Mastery School of Hawken: Parent Guide to a Competency-Based, Project-Driven High School

Mastery School of Hawken is a private, independent high school serving grades 9 through 12 in Cleveland's University Circle neighborhood. It opened in August 2020 as a division of Hawken School, a coeducational college-preparatory day school founded in 1915 ⁹¹⁰. The school welcomed a founding class of 33 students and has grown to approximately 125 students, with an international boarding program added in fall 2024 ⁹. Rather than following a conventional grade-based academic structure, the school organizes learning around interdisciplinary team projects with community partners, self-paced individual study, and a mastery-credit assessment system that replaces letter grades entirely ¹².

The school is non-traditional in several defining ways: it does not assign letter grades or calculate a GPA, its daily schedule replaces standard class periods with extended interdisciplinary blocks, and students demonstrate proficiency through a digital Mastery Transcript rather than a conventional transcript ¹³. The Mastery Transcript was developed by the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), an organization founded in 2016 by D. Scott Looney, who serves as Head of Hawken School and championed the creation of the Mastery School ⁶. The school's pedagogical framework was designed by Doris Korda, formerly Associate Head of School at Hawken and founder of the Korda Institute for Teaching, which remains a key instructional partner ⁷⁸.

Snapshot facts

Field	Detail
Official name	Mastery School of Hawken 9
Operating status	Active; accepting applications for 2026-2027 3
Founded	2020 9
Founders or founding organization	Hawken School (parent entity, founded 1915 by James A. Hawken); Mastery School conceived by D. Scott Looney, pedagogy designed by Doris Korda, founding Director Julia Griffin 917
Current leadership	Julia Griffin, Head of School, Mastery School of Hawken (since Aug 2023); D. Scott Looney, Head of School, Hawken School 1617
Primary location or reach	11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106 (University Circle) 910
Grades served	9-12 10
Public/charter/private status	Private, independent; chartered nonpublic school approved by Ohio State Board of Education 10
Tuition or funding model	Flexible, need-based; published tuition $43,240 for 2026; Flexible Tuition family contribution range $545 to $41,640 415
Admissions model	Application-based; ISEE required; competitive applicant pool 3
Educational model	Mastery-based, project-based, ungraded 12
Evidence confidence	School-reported outcomes 35

What it is

Mastery School of Hawken is one of several campus divisions operated by Hawken School, a nonprofit independent school system serving over 1,500 students across the Cleveland metropolitan area ¹⁰. The Mastery School campus is located in University Circle, a neighborhood Hawken describes as a hub where higher education, health care, and the arts intersect ¹⁰. The school uses the adjacent Sally and Bob Gries Center for Experiential and Service Learning at 10823 Magnolia Drive as a supporting facility ⁹¹⁰.

The school serves day students in grades 9 through 12 and added an international boarding program starting in fall 2024 ⁹. Students applying to the Mastery School use the same application portal as Hawken's other campuses, and high school students at Hawken can participate in programming across both the Mastery School and the Upper School at Gates Mills, including Intensives, athletics, and performing arts ³. The school has been a Korda Institute Demonstration School since its founding ¹⁸.

Educational model

The Mastery School's educational model is built around the concept of mastery: the idea that learning should be deep, enduring, creative, and transferable ¹. The school draws on cognitive neuroscience research and an apprenticeship-style approach in which trusted adults help students work toward mastery of specific skills, knowledge, and habits ¹². The methodology was developed by Doris Korda and is operationalized through the Korda Institute for Teaching, which lists the Mastery School as a demonstration school ⁷⁸¹⁸.

The school explicitly rejects the traditional "factory model" of education, replacing bells, short class periods, and letter grades with extended interdisciplinary work, self-paced learning, and competency-based assessment ¹¹². The school frames failure as part of the learning process, emphasizing iteration, reflection, and feedback rather than penalizing mistakes ¹.

Student experience

A student's day at the Mastery School is structured around four program elements ²:

1. Macros: interdisciplinary team experiences built around real challenges from community partner organizations. Students take one Macro per semester, and these occupy more than half of the school day. Macros cover areas such as environmental and physics systems, humanities applications, political systems, architecture, engineering, and entrepreneurship ²¹³.

2. Micros: self-paced individual and small-group learning experiences designed with mentors to help students dive deep into subject areas. Micros range from three weeks to a full semester in length ².

3. Wayfinding: regular meetings with a mentor and a small group of peers to process learning, explore identity, identify strengths, and build a sense of purpose ².

4. Intensives: three-week immersive sessions held twice yearly, where Mastery School students join peers from Hawken's Upper School to study topics such as Rocket Science or Shakespeare in depth ².

Macros are the centerpiece of the schedule. Students work in teams for up to five hours a day on real problems posed by community organizations, including partners such as the Cleveland Clinic, Case Western Reserve University, NASA, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections ¹³¹⁴.

Curriculum, assessment, and progression

The Mastery School does not assign letter grades. Instead, students earn Mastery Credits by presenting evidence that demonstrates specific skills, knowledge, and abilities ¹. Credits are organized under six Mastery Credit Areas: Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creative Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, and Self-Directed Learning ¹.

There are two types of Mastery Credits. Foundational Credits represent baseline skills that all students must earn, including Systems Thinking, Communication in an Additional Language, and Quantitative Reasoning. Advanced Credits allow students to demonstrate depth in areas that matter most to them ¹. Students decide when to present their best work in each credit area, meaning they may master some skills quickly and take more time with others ¹.

Assessment emphasizes persistence to mastery through feedback, reflection, and iteration rather than one-time testing ¹. Students build a curated portfolio of evidence that grows over time, culminating in a digital Mastery Transcript ¹.

Public, charter, private, nonprofit, program, network, or platform status

Mastery School of Hawken operates as a private, independent school and a division of Hawken School, a nonprofit entity ⁹. Hawken School is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS) and is approved by the Ohio State Board of Education as a chartered nonpublic school, holding charters as both an elementary and a secondary school ¹⁰¹¹. The Mastery School operates under these accreditations through its parent entity.

Hawken School's sibling campuses include the Lower and Middle Schools in Lyndhurst, Birchwood School of Hawken, the Upper School in Gates Mills, and the Gries Center in University Circle ¹⁰. The Mastery School is one of two high school options within the Hawken system ¹⁰. The school has received grant funding from the Edward E. Ford Foundation ⁹.

Locations and availability

The Mastery School is located at 11025 Magnolia Dr, Cleveland, OH 44106, in the University Circle neighborhood ⁹¹⁰. The school has no virtual or online program; all instruction is in person ⁹. The adjacent Gries Center at 10823 Magnolia Drive serves as a supporting facility ¹⁰.

The school sits approximately 700 yards from Hawken's original 1915 home on Ansel Road ⁹. Applications are currently open for the 2026-2027 school year for rising 9th and 10th graders ³.

Tuition, admissions, and eligibility

Published tuition for the 2026 academic year is $43,240, which the school shares with Hawken's Upper School rate ¹⁵. Hawken offers a Flexible Tuition program, described as the largest financial assistance budget of any private school in Ohio, providing $15.3 million in assistance to 51% of its student body ⁴. The range of family contribution under Flexible Tuition is $545 to $41,640, with an average income of $149,456 for families receiving tuition reduction ⁴.

The Mastery School is a provider for the Cleveland Scholarship Program, which the school reports offers up to $8,407 per year for grades 9-12 to students residing within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District boundaries ⁴. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce lists the maximum high school scholarship at $8,408 ¹⁴. Students may also be eligible for merit scholarships ³.

Admissions are application-based. Students applying to either of Hawken's high schools must take the Independent School Entrance Exam (ISEE), with boarding applicants taking the SSAT instead ³. The application deadline for the 2026-2027 school year is January 16, 2026, with notification on February 12, 2026 ³. The school describes its applicant pool as competitive, with acceptance dependent on applicant qualifications and space availability ³.

Credits, transcripts, diplomas, certifications, and accreditation

• Students who complete the Mastery School program receive a diploma and a Mastery Transcript ¹.
• The Mastery Transcript is a digital, interactive portfolio that showcases demonstrated abilities through a homepage overview and detailed evidence of work ¹.
• It was developed by the Mastery Transcript Consortium (MTC), which has more than 400 member schools and was designed in partnership with colleges and universities to support its use in admissions ⁶.

• Hawken School is accredited by ISACS and approved as a chartered nonpublic school by the Ohio State Board of Education ¹⁰¹¹.
• The Mastery School operates under these accreditations as a division of Hawken School ⁹.

Evidence and outcomes

The Mastery School reports that it has graduated 65 students across its first three graduating classes ³. School-reported data indicate that 60% of graduates have matriculated to a top 50 college or university as ranked by U.S. News and World Report ³. A separate school-reported document covering the first two graduating classes (61 total graduates) lists 75 "Top 50" college acceptances from those 61 graduates, including Harvard, Stanford, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Cornell, and Case Western Reserve University ⁵. The school also reports that MTC member school students have been admitted to more than 700 colleges and universities using the Mastery Transcript, and that every college has accepted it as a valid transcript ³.

The school acknowledges that because it is built around skills rather than content knowledge, students are not exposed to as broad a range of content as traditionally educated students ⁵. School-reported graduate feedback indicates that Mastery School alumni report thriving in college, including in traditionally graded environments ⁵. These outcomes are school-reported and based on a small number of graduating cohorts from a school founded in 2020; independent verification is not available.

Best fit

The Mastery School may be a good fit for students who are curious, self-directed, and interested in working on real-world problems with community partners ³. The school describes itself as suited for students who want to develop a sense of agency over their education and who are excited by the prospect of working alongside experts to solve problems relevant to their community ³. Families should consider whether a non-graded, project-based model aligns with their student's learning style and college goals, and whether the Mastery Transcript will be well-received by the specific colleges they are considering.

Questions parents should ask

• How do specific colleges and universities on our family's list evaluate the Mastery Transcript relative to a traditional GPA-based transcript?
• Which community partner projects are available in the upcoming academic year, and how are they matched to student interests?
• How does the school ensure coverage of foundational academic subjects (mathematics, sciences, languages) within a project-based framework?
• What is the current student-to-teacher ratio, class size, and total enrollment?
• How does the international boarding program operate, and what are the associated costs?
• What transportation options are available for day students, particularly those using the Cleveland Scholarship Program?

Sources

[1] "How We Measure Mastery," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/academics/how-we-measure-mastery, accessed July 22, 2026. [2] "Academics," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/academics, accessed July 22, 2026. [3] "Admissions," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/admissions, accessed July 22, 2026. [4] "Making MSH Affordable," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/admissions/making-msh-affordable, accessed July 22, 2026. [5] "College Acceptances and Outcomes," Mastery School of Hawken, https://bbk12e1-cdn.myschoolcdn.com/ftpimages/291/misc/misc_237555.pdf, accessed July 22, 2026. [6] "College Counseling," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/academics/college-counseling, accessed July 22, 2026. [7] "Building a Model for Mastery Learning," Korda Institute for Teaching, https://kordainstitute.org/building-model-mastery-learning/, accessed July 22, 2026. [8] "About Us," Korda Institute for Teaching, https://kordainstitute.org/about/, accessed July 22, 2026. [9] "Our Journey," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/about-msh/our-journey, accessed July 22, 2026. [10] "About Hawken," Hawken School, https://www.hawken.edu/about-hawken, accessed July 22, 2026. [11] "ISACS Schools List," Ohio Department of Education, https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohio-Education-Options/Private-Schools/Chartered-Nonpublic-School-Information/ISACS-Schools-List.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US, accessed July 22, 2026. [12] "What the Research Says," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/about-msh/what-the-research-says, accessed July 22, 2026. [13] "Macros," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/macros, accessed July 22, 2026. [14] "Cleveland Scholarship," Ohio Department of Education and Workforce, https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Other-Resources/Scholarships/Cleveland-Scholarship, accessed July 22, 2026. [15] "2025 Private School Planner: Hawken School," Crain's Cleveland Business, https://www.crainscleveland.com/crains-content-studio/2025-private-school-planner-hawken-school/, accessed July 22, 2026. [16] "Julia Griffin," LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-griffin-04998810, accessed July 22, 2026. [17] "School Leadership," Hawken School, https://www.hawken.edu/about-hawken/school-leadership, accessed July 22, 2026. [18] "About MSH," Mastery School of Hawken, https://masteryschool.hawken.edu/about-msh, accessed July 22, 2026.