Below is an interview with Tyler Thigpen, the founder of a school whose philosophy I really love: The Forest School.
What brought you to a partnership with the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC)?
The mission of The Forest School (video overview) is that every person who enters their doors will find a calling that will change the world. What is their purpose in life? How might they be a great person? How might they live and thrive with others? The Mastery Transcript is one of the only tools out there that not only seeks to measure a broader set of learner outcomes - but also celebrates them. It is a manifestation of a deeper beliefs regarding the whole child. Also, I consider myself an early adopter and love the chance to try something, shape its formation, and have a say in its development. Also, having access to thought partners in the MTC was very appealing.
What have you learned so far on your MTC journey?
Key learnings thus far have been how to go about building an architecture for mastery credits both inside and outside of school and how to connect that to our badge work. Badges are earned by performance based mastery. You either pass, or wait and try again until you reach the desired level of performance. The approach is similar to how karate students test for their next belt. Skills are evaluated by peers and masters. Learners present their learning via “Practicals” where they come before a panel of experts and showcase their work, drawing from evidence inside or outside of school.The MTC provides a much more holistic view of the child. A recent example of mastery was a senior who presented her learning of entrepreneurship and creativity. She and her mother collaborated to launch a 5K run for cancer research. Thousands of runners participated and over $60K was raised - a pretty compelling demonstration of learning! At one point, I was sitting with the family - their daughter had gone through so much with her illness - hours in hospitals and navigating the health care system - she had developed incredible perseverance as a result. When we had the conversation with her parents about her MTC, tearfully her mother said, “This is the first time I have been in a school meeting where administrators see who she is. In the past, she has just been a number.”
What have been your biggest learnings? Surprises?
The ripple effects through the entire learning model. It has implications for EVERYTHING we do: curriculum, cultural practices, communication, logistics - understanding the nuances is a good thing - it’s what attracted me to MTC in the first place. You need to be wiling to embrace the power of these ripple effects.
Also, it takes time to build this out, we are a small team and we are rolling up our sleeves and doing it. I have learned how excited learners and parents are to visualize their learning in this way. I am learning a lot more about competency based learning in general and the different approaches, especially those that most closely align with our learning model. Our approach to Practicals and awarding mastery credits is evolving - I am sure this is going to change.
I imagine it is easier to implement MTC in a new school, compared to an existing school (with all of the existing norms around assessment practices). What advice do you have for readers who are interested in implementing MTC in an existing school?
It’s hard, but possible, and it will take time. I recommend Transcend’s 5 Conditions for Innovation framework as your guide. It’s a culture changer because it requires you to solve a new problem. If you can stoke conviction for transformation (not just incremental change), manage change wisely by building skills in your community and build the coalition, real change is possible. For full implementation, much depends on the strengths of existing conditions. For existing schools, it will likely take anywhere from 3-7 years. I could see the leader getting it done more quickly if they piloted a school within a school model .
What about parents? What advice do you have to get parents on board?
I am huge believer in creating learning experiences for parents where they have the chance to connect the things they want for their children - and to talk about it in a safe space. We provide learning experiences that give them chance to self-authorize and set their own goals. Essentially, we mimic the deep learning and work of the MTC. Every few weeks, I have a Friday morning one hour parent meeting. Recently, parents, in small groups, did a mock Practical - i.e. identify one of their learners outcomes, find a world class definition, list all kinds of evidence they might bring to to prove mastery, and then draft a three minute narrative that tells the story of them going through the Practical. This approach put them in the shoes of the learners and gives a direct experience of the depth and meaning of the MTC approach.
Thanks for taking the time for this conversation, Tyler. The Forest School is leading pioneering work in pedagogy and assessment - thank you for being an early adopter and an inspiration!