Reading: Sentence Completion: Question 8

In most secondary school systems, students progress from one grade to the next primarily on the basis of age: a student who turns twelve in a given year is placed in the grade associated with that age, regardless of how thoroughly they mastered the material covered the year before. A small but growing number of schools have begun experimenting with an alternative model, often called competency-based or mastery-based progression, in which students advance through a course only once they have demonstrated a defined level of proficiency in its content, rather than automatically after a fixed number of weeks has elapsed.

Under a mastery-based model, a course is broken down into a sequence of discrete units, each accompanied by a clear description of what a student must do to be judged proficient. Students who do not meet the required standard on an initial assessment are not simply given a failing mark and moved on; instead, they receive targeted additional instruction and are permitted to reattempt the assessment until proficiency is demonstrated. Students who master a unit quickly, conversely, may move on immediately rather than waiting for the rest of their age cohort, which advocates argue removes the boredom that can arise when capable students are held back by a fixed pace.

Early adopters report several apparent benefits. Teachers often note that grades come to reflect what a student has actually learned rather than behaviour, attendance or effort, since a final mark is awarded only once genuine proficiency has been shown. Some schools also report a narrowing of the achievement gap between weaker and stronger students, attributing this to the additional instructional time made available to those who initially struggle.

The model nonetheless poses considerable logistical challenges. Because students no longer move through content at a uniform pace, a single classroom may contain students working on several different units simultaneously, placing heavy demands on teachers to prepare differentiated materials. Reporting progress to parents and to external qualification authorities, many of which still expect a single grade tied to a fixed academic year, can also prove awkward under a system designed to decouple learning from the calendar. For these reasons, most schools that have adopted mastery-based progression have so far applied it only within individual subjects rather than across an entire institution.

Complete the sentences below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.

1. In most schools, students move up a grade mainly according to their ______, rather than what they have learned.
2. Under mastery-based progression, students move on only after demonstrating a defined level of ______ in the course content.
3. Each unit includes a clear description of what a student must do to be judged ______.
4. Students who fail an initial assessment receive extra instruction and are allowed to ______ the assessment.
5. Advocates claim that letting quick learners move on immediately removes the ______ caused by a fixed pace.
6. Teachers report that grades come to reflect actual learning rather than behaviour, attendance or ______.
7. Some schools report a narrowing of the ______ between weaker and stronger students.
8. A single classroom may contain students working on several different units at once, requiring teachers to prepare ______.