Hello, World!

We’re writing to introduce the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative (MBLC), a newly formed network of visionary public schools across Washington State who have come together to make learning and school more clear, meaningful, rigorous, joyful, welcoming, and equitable for the students, families, and communities they serve. Yes, we used rigorous and joyful in the same sentence about school. Please read on!

MBLC Founding Member Schools

“Students can demonstrate excellence in unlimited ways if we allow them . . . 

Mastery-based learning offers that while keeping the learning grounded in standards.”

—Principal Julie Crawford, East Grays Harbor HS, Elma

Here is a map and list of founding MBLC member schools from around Washington State.

These elementary, middle, and high schools share a passion for student-centered innovation, and a vision for educational equity as a guiding value. As a network across the state, they are working to develop high-quality, rigorous, responsive, and research-based mastery-based learning (MBL) and culturally responsive-sustaining education (CRSE) principles, practices, and systems. They are building on what works well, and finding ways, classroom by classroom, student by student, teacher by teacher, and across building-wide systems, to make school a powerful place of belonging, academic success, mutual respect, and possibility.

Member schools are learning with and from each other, sharing ideas, models, resources, and visits over the two-plus years of the project.  Each school has created goals for Culturally Responsive-Sustaining MBL, Coronavirus Recovery, Schoolwide Professional Learning, and Youth Leadership. Their work is funded through June 2024 by Washington State Board of Education (SBE), and supported by a team of nationally recognized professional learning providers at Great Schools Partnership and New Learning Collaborative.

Readying Learners for a Changing World

“We are teaching kids to work in jobs that have not been invented yet.”

—Kelly Cutter, Principal, Vanguard Academy, Moses Lake

Our students need K-12 public schools that prepare them for adulthood in a changing world. They need rich and rigorous learning, agency, and multiple pathways to lifelong learning and college/workforce readiness. The founding member schools are at the front end of this important work.

“Our current education system was not designed for a 21st century digital economy, and leaves too many behind,” says State Senator Lisa Wellman, a strong advocate for mastery-based learning (MBL) in Washington. “MBL recognizes the potential of each and every child and supports them as they work at their own pace and through their personal learning modalities to master foundational competencies.”  

How MBLC Schools are changing the experience of learning

Mastery-based learning is a powerful approach for authentically achieving equity in education for each and every student, especially those who have historically and systemically been denied the promise of education through conventional methods . . .

With a focus on giving a student the individual agency to follow his aspirations, to exercise and strengthen her aptitudes, and to identify and utilize their assets, we can transform our outdated system of education to engage every young person in more relevant and meaningful study that drives deeper learning.  To me, this is the powerful promise of MBL.

—WA State Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos

The focus is on practicing and mastering a set of learning outcomes aligned to state and national standards that name skills, knowledge, and concepts students can use each class, across all classes. Students can use a skill like Communicates Effectively both in and out of school.

With their peers and teachers, learners “unpack” each learning goal, each task, and the criteria for success, so that the path to academic success is clear from the start.  They learn to think like the experts in a given field. How does a scientist communicate? How does an artist communicate? How does a historian or mathematician communicate? What are the common threads of effective communication, across disciplines? What are my own current strengths and growth areas with this skill?

Students in MBL schools grapple with complex concepts, engaging in rigorous tasks designed to help them build proficiency—and getting timely feedback along the way.  The goal is to demonstrate independent mastery of those key learning goals, showing their expertise and ability repeatedly, in a variety of contexts, over time. Learning in this way, with clarity, purpose, and support,  gives students insight into the learning process itself. Students in MBL schools describe a sense of purpose and agency, and a focus more on learning than on grades.

“Now, as students, we are curious. Instead of comparing grades,which we used to do, actually,
before we had mastery, now we’re comparing our thoughts.” 

—Georgios, 7th grader

Educational Equity as a Guiding Value

“MBL helps students to take ownership of their learning in a system that make sense to the student and parent. 
Additionally, it addresses inequities and biases in traditional grading.”

—Russell Tuman, Principal at West Valley Innovation Center, Yakima

When asked to picture an “honors student,” who comes to mind? Equity work involves questioning a longstanding definition of academic rigor and success that may be too narrow and seen as a scarce ability not reachable by all.  Are we failing to see excellence because our mental picture has been too narrow—both in terms of what success looks like and who is capable of excellence? Engaging with others in your school and across schools is a powerful support in this journey.

Looking Ahead

“We want to increase student access to relevant and robust mastery-based academic pathways aligned to personal
career goals and postsecondary education.” 

—Robin Pratt, Coordinator, Native American Education Program, Auburn High School, Auburn

Watch this space as we document these schools’ journey over the next two school years. We’ll share insights from students and educators, profiles of MBLC schools, the research basis of this innovative work, and “deeper dive” explorations of key aspects of mastery-based learning and culturally responsive-sustaining education practices, hoping to document and share the energy, vision, discoveries, and promise we’re seeing in member schools already.

from top

GATES HS, Tacoma. A pathway to college readiness for students

GATES HS, Tacoma. Touring campus with Principal Valinda Jones and AP Brian Olsen

Avanti HS, Olympia. The 13 Avanti Habits for learners will feature in new interdisciplinary curriculum as part of this school’s MBLC work.

Avanti HS, Olympia. This poster puts us in mind of equitable competency/mastery-based grading, which aims to measure evidence of learning rather than basing grades mainly on completion of work.

Avanti HS, Olympia. Planning learning activities for the Avanti Habits

Avanti HS, Olympia. Just us chickens! 

Innovation Lab HS, Bothell. Students' creative interpretations of the school's values, such as equity and truthfulness

Innovation Lab HS, Bothell. Principal Peter Schurke welcoming us

Innovation Lab HS, Bothell: A student confers with a teacher

We'll share more school pics in another blog post in the near future. Stay tuned for another post soon!