-informed decisions to support my students and have more meaningful conversations with students and parents regarding a student's progress."

With Mastery Connect at the core, Hancock Place showcases that when assessment becomes a tool for learning, students become more engaged, parents become more informed partners, and teachers become more effective educators.

If you’d like to learn more about how Mastery Connect could make a difference at your school or district, contact us here.