As a former school counselor, it was disheartening to see students lose hope in progressing toward their post-high school goals when they realized their success could be influenced by the varying grading practices of their teachers. Some grade books are weighted, while others are not. Some teachers allow quiz and test retakes and others do not. One could argue that navigating this confusing grading system teaches students a valuable life skill. However, to exaggerate slightly, this would mean the student is like a company trying to figure out the custom product the teacher, as the customer, needs. Doesn’t that feel a bit backward? To be fair to teachers, they face thousands of different student stories, barriers, and traumas that can complicate building relationships and trust, all while trying to meet each student’s academic needs. Perhaps there’s a better way to fundamentally ‘know’ what students are learning and what they understand.
Washington’s Leadership in Mastery-Based Learning
Thankfully, the Washington State State Board of Education has intentionally led statewide discussions on Mastery-Based Learning (MBL) over the past few years, providing valuable resources such as:
These efforts, including creative conversations, policy guidance, and best practices, have laid a foundation that enables Washington State school districts to recognize each student’s skills and strengths through an equity-focused and culturally responsive lens.
Depending on the school day and time of year, the “factory-model” history of public education in the U.S. can feel draining. We often wonder why students don’t see the real-world relevance of their learning, especially when our teaching and learning systems are rigid and narrow. The assumption that students who complete assignments, perform well on assessments, and earn extra credit are ‘smart’ or good at memorization raises a bigger question: Is this approach actually helping them develop valuable, transferable skills that will make them truly future-ready?
How Washington is Supporting Mastery-Based Learning With SpacesEDU
I believe the future of education lies in recognizing that student work can align with multiple academic areas and standards, highlighting diverse artifacts of student learning. Since it’s impossible for everyone to be present at all times, having access to view and understand student progress is crucial. A digital portfolio tool like SpacesEDU offers an innovative solution, enabling teachers, students, parents, administrators, and industry partners to easily see and understand what students are learning and the skills they are developing to become career, college, and workforce-ready.
SpacesEDU provides flexible learning environments for:
- Multimedia documentation
- Self-reflection
- Continuous feedback
Educators can set up their digital space to align with their classroom practices and easily track and assess student development over time. The platform's ability to compile and organize student work using folders, tags, and custom proficiency scales helps teachers and students identify strengths and areas of improvement.
This continuous feedback loop promotes a growth mindset, encouraging students to view learning as a self-evolving process, with personalized feedback for how to grow. When students are given voice and choice in showcasing their learning, they are more motivated to set goals and engage in their education.
In addition to multimedia evidence of learning, digital portfolios are superior to traditional paper binders as they offer visibility into growth over time. In SpacesEDU, students can:
- View their progress during the school year
- Refer to their All Work Feed for a curated collection of their K-12 progress
- Generate a unique portfolio URL to share their success with family, mentors, or educators or in applications to post-secondary, scholarships, and the workforce
An image of a Group Space within SpacesEDU.
Implementing SpacesEDU in Spokane Public Schools
At Spokane Public Schools, we’re currently using SpacesEDU in two key areas: Career and Technical Education (CTE) and the new Performance-Based Graduation Pathway.
Leveraging SpacesEDU for Career and Technical Education (CTE)
For our CTE initiative, we’ve introduced SpacesEDU at NEWTECH Skills Center and made it available to all middle and high school teachers. CTE education has traditionally focused on hands-on, project-based learning, making SpacesEDU a perfect fit. The platform supports the iterative nature of career skill development by emphasizing growth and feedback.
Enhancing Work-Based Learning Opportunities
Through SpacesEDU, students can capture photos and videos of their work and career skills in action, offering local industry partners a clear and accessible view of students’ capabilities without requiring them to take time off to attend school events. This increased access ideally leads to more work-based learning opportunities, as partners can see direct evidence of what students can achieve—eliminating any guesswork about their career readiness.
Supporting the Performance-Based Graduation Pathway
For the new Performance-Based Graduation Pathway, it’s essential to have a tool like SpacesEDU to capture student learning artifacts that are tagged to ELA and Math standards outlined in the State Board of Education’s rubrics. SpacesEDU offers a variety of tags that can identify common core content area standards in students’ work, significantly reducing the workload for local evaluation committees at each high school.
Using SpacesEDU to Highlight Student Connection
One of the most impactful moments of feedback from our SpacesEDU pilot last spring came from a student who said, “It was cool to see what other students were doing.” It took me a second to process because I had assumed that students always see each other’s work in a physical classroom, but that’s not always the case. This student’s feedback stood out as one of the most positive comments I’ve received about any educational technology tool that I have been connected with. It demonstrated that SpacesEDU helps students feel more connected to each other and supports their own skill development by allowing them to see what their peers are working on.
Exploring the Future of Mastery-Based Learning with SpacesEDU
I very rarely encounter educational technology tools that enable schools and districts to think creatively about a multitude of use cases and options. SpacesEDU offers us a wide range of innovative opportunities, particularly in Mastery-Based Learning and career skill development, which we are excited to explore further in the coming years. To support districts in finding the right platform, check out our K-12 Guide to Choosing a Competency-Based Education Platform—designed to streamline the buying process and elevate teaching and learning across your district.
