Social Promotion vs Mastery Learning: What To Do With Students Who Don't Meet Standards?

<BODY>Mastery learning vs. social promotion: Bellevue International School co-founder Bruce Saari discusses social promotion and grade retention in successful small learning communities. Mastery learning versus social promotion. Bellevue International School, Marysville Arts & Technology High School, Lake Washington International School: small learning communities where mastery learning and demonstration of competencies are required for promotion to the next grade level. Mastery learning: student retention, not social promotion, as part of a successful academic curriculum in small learning communities. Student retention and social promotion: mastery learning and student achievement. Grade retention in International schools. Social promotion and grade retention models for the renewal of America's public schools. Small learning community test scores. Small learning communities as high performance public school options. Mastery learning: setting high standards for student achievement and school performance. Test scores as indices of performance. Core values. International Schools as charter school models in public education. Social promotion or mastery learning? Advanced placement and humanities curriculum in successful charter schools. Academics and student achievement in charter schools. Starting charter schools. Program development for charter schools. Bruce Saari describes essential program philosophy and policies. High performance writing curriculum. Education reform, essential curriculum and academic standards. Mastery learning and performance based assessment in small learning communities.<P> <FONT SIZE=3>                           </FONT><P><FONT SIZE=3>         </FONT><B><FONT SIZE=4>           </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=5> Student Accountability and Responsibility:</FONT></U></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=5>            <U>A Policy for </U></FONT><I><U><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#0000FF>Successful</FONT></U></I><U><FONT SIZE=5> Charter School Programs</FONT></U></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=3>                    </FONT><EM><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#008080>"<U>Seattle Needs an International High School...</U>"</FONT></EM></B></P> <UL><UL><P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>   "...So far, Bellevue's school has been oversubscribed, and has held</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      a lottery to see who gets in.  </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>Being public, it has to accept all ranges</FONT></U></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      <U>of ability</U>.  The state has allowed it, however, to require a certificate</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      of mastery to pass the eighth grade.  Last year it held back 13 </FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      students in a class of less than 100--a daring act for a public school.  </FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      <A HREF="BruceSaariCV.htm" TARGET="_top">Bruce Saari</A>, one of the founders, offers no apologies:  'Better to </FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>      bite the bullet early,' he says."</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                    --Bruce Ramsay,</FONT></STRONG><EM><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#008080> <I><U>Seattle Post Intelligencer</U></I></FONT></EM><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>, Feb 27, 1994</FONT></STRONG></B></P> </UL></UL><P> </P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=3>      </FONT><FONT SIZE=4>   </FONT><FONT SIZE=5>    </FONT><STRONG><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#008080>             </FONT><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#000080>"A Different School of Thought--</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#008080>                 </FONT><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#000080>Bellevue's  International School  is tough.</FONT><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#008080>  </FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=5 COLOR=#008080>                            <U>So why do students love it?</U>"</FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#008080> </FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P> </P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#008080>                </FONT><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#008080>              </FONT><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>"My mom was used to the usual high school thing,</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#FF0000>where if you get an "F" you talk to the teacher and</FONT></U></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#FF0000>get a C-</FONT></U><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>.  Well...I had a teacher for two classes at</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   (the International School), and he failed me for</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   both, and my mom was like 'Whoa!'  She talked to</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   him, and I was on the phone too, and he said 'I don't</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   care.  It's your son's own fault.  He failed because</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   he turned in no homework.  He's a very intelligent kid.</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   Next year he'll have to do the work.  So sorry.'  He</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   wasn't mean about it; it was totally honest.  He said</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   'If your kid does this now in middle school he'll become</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   a dropout in high school, and I'm giving him a chance</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   now before it's too late.'  Failing in middle school--</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><STRONG><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#000000>                                   you're not supposed to fail in middle school!"</FONT></STRONG></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=2>                                                                        </FONT></B><FONT SIZE=3> <B>--Katherine Long,</B></FONT><B><EM><FONT SIZE=3 COLOR=#008080> <I><U>Seattle Times</U></I></FONT></EM><FONT SIZE=3>, June 10, 1997</FONT></B></P> <P> </P> <P></P> <DIV ALIGN="center"><TABLE WIDTH=85% HEIGHT=5% BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=0 CELLSPACING=0><TBODY> <TR VALIGN="top"> <TD> <B><FONT SIZE=4>In the <U>International Model</U>, we run two curricula simultaneously. One has to do with course content, the other has to do with helping students </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#00000FF>acquire the attitudes and work habits that are necessary for achievement</FONT></U><FONT SIZE=4>. Successful student performance depends upon mastery of both. </FONT></B><P><B><FONT SIZE=4>We recognize that students master content and consolidate their skills as scholars at different rates.  Respect for individual student differences and for mastery learning requires that students be retained at curricular levels if they need more time to familiarize themselves with content, or to acquire the skills and work habits that will help them to become life-long learners.  </FONT></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=4>In the <U>International Model</U>, students who are retained repeat a course for an entire year.  Our experience is that the coursework at each level can present new and richer challenges for repeating students; they are not revisiting "boring" material, but rather are being invited to explore a depth curriculum that still holds many secrets and discoveries for them.  </FONT></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=4>What we have learned is that</FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#000000> <U>students who repeat discover that there is a relationship between their effort and their achievement</U>--and therefore t</FONT><FONT SIZE=4>hey learn at an early (rather than a later) age to make a more serious, purposive commitment to their school work.  The fact is that all students can learn; </FONT><U><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#000000>we know that</FONT></U><FONT SIZE=4>.  The other fact is that a lack of motivation (and sometimes a lack of training) is often the greatest impediment to student progress.   We created the <U>International Model</U> to address this student and schoolwork dynamic, and <U>we plant ourselves firmly within the public school arena and declare that all students can be successful</U></FONT></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=4>Master teachers who work within the framework of the </FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#008080>International Model</FONT><FONT SIZE=4> are even more successful because it provides the motivation</FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#000000> <U>by design</U></FONT><FONT SIZE=4>; it provides the support, and it provides for the long term relationships that uphold and sustain students, especially if they are struggling.  Our ethos of responsibility and commitment causes us to trust that our students can do what we are asking them to do--and confirms us in our belief that we would be remiss if we did not ask them</FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#000000> <U>push their performances to new heights</U></FONT><FONT SIZE=4>.</FONT></B></P> <P><B><FONT SIZE=4>Overall, teaching and learning become more productive and more enjoyable </FONT><FONT SIZE=4 COLOR=#000000>when students in each class section have <U>earned the right to be there.</U></FONT><FONT SIZE=4>  Our goal is to help students earn that right; and to ensure that what we are asking of them is a "reach," but is also within their capabilities.</FONT></B></P></TD></TR> <TBODY> </TABLE> </DIV> <P><A HREF="Products.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Becoming an Effective Teacher</FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Writing.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Writing Curriculum for Student Achievement </U></FONT></B></A></U> <P><A HREF="Articulated.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Thematic Humanities Curriculum</U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Retention.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Social Promotion...or Program Accountability?</U></FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Home.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Transform the Teaching Culture</FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P></I><A HREF="InternationalModel.htm" TARGET="_top"><FONT SIZE=3><font face=papyrus><B><P>Creating Schools of Choice: Bellevue International School, Lake Washington International Community School, Marysville Arts & Technology High School</U></B></A> <P><A HREF="StartUpFAQ.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>SLC Myths: Making it Better vs. Making it New</STRONG></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="TestScores.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Test Scores</I></U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Academics.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Essential Curriculum</FONT></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="AdvancedPlacement.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><B>Articulated Curriculum</FONT></STRONG></B></A> </U></FONT> <P><FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="BruceSaariCV.htm" TARGET="_top">Saari CV</A> </FONT></B></P> <P><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=#000000>E mail address: saari@topschools.com</FONT></A></P> </BODY> <BODY>Mastery learning in small learning communities. Social promotion. Retention is an effective option in small learning communities. Mastery learning requires skill development and competency before moving to the next grade level. High performance academic curriculum for small learning communities. Top rated small learning communities. Social promotion harms students in the context of small learning communities. Small learning communities as models for the renewal of America's public schools. Small learning communities as high performance public school options: small learning communities are setting high standards for student achievement and school performance. Test scores as indices of small learning community performance. Bringing an end to social promotion: core values for small learning communities. International Schools as charter school models in public education. Advanced placement and humanities curriculum in successful charter schools. Academics and student achievement in small learning communities. Mastery learning and school culture. Program philosophy and policies for small learning communities. High performance writing curriculum for charter schools. Education reform, essential curriculum and academic standards for new charter schools. Mastery learning and performance based assessment in successful charter schools. The International School model for small learning community development.</P></B><P><A HREF="TestScores.htm" TARGET="_top"><B><STRONG><FONT <P><A HREF="InternationalModel.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Teachers Design High Powered Schools: Bellevue International School 1991, Lake Washington International School 1997, Marysville Arts & Technology 2003</U></FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Writing.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Mastery Learning Writing Curriculum for Student Achievement </U></FONT></B></A></U> <P><A HREF="StartUpFAQ.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>SLC Myths: Making it Better vs. Making it New</STRONG></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="Retention.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Social Promotion...or Program Accountability?</U></FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Home.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Transform the Instructional Culture</FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Articulated.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Thematic 9-12 Humanities & Literature Curriculum</U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="TestScores.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Test Scores</I></U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Academics.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Essential Curriculum</FONT></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="AdvancedPlacement.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Articulated Curriculum</FONT></STRONG></B></A> </U></FONT> <P><A HREF="Products.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Improving Instructional Effectiveness</FONT></B></A> <P><FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="BruceSaariCV.htm" TARGET="_top">Saari CV</A> </FONT></B></P> <P><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=#000000>E mail address: saari@topschools.com</FONT></A></P> <P><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top"><B><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=#0000FF>HOME</FONT></B></A></P> </BODY> </FRAMESET> <NOFRAMES> <BODY>Mastery learning in small learning communities. Social promotion. Retention is an effective option in small learning communities. Mastery learning requires skill development and competency before moving to the next grade level. High performance academic curriculum for small learning communities. Top rated small learning communities. Social promotion harms students in the context of small learning communities. Small learning communities as models for the renewal of America's public schools. Small learning communities as high performance public school options: small learning communities are setting high standards for student achievement and school performance. Test scores as indices of small learning community performance. Bringing an end to social promotion: core values for small learning communities. International Schools as charter school models in public education. Advanced placement and humanities curriculum in successful charter schools. Academics and student achievement in small learning communities. Mastery learning and school culture. Program philosophy and policies for small learning communities. High performance writing curriculum for charter schools. Education reform, essential curriculum and academic standards for new charter schools. Mastery learning and performance based assessment in successful charter schools. The International School model for small learning community development.</P></B><P><A HREF="TestScores.htm" TARGET="_top"><B><STRONG><FONT <P><A HREF="InternationalModel.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Teachers Design High Powered Schools: Bellevue International School 1991, Lake Washington International School 1997, Marysville Arts & Technology 2003</U></FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Writing.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Mastery Learning Writing Curriculum for Student Achievement </U></FONT></B></A></U> <P><A HREF="StartUpFAQ.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>SLC Myths: Making it Better vs. Making it New</STRONG></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="Retention.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Social Promotion...or Program Accountability?</U></FONT></B></A> <P><A HREF="Home.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Transform the Instructional Culture</FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Articulated.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Thematic 9-12 Humanities & Literature Curriculum</U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="TestScores.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Test Scores</I></U></FONT></STRONG></B></A> <P><A HREF="Academics.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Essential Curriculum</FONT></B></A> </U> <P><A HREF="AdvancedPlacement.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Articulated Curriculum</FONT></STRONG></B></A> </U></FONT> <P><A HREF="Products.htm" TARGET="_top"><font face=papyrus><FONT SIZE=3><B>Improving Instructional Effectiveness</FONT></B></A> <P><FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="BruceSaariCV.htm" TARGET="_top">Saari CV</A> </FONT></B></P> <P><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR=#000000>E mail address: saari@topschools.com</FONT></A></P> </BODY>