The Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC) Symposium is a powerful opportunity to engage with like-minded innovators who are working to transform how we think about student learning and assessment. It’s a space for educators, technologists, and school leaders from various backgrounds, including public schools, independent schools, and micro-schools, who are grappling with the same challenge: how do we replace the outdated Carnegie unit with a system that actually reflects what students know and can do?
This shift isn’t just about changing transcripts; it’s about the challenges related to transforming the entire structure of education. I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas with people who are passionate about this exact problem and learning from their experiences. Additionally, I’m excited to share how our experience at Building 21 can help schools move away from traditional seat-time-based models toward more personalized, competency-based systems.
Our platform, Beacon Learning, is uniquely positioned to support this transition. We’ve developed both the process and the technology infrastructure to help schools track mastery credits, communicate progress, and integrate seamlessly with the mastery transcript. At the symposium, we’ll be showcasing how our system can help schools solve real problems, like how to track student progress over time and translate competencies into mastery credits.
Understanding the challenges of school transformation across diverse contexts will help us refine our solutions and continue pushing education forward. Ultimately, this symposium is about more than talking; it’s about cultivating a community that is rethinking what education can be, and I’m grateful to be part of it again this year.
If any of this resonates with you, please find me in the exhibition area. I look forward to seeing you in Denver!
Author
Thomas Gaffey is the Senior Vice President of Technology and Innovation for Building 21. You can reach him via email at tom@b-21.org.
