WORCESTER—Worcester Public Schools is officially implementing a mastery-based grading system after reaching an agreement with the teachers union that includes additional professional development and guidance to support the transition.
As the name suggests, the new policy shifts grading toward assessing mastery of material rather than relying solely on initial assignment and exam scores. A key feature is allowing students to retake major assessments, with the higher score counting toward their final grade.
Under the new model, major assignments account for 60% of a student’s grade, minor assignments make up 30%, and practice and engagement activities represent the remaining 10%. Letter grades remain in place, with an “A” defined as 90–100 and an “F” as 0–59. A passing grade is now 60 or higher, adjusted from an earlier proposal that set the cutoff at 65.
The policy, which faced several delays this year, was approved by the district’s Standing Committee on Finance, Operations and Governance (FOG) on Nov. 10. The full school committee adopted it on Nov. 20 as part of FOG’s report. The system first rolls out in high schools and expands to middle schools next school year, creating a uniform district-wide grading approach.
The mastery-based model was first introduced earlier this year and received mixed reactions from School Committee members. Some expressed concern that it was presented too close to the start of the school year to allow for sufficient review. An initial vote in FOG resulted in a tie, preventing it from advancing to the full committee.
The proposal was then sent to the Standing Committee on Teaching, Learning and Student Success (TLSS), which examined grading-scale questions, assignment counts, and teacher feedback. The committee also solicited input from the Educational Association of Worcester, the teachers union.
According to TLSS minutes from Oct. 16, several revisions were made — including lowering the number of major assignments per quarter. Discussions with the union highlighted the need for more professional development and clearer implementation support. Those issues were addressed before the policy returned to FOG.
At the Nov. 10 meeting, Dr. Magdalena Ganias, director of compliance and School Improvement for Worcester Public Schools, said a professional development plan was now in place to help teachers with the transition.
“One of the changes we made to the plan is to allow time for our staff to work on grading at the Jan. 26 professional development day,” Ganias said. “The other piece that we also agreed to was to share a staff survey at the December faculty meeting to gather feedback from our staff on the progress of the grading so far.”
Teachers set their own makeup policies, which must be included in their syllabi. While the shift represents a significant change for some, many educators have already adopted elements of mastery-based grading on their own.
FOG members voiced support for the revised plan, calling it a needed move toward consistency across city schools, though they also noted the rollout process offered lessons. Member Jermaine Johnson said he felt the committee should have been more directly involved from the beginning.
“I feel that our knees got cut from underneath us as a committee, who should be approving this policy,” Johnson said, “and that this policy and everything that has gone on should not have taken place… until we passed this.” He added that he appreciated the work of all stakeholders who contributed to the final proposal.
As part of its approval, FOG requested a follow-up report in March or April 2026 to assess the rollout and determine whether the new system is providing the intended benefits for students.
Jason Bleau, a seasoned reporter from Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, has more than 11 years of news media experience. He has worked as a news anchor for WINY 1350 AM, contributed to Stonebridge Press publications, and covered racing as a Press Box coordinator at Thompson Speedway. Outside journalism, he is a movie enthusiast, freelance film reviewer, banker, and solo musician. He can be reached at bleau.jason@yahoo.com
