Nipmuc Regional High School Pilots Mastery Transcript Program

UPTON 一 Superintendent Maureen Cohen and Co-Principals Mary Anne Moran and John Clements are pleased to share that Nipmuc Regional High School has been piloting a new program that allows for a more equitable way to highlight student learning and progress.

The Mastery Transcript pilot program was designed to test a new way of tracking student learning. Whereas a traditional transcript focuses on grades and grade-point average, the Mastery Transcript displays competencies and achievements.

Nipmuc launched the pilot program last spring. A small group of juniors who were interested in the idea of telling their stories of learning beyond the traditional transcript volunteered to participate.

Students engaged in workshops during the spring, summer, and fall of 2022 to learn how the Mastery Transcript would reflect their competencies in line with MURSD’s Portrait of a Learner (PoL) attributes. Students then worked individually with their counselors and principals on their Mastery Learning Records, which include a personal statement, Portrait of a Learner competencies, evidence through school work, and life experiences that best represent who they are as learners. 

By the end of the pilot program, six students completed personalized Mastery profiles, which were sent to 47 universities as part of 61 total applications.

Co-Principals Clements and Moran shared an update about the Mastery Transcript with the School Committee on Monday, May 2. The School Committee meeting can be viewed here.

“We were able to produce a beautiful resume that can be part of college or even job applications,” Dylan Hodge, a Nipmuc senior who participated in the pilot program, told the School Committee. “With the Mastery Transcript, I was able to get into schools that I previously did not think I would be able to get into. It’s impactful. Grades and numbers do not define who a person is, it’s what they show to the world and what they do to help the community.”

Nipmuc Regional plans to expand the pilot program into the 2023-2024 school year, and will begin with a presentation to sophomores and juniors on Wednesday, May 24 to generate interest.

“We are excited to continue to expand the pilot and provide this unique opportunity to more of our students,” shared Co-Principal Moran.

Nipmuc Regional will also be presenting at the Mastery Transcript Consortium’s annual symposium in October in Cambridge, which will allow for collaboration with other educators to learn more about how PoL attributes show up in classes.

“There’s proof of concept in showing a product that directly aligns with the PoL and our vision. However, the process of developing the Mastery Transcript was really valuable,” said Co-Principal Clements. “Meeting with students and having them go through their life experiences to decide what is the best representation of who they are, how it can be framed for another audience, and how it connects with school work is powerful. We could see how these students gained a better sense of themselves.”

To learn more about the Mastery Transcript, click here.

Superintendent Cohen shared the following in support of Mastery Transcript: “We want a school district that celebrates the passions, interests, and curiosities of our students, which are exhibited through more than a traditional transcript. As we aspire to be a system that leads innovation, leverages technology and community partners, and creates new avenues and new metrics of success to recognize our students, the Mastery Transcript aims to achieve this vision. We are excited to see how the program expands and highlights the experiences of our students.”