Bloom's 2 sigma problem
Mastery education is great, and a form of it was shown to be successful in pilot schools throughout the US as early as 1919.  The program was called “The Winnetka Plan,” and it was a result of progressive ideas coming from John Dewey.<p>My father attended a high school where the program was used, and he said it was great.  He was able to get help from the teacher when he needed it, and he was able to finish his high school requirements a full one year early.  This is because mastery is individualized and is based on reaching learning goals not “time in a seat” or “time in grade.”<p>There are many articles about the plan on the Internet.  Here is a link to one of them:<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;schugurensky.faculty.asu.edu&#x2F;moments&#x2F;1919winnetka.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;schugurensky.faculty.asu.edu&#x2F;moments&#x2F;1919winnetka.htm...</a><p>The question is: why don’t all school systems use this approach?  Heck, why don’t more teachers take this approach in their classrooms?<p>If the goal is mastery of certain basic concepts, then why allow some students (sometimes many students) to fail?<p>Unfortunately I don’t know the answer.  It could be the fact that students can’t sit still and work independently when they are in a classroom filled with other kids.  It could be that schools and teachers are there just to control students rather than teach them.  Your guess is as good as mine.