Educational Inertia and Initiative Fatigue

4.0 Going above and beyond the expectations listed at the score 3.0 level. Often, this requires students to make inferences and applications not addressed in class. 3.5 In addition to score 3.0 performance, partial success at score 4.0 content 3.0 The ultimate learning goal that clearly expresses what mastery looks like in

terms of what learners must know or be able to do

2.5 No major errors or omissions regarding score 2.0 content, and partial success at score 3.0 content 2.0 Simpler content that is necessary for students to master the learning target (score 3.0) and that will be directly taught. Includes key vocabulary, basic processes, basic details, and the cognitive skills or knowledge at a more basic level than that of level 3.0. 1.5 Partial success at score 2.0 content, and major errors or omissions regarding score 3.0 content 1.0 With help, partial success at score 2.0 content and score 3.0 content 0.5 With help, partial success at score 2.0 content but not at score 3.0 content 0.0 Even with help, no success Source: © 2016 by Marzano Resources. Adapted with permission. Visit MarzanoResources.com/reproducibles for a free reproducible version of this figure.

Figure 3.1: Simplified, generic proficiency scale .

Many teachers have difficulty understanding the difference between proficiency scales and rubrics. We assert that mastery scales serve as learning tools, while rubrics serve as grading tools. Thus, in a mastery-based learning model, the most important element in the use of proficiency scales is for teachers to get them into the hands of students and parents from the first day of the new school year and use them constantly as the roadmap to mastery. Often, we see teachers spend a great amount of time and effort in building proficiency scales and trying to align them to their assessments—but very little time using them as their intended purpose. It is critical that students see proficiency scales as their learning blueprint and for them to serve as their curriculum design and the learning goals to which they will be held to proficiency.

Effective mastery-based-learning schools often include three general categories of knowledge as part of the content that students are expected to master.

1. Traditional academic content

2. Cognitive skills 3. Metacognitive skills

Traditional Academic Content

A school or district can establish the learning goals for a content area through their own prioritization process, or they can start with a set of standards or learning goals that are already unpacked and professionally developed at different grade levels, such as the Critical Concepts (Simms, 2016).