Giving Compass' Take:

• Due to COVID-19, the new standards for education, classrooms, and school districts are emerging, as is the idea of mastery-based learning.

• Mastery-based learning encourages students to go at their own pace with the help of education technology. How can donors help school districts decide if this learning style is the best path forward? 

• Learn if COVID-19 will change the norms of education philanthropy. 

The pandemic killed “seat time,” at least temporarily.

Requirements that students spend six hours a day in class, or that a school year must be at least 180 days long, are the bureaucratic backbone of school in many states. When school buildings closed their doors because of the coronavirus, most states also waived those rules.

Now, some are pushing for a permanent re-think.

Advocates of “mastery-based learning” and purveyors of education technology are arguing that it’s the perfect time for schools to allow students to progress through school at their own pace with the help of technology. And some policymakers agree, with schools chiefs in New York City and Cleveland recently expressing enthusiasm for aspects of the idea.

Now, some are pushing for a permanent re-think.

Advocates of “mastery-based learning” and purveyors of education technology are arguing that it’s the perfect time for schools to allow students to progress through school at their own pace with the help of technology. And some policymakers agree, with schools chiefs in New York City and Cleveland recently expressing enthusiasm for aspects of the idea.

“We’re hearing both from state policy leaders and district leaders: We know that we’re dealing with the immediate crisis, but there is a call to action that we can’t just snap back to the traditional model,” said Susan Patrick of the Aurora Institute, a group that promotes mastery-based and “personalized” learning.

Advocates say the model allows teachers to help struggling students catch up and let high flyers accelerate. And they argue it’s beneficial in subjects, particularly math, where each concept builds on the prior one.

Read the full article about mastery-based learning by Matt Barnum at Chalkbeat.