Beyond grades: What parents expect from private schools

“Bennett Day School (PK-12), Chicago, uses a competency-based learning model. Students advance by demonstrating mastery of a concept, according to Martin Moran, head of program for the middle and upper school at Bennett. Student work is personalized. Instead of letter grades, progress is measured through projects, presentations and portfolios. ‘We make sure we have prepared students with the skills to adapt to the future,’ says Moran.”