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Standards-based grading & mastery

Track what each student has actually mastered — with your standards, your scale, and evidence that stays honest.
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Art Studio · Mastery
Students × standards · latest evidence wins
ART.LINEART.COLORART.CRITAva JohnsonE — ExceedsS — MeetsS — MeetsLiam MartinezS — MeetsS — MeetsE — ExceedsMia ChenS — MeetsN — ApproachingS — MeetsE — ExceedsN — Approaching

New evidence replaces old — mastery is a current state, never an average.

In short

Pearspark includes standards-based grading end to end: a school-defined standards catalog (CSV import), assignment tagging, per-skill mastery where the latest evidence wins (never an average), a class mastery matrix, standards report cards, and a coverage report showing what's been taught, assessed, and mastered.

Your standards, not a state dropdown

Build your catalog by hand or import it from CSV — codes, descriptions, subjects, grade levels. Classical, Montessori, state-aligned, or homegrown: the school owns the list.

Mastery that reflects growth

Tag assignments with the standards they practice and rate each student per standard. A student's current level comes from their rating history — latest evidence wins by default (or best-ever, per class) — so early stumbles never drag down a demonstrated skill. That's the whole point of standards-based grading, and averages break it.

See the class at a glance, report to families properly

The mastery matrix shows every student × every standard for a class. At term end, post official mastery ratings to standards report cards — separate from GPA transcripts, so skills-based classes never distort academic records.

The taught / assessed / mastered loop

Because lesson plans and assignments both tag standards, the coverage report shows — for every standard — how often it was taught, how often it was assessed, and the class's current mastery distribution. Untouched standards are highlighted, because finding the gaps is the point.

What's included

  • School-defined standards catalog with CSV import
  • Assignment tagging with a searchable picker
  • Per-standard ratings on your own scale (E/S/N, 1–4, anything)
  • Latest-evidence-wins mastery (or best-ever, per class)
  • Class mastery matrix: students × standards
  • Posted, term-official standards report cards
  • Taught vs assessed vs mastered coverage report
  • Mastery view in the parent portal and student profile

All of it is part of the one price: $50 a month including 20 students, then $2.50 a student, stepping down as you grow (see the bands). Nothing on this page is a paid add-on.

See it done in 60 seconds

All 7 videos

Real screen recordings, one task a minute.

Set up grade scales and the standards catalogAdmins
Tag an assignment with standardsTeachers
Rate students on an assignment's standardsTeachers
View the class mastery matrixTeachers
Post term mastery ratings (standards-based class)Teachers
Review skills and standards mastery for a classFamilies

Common questions

Does standards-based grading replace the regular gradebook?
It's per class. A class can grade traditionally, by standards, or both — skills ratings live alongside scores, and standards report cards stay separate from GPA transcripts.
Why latest-evidence instead of averaging ratings?
Because mastery is a current state, not a career average. A student who struggled in September and demonstrates the skill in March has mastered it; averaging would say otherwise. Pearspark uses the rating history so growth counts.
Can we use our own rating scale?
Yes — the scale is school-defined (E/S/N, Exceeds/Meets/Approaching, 1–4, whatever your report cards say). Pearspark doesn't impose one.

Comparing this with what you use now

Standards-based grading & mastery is part of the argument in these comparisons. Each one is sourced, last reviewed September 2026, and says plainly where the other system is the better choice.

Guides that cover this

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Try it in your own school

See it working on video, one minute a task, then set it up yourself. Your first 30 days are free.

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