In recent years, the education world has undergone a significant transformation - moving away from marks and averages to learning and mastery. 
At Delta Global School, this shift has led us to adopt Standards-Based Grading (SBG) instead of the traditional percentage or letter grades, a change reflected in our academic reports, which are designed to show parents not just a grade, but how students are progressing toward clearly defined learning goals over time.

There is a global reconsideration of student learning goals and ‘graduate profiles’ in response to a rapidly changing world, referred to as the Fourth Industrial Revolution (World Economic Forum, 2016; OECD, 2018). Educators worldwide are increasingly focused on defining what graduates should know and be able to do.

At the heart of this transformation lies an essential question: what does a student actually know and understand, and what can they do independently?

What Is Mastery?

Mastery is when a student has demonstrated a clear, consistent, and independent understanding of a particular learning goal or standard (Bloom, 1968; Guskey, 2010). To develop mastery, students must acquire component skills, practice integrating them, and know when to apply what they have learned (Ambrose et al., 2010). It is not about being perfect, and it is not about working faster than others.

Instead, each student's learning is measured against what they are expected to know and be able to do at each stage of their journey to success. At DGS, final grades reflect a student’s progress toward mastery over time, rather than performance on a single test or assessment.

Why Move Away from Traditional Grades?

Traditional grading usually combines what students achieve with the effort they put into a task; behaviour, attitude, or even mood can distort its meaning (Brookhart et al., 2016). While this grading style is familiar to us, this approach can be misleading and inaccurate.

For instance, two students who each score 80% on a test, both have a very different understanding of that particular topic. One student may understand how to solve all questions, but may lose points because their work is not organized or they’ve left out steps. Another student may show neatly completed work on every question but consistently applies an incorrect method, indicating they might misunderstand the concept.

A single grade does not tell parents or students what was learned, what was missed, or what needs to be improved. Our academic reports at DGS are designed to help parents see more clearly what their child understands and where they may need additional support.

What Standards-Based Grading Does Better

Standards-Based Grading reports student progress against specific learning goals and standards. This allows us to provide clearer and more meaningful feedback, precisely identify student strengths and gaps, effectively support students at an early stage and encourage growth, reflection, and resilience.

Now, instead of asking, “What mark did I get?” students are inclined to ask, “What do I understand well, and what do I need to work on more?”

Preparing Students for the Future

As rapid technological advancement and global change continue to reshape the world, mastery-based learning aligns closely with how skills are developed in real life, university, and the workplace. Success beyond school depends on how students are able to problem-solve, think critically, adapt to new situations, and continuously develop their skills - not on average scores over time (World Economic Forum, 2020).

Our shift to Standards-Based Grading reflects our commitment to clarity, fairness, and meaningful learning. It helps students take ownership of their progress and gives parents a clearer picture of their child’s learning journey. Ultimately, this approach ensures that grades represent what matters most: authentic understanding and lasting learning.

References
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C., & Norman, M. K. (2010). How
learning works. Jossey-Bass.
Bloom, B. S. (1968). Learning for mastery. Evaluation Comment, 1(2).
Brookhart, S. M., Guskey, T. R., Bowers, A. J., et al. (2016). A century of grading research.
Review of Educational Research, 86(4), 803–848.
Guskey, T. R. (2010). Lessons of mastery learning. Educational Leadership, 68(2), 52–57.
Guskey, T. R. (2015). On your mark. Solution Tree.
OECD. (2018). The future of education and skills: Education 2030.
World Economic Forum. (2016). New vision for education.
World Economic Forum. (2020). Schools of the future.

In Summary:

• A single test does not determine how a student is doing at DGS.
• Learning progress is assessed over time and multiple evidences.
• Feedback is used to guide improvement.
• Parents receive clearer information about strengths, gaps, and next steps in learning.
• This approach prepares students for higher education and gets them ready for the world.