Mastery Connect Handbook
For a Printable PDF version of this handbook, please email a member of your school's Mastery Connect school site expert team or Cerissa Allen at cerissa.allen@richlandone.org.
2026-2027 (Revised 8/4/2026)
- What is Mastery Connect?
- Why is Mastery Connect Used in Richland One?
- How do Staff and Students Access Mastery Connect?
- What does Mastery Connect Look Like in Richland One?
- What are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Mastery Connect Site Expert Teams?
- What is a Tracker in Mastery Connect?
- How do I Create a Tracker in Mastery Connect?
- Why are Curriculum Maps Important in Mastery Connect?
- Types of Assessments in Mastery Connect
- What are the Differences Between DCFAs, SCFAs, and TCFAs?
- Text-to-Speech Accommodation
- Elementary Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Secondary Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Multilingual Learner Programs (MLP) Expectations for Mastery Connect
- World Language Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Health/PE Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Visual & Performing Arts Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Montessori Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Prekindergarten Literacy and Mathematics Expectations for Mastery Connect
- Mastery Connect in Special Education
- Appendix A
What is Mastery Connect?
Why is Mastery Connect Used in Richland One?
Streamlining Test Procedures
Since assessment is a critical part of teaching, we have streamlined our assessments, so they provide ample information with minimal time taken away from instruction. Common formative assessments and state practice tests, district-provided or teacher/school created, may be administered through Mastery Connect. Curriculum documents will be housed in the R1 Teaching and Learning Curriculum Documents.
Simplifying Assessment Creation and Scoring
Mastery Connect allows teachers to access national, valid item banks which they can use to create classroom assessments. The assessments can be created, administered, and scored in Mastery Connect saving teachers a tremendous amount of time—time that can then be devoted to instruction.
Engaging in Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a vital tool for monitoring student learning in real-time, providing feedback that enhances both comprehension and instructional strategies. Mastery Connect offers item banks specifically designed for creating assessments that effectively track learning progress. This system ensures that both educators and students receive immediate feedback, allowing for timely adjustments to teaching methods and learning approaches to better meet educational goals.
Focus on Students’ Mastery of Content
The adoption of Mastery Connect changed the focus of formative assessments to those that measure mastery of the standards and indicators. Mastering standards and indicators are critical to becoming college and career ready and aligning to the Profile of a South Carolina Graduate.
How do Staff and Students Access Mastery Connect?
R1 staff and students have access to Mastery Connect through the R1 Portal (i.e., ClassLink). Staff have a green icon in their ClassLink LaunchPad, and students have both blue and orange icons in their ClassLink LaunchPad. Please contact IT about any missing ClassLink icons.
If you are having trouble signing into Mastery Connect, submit a 1-to-1 ticket.
What does Mastery Connect Look Like in Richland One?
School Site Expert Teams are established at every school. They will be committed to being the onsite trainers and leaders for the implementation of Mastery Connect at their site.
- It is recommended that each team consist of at least one school administrator, the School CRT/API and other staff as desired. See the section below on the responsibilities and roles of the team.
- Training modules are provided to site expert teams from the Office of AARE.
Our district is 1-to-1, so we encourage all teachers to assess students on digital devices rather than using printed bubble sheets or assess through observation and use a rubric for scoring.
Teachers are asked not to distribute parent logins. Training on using Mastery Connect student portals is provided as a part of the school core training.
What are the Roles and Responsibilities of the Mastery Connect Site Expert Teams?
Lead School Administrator
The role that a lead school administrator plays to ensure that valuable information is gained from Mastery Connect is critical to student success. At R1 elementary and middle schools, the Lead School Administrators will work closely with their Curriculum Resource Teachers (CRTs). See Appendix A for list of full responsibilities.
Co-Lead School Administrator
The role a co-lead plays to ensure that valuable information is gained from Mastery Connect is critical to student success. This role is typically the school’s Curriculum Resource Teacher (CRT), Assistant Principal of Instruction (API), or School Designee. See Appendix B for list of full responsibilities.
Site Expert Team Members
Up to three additional site experts have been designated by each principal to assist staff with Mastery Connect in their building. All site expert team members will receive regular technical updates from the Office of AARE throughout the school year.
What is a Tracker in Mastery Connect?
Mastery Connect trackers provide a visual overview of student standard mastery as well as access to the assessments used for measurement. You can use the customizable tracker interface to assess student mastery of core standards and monitor student performance. With trackers, you can also share student mastery data with other teachers, administrators, students, and parents. As a teacher, you will generally have one tracker per subject or per class. With the new tracker creation wizard, teachers can now set up multiple trackers at once using the guidance below.
How do I Create a Tracker in Mastery Connect?
At the beginning of each school year, teachers will be setting up mastery trackers through shared district curriculum maps using the tracker creation wizard. Teachers should contact their school database specialist if their class schedules in PowerSchool are not accurate prior to creating trackers. Classes added in PowerSchool should appear in Mastery Connect within 24-48 hours.
Before setting up new trackers, make sure your school location is accurate in MC.
Let’s say I teach two Grade 7 ACC ELA and three Grade 7 GT ELA classes. I would create my mastery trackers as follows.
Step 1 of Bulk Tracker Creation: Teachers will first need to select all subjects they teach and then click Next. Language Arts for this example.
Next in Step 2, teachers will need to select their Classes associated with each subject area they teach and then click Next. 7th Grade for this example.
Next in Step 3, teachers will need to select their Curriculum Maps and then click Next. New This Year: Teachers can now select more than one Curriculum Map in Step 3.
Richland One Grade 7 GT ELA (2026-27) and Richland One Grade 7 GL and ACC ELA (2026-27) for this example.
Next in Step 4, teachers will need to select the correct section associated with each tracker and then click Create Trackers. Once this is complete, all trackers will be created.
What shows in this drop-down menu for every teacher should match his or her PowerSchool sections (after the rollover to 2026-27). Teachers should contact their school database specialist if their class schedules in PowerSchool are not accurate prior to creating trackers.
Step 5: Titles of trackers will default to the name of the Curriculum Map or class. Titles should be modified by selecting the More Options menu and editing the Description. Folder colors can be set here as well. Please follow the additional district guidance below.
Richland One has an established district naming convention for trackers to provide clarity and facilitate support. When creating a new tracker, use the name of the district CMAP (minus Richland One) along with a combination of the class period, block and/or day. This description will be seen by administrators, colleagues and students, so be sure your tracker names are distinguishable from one another. In other words, any administrator should be able to clearly understand from which PS class the tracker was made based upon the name. If you teach high school semester courses, you are required to add SEM 1 or SEM 2 to the end of the tracker name as well. Failure to adhere to the use of the district’s naming conventions will cause a delay or error in the delivery of the State Practice tests.
| Elementary Examples | Middle Examples | High Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 ELA – Group 1 | Grade 6 ELA GL - Period 1 | HS Theatre 3-1A |
| Grade 1 SCI | Grade 8 Math GT - Period 3 | USH-3B-SEM 1 |
| Grade 4 ELA AAP | Grade 7 Sci - Period 4 | Geography Honors - 2AB |
| Grade 5 PE - Period 4 - Smith | Grade 7 General Music - Period 7 | English 2 - 3B SEM 2 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Special Education Courses:
Add RES for resource classes or SELF for self- contained classes to the end of the tracker name.
Student Groups That Are Not Identified In PS
Add an additional label to the end of the tracker name. Examples include: (i) MTSS for intervention; (ii) RES for resource; (iii) AFT for after-school; (iv) OTH for other types of groups.
Elementary Related Arts:
Add the homeroom teacher’s last name to the end of the tracker name.
Step 6: Creating Trackers Individually
Even with bulk tracker creation enabled, some teachers may still need to create additional trackers individually by selecting the More Options menu in the top right corner and select Create New Tracker.
Next, select Standard Set, enter the new tracker details and then select Create.
Why are Curriculum Maps Important in Mastery Connect?
CMAPs are created by curriculum consultants and are blueprints aligned to the district’s pacing of state standards. District CMAPs are modified every summer, so always create your trackers
through current CMAP. Teachers will use their mastery trackers to add, create, and deliver assessments to support classroom instruction. District curriculum guides, support documents, and instructional resources are housed in R1 Teaching and Learning Documents and related subject Microsoft Teams. Please contact your API or CRT for more information regarding curriculum resources.
Types of Assessments in Mastery Connect
| Assessment Type | Description of Assessment | District Expectations for Accessment |
|---|---|---|
| Mastery Predictive Assessment (MPA) | Assessments developed by a third party in the content areas of math, English language arts, science, and social studies. In the Mastery Connect system, these state practice tests will be delivered as benchmarks twice a year. Reference the district assessment calendar for the MPA test windows. | Should not be used as a performance grade (i.e., they should not be entered into PowerSchool as an official grade). |
| District Common Formative Assessment (DCFA) | District assessments created by district consultants. Each content area’s DCFAs will be aligned to the standards. DCFAs should be used for diagnostic purposes and to inform instructional next steps. DCFAs will reflect a variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint. |
Are not:
Are:
|
| School Common Formative Assessment (SCFA) | Assessments collaboratively created by teachers and used by groups of teachers or schools throughout instruction to check for understanding. Teachers should ensure that assessments are aligned to standards, reflective of a variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint and set to “Private to My District.” |
Grading practices and expectations should be determined by individual school sites. School sites should have grading practices set in place, which should be consistent with district grading manuals. |
| Teacher Created Assessment (TCA) |
Assessments that are individually created, individually assessed, shareable within the district, and can be formative or summative. Teachers can use Mastery Connect to administer assessments that they create, or ones found in district adopted resources. Teachers should ensure that assessments are aligned to standards, reflective of a variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint and set to “Private to My District.” |
Grading practices and expectations should be determined by individual school sites. School sites should have grading practices set in place, which should be consistent with district grading manuals. |
| Benchmark | District assessments developed for certain content areas such as Health/PE or other non-state tested courses. To make the language match the Mastery Connect system, they are called benchmarks. | Grading practices are determined by specific courses that use them. |
What are the Differences Between DCFAs, SCFAs, and TCFAs?
DCFAs (District Common Formative Assessments) should not be merged with SCFAs (School Common Formative Assessments) or TCAs (Teacher Created Assessments). The key differences are that a SCFA is collaboratively created and used by groups of teachers or schools. A DCFA is created by curriculum consultants and administered through all content areas based on the district pacing guide. A TCA is created by individual teachers and used individually.
| Assessment Type | Who Created the Assessment? | How is the Assessment Administered? | How is the Assessment Used? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCFA | District curriculum content consultants | Through all content areas based on grade level and content area expectation. |
Following the analysis of assessment results, teacher teams should use data to adjust pacing or instruction as needed to ensure student proficiency in targeted skills and concepts. Teams collaborate to recognize and implement effective teaching strategies, interventions, and remediation. |
| SCFA | School Teams | Through individual school grade level-subject areas or courses |
Following the analysis of assessment results, teacher teams should use data to adjust pacing or instruction as needed to ensure student proficiency in targeted skills and concepts. Teams collaborate to recognize and implement effective teaching strategies, interventions, and remediation. |
| TCFA | Individual Teachers | Through individual classes |
Following the analysis of assessment results, teacher should use data to adjust pacing or instruction as needed to ensure student proficiency in targeted skills and concepts. |
Text-to-Speech Accommodation
Elementary Expectations for Mastery Connect
English Language Arts- Elementary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in Grades 2-5. Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs | There will be a required post-test every nine weeks. |
| TCAs |
Teachers can use Mastery Connect to administer assessments that they create or that they use from a district adopted resource. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District.” |
Mathematics-Elementary
| Assessment Name | Grade(s) Available | Where to Access |
|---|---|---|
| Comprehension Checks *Required grades K-1* | K-5 | i-Ready Platform (Digital Tracking Available)-will serve as district common formative assessment for grades K-1 |
| Standards Mastery Checks *Required* | 2-5 |
i-Ready Platform (Digital Tracking Available)-will serve as the district common formative assessment |
| Lesson Quizzes | K-1 |
i-Ready Platform - Teacher Toolbox under “Assessment” for each lesson (Paper & Pencil Only) |
| SC Lesson Quizzes | 2-5 |
i-Ready Platform - Teacher Toolbox under “Assessment” for each lesson (Paper & Pencil Only) |
| Performance Assessments | K-5 | Math in Action (Performance Assessments) are within the i-Ready Platform (K-5) |
| MPAs *Required* | 2-5 | Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
Science - Elementary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in Science Grades 4. Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs |
DCFAs will be created for each Performance Expectation. DCFAs that assess full Performance Expectations may be longer, while shorter DCFAs will be added where applicable and will support teacher data collection on Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCI). DCFAs that assess complete PE should be administered in a period that aligns with the completion of the unit that covers the PE. Shorter DCFAs that assess DCI knowledge may be given throughout the unit to provide data to teachers assessing student progress. |
| Performance Assessment |
Teachers may create Performance Assessments as they see fit. Teachers should ensure Performance Assessments vary in task and reflect the variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District.” |
| TCAs |
Teachers can use Mastery Connect to administer assessments that they create or that they use from a district adopted resource and ensure assessments vary in task and reflect the variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District. |
| SCFAs |
Teachers should collaborate to generate SCFAs that support the work they are doing and to provide informed instructional decisions. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District.” |
Social Studies - Elementary
| DCFAs | Unit assessments will be created for each quarter. |
|---|---|
| Performance Assessments |
Teachers may create Performance Assessments as they see fit. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District.” |
| TCAs |
Teachers can use Mastery Connect to administer assessments that they create or that they use from a district adopted resource. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to “Private to My District.” |
Secondary Expectations for Mastery Connect
English Language Arts - Secondary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in ELA Grades 6-8 and English 2. Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs |
Two DCFAs per unit that will vary in number of questions. One DCFA will be given around week four or five of the unit pacing guide and will focus on Applications of Reading (AOR) indicators. One DCFA will be given around week eight of the unit pacing guide and will focus on the Research and/or Communication indicators. DCFAs will reflect the variety of DOK levels as outlined by the state summative assessment blueprint. |
Mathematics - Secondary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in Grades 6-8 and Algebra 1 students in high school. Middle school students enrolled in Algebra 1 must take the Algebra 1 MPA. The school has the option to require the grade level assessment for these identified students which must be administered during the established testing window. Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs |
Minimum of three DCFAs per quarter for year-long classes and minimum of four DCFAs per semester for semester-long classes. Five to eight items per DCFA. |
Science - Secondary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in Grade 6 Science and Biology 1. Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs Grade 6 Biology 1 |
At the beginning of each unit, teachers should administer the preassessment provided in the curriculum map. Multiple Performance Expectations will be covered within the preassessment. Instruction should be differentiated based on the results of this preassessment. Multiple DCFAs are available for each unit to cover the full intent of the standard. Note the Performance Expectation and content covered at the end of the title of the DCFA. DCFAs will be differentiated in the naming convention to specify what aspect of the Performance Expectation is assessed. There is no set date for the administration of a DCFA; however, there is an expectation for DCFAs to be utilized to monitor and adjust instruction during a learning progression. |
| DCFAs: Grade 7, 8 Chem 1 Physics 1 Earth Science Anatomy and Physiology | DCFAs are available for use to monitor and adjust instruction during learning progressions. |
Secondary Expectations for Mastery Connect (continued)
Social Studies-Secondary
| MPAs |
Required for students enrolled in United States History and the Constitution EOCEP course and AP United States History.\ Reference the District and State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. All AP US History courses should create a tracker using the USHC Curriculum Map for the administration of District MPAs. |
|---|---|
| DCFAs Grade 8 and USHSC |
At the beginning of each unit, teachers should administer the 25-question pre-assessment. Five DCFAs based on a single indicator are available for each unit. Teachers should administer at least two of the five DCFAs based on the results from the pre-assessment. |
| Civics Test |
All United States Government and AP Government students are required to take the 2025-26 Richland One Civics Test. Teachers should administer the 2025-26 Richland One Civics Test before the end of the course. District-wide administration happens through USG Curriculum Maps in Mastery Connect. Mid Comp and Final Comp benchmarks are available for Grade 8 SC History courses. |
| Grade 8 SC History Benchmark | Benchmarks should be administered once instruction is completed and do not follow the District and State Assessment Calendar. |
Multilingual Learner Programs (MLP) Expectations for Mastery Connect
| District Curriculum Maps/Trackers |
MLP specialists do not use Mastery Connect. South Carolina has not adopted formal academic English standards that can align to curriculum maps/ trackers. Across K-12, ML Programs strive to collaborate with content classrooms where Multilingual Learners participate equitably on all Mastery Connect assessments through individualized accommodations as defined by each ML’s Individual Language Acquisition Plan (ILAP). |
|---|---|
| Assessments |
ML Programs are responsive to student need to an extent where common formative assessments are not feasible for such a diverse subject as English acquisition.
Writing in ELA and other core areas can be evaluated using the WIDA Writing Rubric rather than administering an additional CFA in MLP. Assessing the listening domain requires aligning audio resources which the department does not have. MLP specialists use alternate assessment software (WIDA Model) to monitor progress in English acquisition. |
World Language Expectations for Mastery Connect
Health/PE Expectations for Mastery Connect
| Trackers/District Curriculum Maps | District Curriculum Maps provide a complete pathway for the delivery of instruction and curriculum. Resources are housed in the district curriculum maps. Teachers may create trackers from the district curriculum maps to assist with student mastery of South Carolina State Standards. |
|---|---|
| Assessments |
Common formative assessments may be utilized by teachers in providing periodic evidence of student mastery of South Carolina State Standards. Health/PE teachers at all levels may use the DCFA provided by the district or create their own TCA. Pre- and post-cognitive, written assessments (Elementary PE, Middle and High School Health/PE) are available as needed, to provide data for the teacher to drive instruction and as evidence to validate student progress. |
Visual & Performing Arts Expectations for Mastery Connect
| Trackers/District Curriculum Maps |
District Curriculum Maps exist for every level and course offered in Visual and Performing Arts for grades K - 12. They may be used by teachers to organize and deliver standards-based instructional units which are aligned to South Carolina State Standards, to evaluate individual student growth, and to adjust instruction based on the observable data to assist with student mastery. Teachers may create trackers from the district curriculum maps to assist with student mastery of South Carolina State Standards. |
|---|---|
| Assessments |
Visual & Performing Arts classes in elementary, middle, and high schools may utilize district common formative assessments or create their own (teacher created formative assessments or school created common formative assessments). DCFAs are available as needed to help provide data for the teacher for instruction and evidence to validate student progress. |
Montessori Expectations for Mastery Connect
| Trackers/District Curriculum Maps | Montessori Primary (3K – K), Lower Elementary (1st – 3rd), and Upper Elementary (4th-5th), or Middle Level (6th-8th) do not have Montessori curriculum maps in Mastery Connect. However, trackers should be created at the beginning of the school year by accessing the applicable shared District Curriculum Mapping and Assessment Platform (CMAP). |
|---|---|
| DCFAs |
ELA in addition to pre- and post-assessments Science Social Studies |
| MPAs | Montessori students in Grades 3-5 are expected to participate in the cumulative Spring administration in ELA, Math & Science (4th). |
Prekindergarten Literacy and Mathematics Expectations for Mastery Connect
| Benchmark Assessment |
Prekindergarten Growth Assessment (PGA) is required for all students enrolled in 4K Prekindergarten Programs. Administer twice yearly (Fall/Winter) Reference the District & State Assessment Calendar for testing windows. |
|---|---|
| Performance Assessment |
Teachers utilize Creative Curriculum Intentional Teaching Experiences. Teachers will document and monitor student progress. Teachers should ensure settings for assessments are set to "Private to My District." |
Mastery Connect in Special Education
Mastery Connect will be a district assessment tool that houses district benchmarks and common assessments. It will also track students’ progress on the core content standards. Common assessments used will honor the students’ IEP allowable accommodations. Assessments teachers created or housed within will be aligned with state standards and assessments. This testing strategy should serve as a valid predictor to indicate how the student will perform on SC READY. The assessment accommodations will be aligned to those allowable, per the state testing manual.
Mastery Connect will be utilized in core content and related arts content. Students participating in modified specialized instruction will continue to be tracked by the special education teachers to show progress towards their IEP goals.
While students with disabilities participate and are assessed, Special Education teachers should be added to general education teachers to use this information as a data point when reviewing student’s progress in the general curriculum.
Mastery Predictive Assessments (MPA)
Special education students will be assessed like general education peers, utilizing accommodations according to the IEPs. Special education teachers will continue to receive information/updates and participate in training for Mastery Connect.
Appendix A
Lead School Administrator Expectations
- Commit to being the onsite trainer for Mastery Connect implementation at their school site for instructional training sessions.
- Collaborate with school principal to schedule and lead onsite training sessions for all instructional staff at school site.
- Beginning-of-the-year training sessions in each building must be completed in the first month of school.
- Ensure access to Mastery Connect Training Modules from the district office to assist site team in their training sessions.
- Provide feedback to the Office of AARE regarding any needs or gaps to be addressed in future district-wide training sessions.
- Assist principal in identifying teachers who are not successfully using the tool to establish a plan for additional support. Upon request, extra district support can be provided by contacting the Office of AARE.
- Ensure teachers are aware of benchmark testing windows and adhere to the designated dates.
- Coordinate benchmark testing at school.
- Review assessment reports with entire administrative team after each benchmark (MPA) window.
Co-Lead School Administrator Expectations
- Take an active role in data discussions of Mastery Connect test results.
- Review assessment reports with administrative team on a regular basis.
- Conduct professional development with teachers and staff on how to use the collected data from Mastery Connect to impact and drive instruction.
- Differentiation
- MTSS
- Support data discussions in PLC meetings.
For a Printable PDF version of this handbook, please email a member of your school's Mastery Connect school site expert team or Cerissa Allen at cerissa.allen@richlandone.org.