K-12 - An Old Idea Whose Time Has Gone

K-12. A progression through a defined set of grades marking a student's progress towards higher education and eventual entry into the work force as a well educated individual ready to contribute to society. What does 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade mean? Some definition of a level typically associated with age that defines a student's progress. Does grade indicate mastery of content or standards?

Here is a radical idea: Eliminate grades and report progress solely on mastery of standards. Define a set of challenging curriculum standards that all students must master and then measure students on their progress of mastery. Forget grades and forget the defined school year. Facilitate student centered learning and anytime anywhere learning. If children want to advance faster than their peers then let them. If they want to study from home at odd hours, then let them.

Grade levels, high stakes assessments. the traditional school are all "old school" thinking. If I hire someone, I am looking for an individual that demonstrates a set of skills that they have mastered. Kids should learn based on a set of defined "skills aka standards". Progress should be reported as mastery of standards, not grades. High stakes assessments should be replaced with formative and summative assessments that measure progress frequently and in smaller chunks.

The concept of a a school and the process of learning needs to be reexamined. Perhaps K-12 is an idea whose time has gone. Perhaps the future report card will read: "Johnny has mastered 50% of his elementary and secondary education standards and is on track to complete those standards at age 16."