WORCESTER – A proposed change in the Worcester Public Schools grading system has hit a major roadblock after the district’s Standing Committee on Finance, Operations, and Governance (FOG) issued a split decision leaving its implementation in question.
Worcester Public Schools has been considering a potential shift towards High School Mastery Based Grading for several years.
As the name indicates, the new approach would introduce a system more focused on mastery of a subject, allowing students second chances to prove their comprehension of the material. The proposal eventually went before the FOG Committee on July 8 when a tie vote prevented it from going to the school committee for further consideration.
A presentation to the FOG Committee outlined key features of the proposed Mastery Based Grading system. Under the plan, students wouldn’t be penalized for a single low score or missed assignment—they could redo tests or assignments, with the highest grade counting. Traditional letter grades (A–F) would remain but be redefined to reflect levels of subject mastery. Assignments not attempted would be marked as such. Final grades would be weighted: 60% from major quarterly assignments and 40% from weekly minor ones.
The system was compared to traditional grading with a “C” example: a student averaging in the 90s who earns a single zero could receive the same grade as a student consistently scoring in the 70s. Supporters argue that mastery-based grading better reflects true understanding by allowing students to recover from early missteps. District officials said the model aligns with Worcester’s equity goals by emphasizing skill development, subject mastery, and student accountability over one-time performance.
William Foley, executive director of schools, Burncoat quadrant, joined Deputy Superintendent Dr. Marie Morse in promoting the change before the FOG Committee, touting the system as a more accurate representation of a student’s comprehension and improvement.
“Mastery based grading ensures that course grades reflect a student’s true academic performance and progress toward mastering standards,” said Foley. “By maintaining transparency and fairness in grading, the district supports student growth, fosters accountability, and empowers both students and caregivers to take an active role in the learning process.”
Mastery Based Grading proved to be divisive among FOG members, with some unsure if the system would be effective in Worcester. There were questions about if the change would really help, or if it had potential to produce negatively impacts on grades or damage students’ college aspirations. Foley ensured FOG that the likely outcome will be better grades, not worse.
Some questioned whether the students would “buy in” to this new approach. Requests were made for the administration to produce a plan for data collection that would record the program’s success and if students were utilizing the opportunities for retakes. FOG Committee Member Jermaine Johnson said he was concerned the change wouldn’t last in Worcester, and that the presentation left him with more answers than questions.
“Sometimes when other districts had rolled this out, it’s great,” said Johnson, “but then we run into issues and problems we did not foresee happening and then we have to pivot, and some districts end up scrapping this after a couple years due to numerous factors. That would be a concern of mine.”
Some committee members raised concerns about the timing of the proposal, noting it was brought forward just weeks before the start of the new school year. They said they would have preferred more input from the school community. While the grading system was featured in a 2024 symposium and a survey of district educators was conducted in December, no teachers or students participated in the FOG committee’s July discussion.
The committee ultimately issued a 2-2 split vote, putting the proposal on hold. The full school committee briefly addressed the matter on July 10, but took no action, citing rules that prevent tie-vote items from advancing.
As of this writing, the FOG committee has scheduled the proposal as the sole agenda item for its Aug. 5 meeting. The full presentation is available on the Worcester School Committee website under the agendas for July 8 and Aug. 5.
Jason Bleau, a seasoned reporter from Connecticut’s Quiet Corner, has over 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
