Grades and Grading

I've always bought into Mastery Learning where the focus is on growth and comprehension. I was shocked and impressed with the rubric for NIWP, and also relieved. It expressed a vote of confidence, not just expectation, toward the whole group.

A superintendent recently told me that he didn't see the point of students getting anything lower than a C, as it doesn't show any growth or success. He suggested a grade of "not yet," Blynt's sentiment exactly. He also said that he thought that grades should be reflective of what students know. Maybe middle school students don't buy into grades, but obviously college students do. We need to find a system that de-stresses students to open them up to learning. Pressure exerted does not result in good product or learning.

The question remains: What system identifies both individual competencies AND growth?