What Is Bracketing?
Bracketing is Alpha Anywhere's process for finding a student's true mastery level in each subject. Rather than placing students by age or previous school grade, the system uses a combination of tests and Knowledge Gap lessons to pinpoint exactly where each student is ready to learn next.
The goal is to ensure that every child:
Builds from a strong foundation with no missing skills
Is continuously challenged
Is never bored
Is always progressing into new learning
Core Principle
At Alpha, students are placed according to their current learning level, not their age. The 90% benchmark represents the point at which a student is fluent and ready to build on that knowledge.
This focuses on mastery over speed:
Protects long-term success
Prevents fragile learning built on gaps
Allows students to move faster once the foundation is truly secure
How Bracketing Works: First Test Scenarios
1. Student scores 90% or higher on their first test
What happens next:
The next day, the student will see a new test at the next grade level in the Dash portal.
Why:
This continues the bracketing process to find their true mastery level by seeing how high they can comfortably go.
Action:
Celebrate the achievement.
Do nothing else in this subject for that day.
Take the next grade level test when it appears in Dash the following school day.
2. Student scores below 90% on their first test
What happens next:
The student will begin testing from Grade K (Kindergarten) upward (or Grade 3 for Science, which is the minimum starting level in that subject). The next appropriate test will appear in the Dash portal the following school day.
Why:
Starting from the foundation allows the system to confirm that core skills are fully secure. Even one small gap at a lower level can block acceleration later. This approach sets the student up for:
Long-term success
Faster progress once the foundation is mastered
Action:
Explain to the child:
"This is just a quick foundation check so you can go faster later."
Complete any Knowledge Gap lessons if they are assigned.
Book a Post-Test Coaching (PTC) session at:
calendly.com/d/cm57-z6r-t8z
How Bracketing Works: Subsequent Tests (Not the First Test)
1. Student scores 90% or higher on a subsequent test
What happens next:
The next school day, the student will see a new test at the next grade level in the Dash portal.
Why:
Because Alpha places students according to their current learning level, not age, a 90% or higher score means the student is ready for a new challenge at a higher grade.
Action:
Celebrate the achievement.
Do not do additional work in that subject for that day.
Take the next grade level test when it appears the following school day.
2. Student scores 60 - 89% on a subsequent test
What happens next:
Starting the next school day, Knowledge Gaps will appear in the Dash portal for that subject. These Knowledge Gaps are based on the specific items the student missed on the test. After completing all assigned Knowledge Gaps, the student will take another test at the same grade level (it will be a different test, not a retake of the exact same one).
Why:
At Alpha, the focus is on mastery. A score between 60 - 89% means the student already understands most of the grade level content. Instead of restarting the grade from the very beginning, the system:
Targets only the specific areas that need reinforcement
Respects the student's existing knowledge
Ensures true mastery before moving forward
Action:
Explain to the child:
"Mastery matters more than rushing ahead. This helps build a strong foundation for future success."
Book a Post-Test Coaching (PTC) session to help distinguish between:
Gaps in knowledge
Test-taking habits or attention issues
Complete all assigned Knowledge Gap lessons (these typically appear the next school day).
3. Student scores below 60% on a subsequent test
What happens next:
Starting the next day, the student will see lessons in their Dash portal instead of another test. This means they have been rostered at this grade level, and the bracketing process for that subject is now complete.
Why:
The system has identified that this is the level where learning will be:
Challenging enough to promote growth
Not so difficult that it becomes discouraging
This grade level becomes the student's starting point for sustained learning and steady, meaningful progress.
Action:
Explain to the child:
"This is the perfect level for you to begin, and we will build up from here."
Begin working through the lessons assigned in the Dash portal.
Special Case: Science Prerequisites
Science is tied closely to Reading ability.
Science tests and lessons are only available once a student reaches Grade 3 in Reading.
Students are considered independent readers once they pass Grade 2 Reading and begin working at Grade 3 level.
Why:
Science questions are often wordy and require strong reading comprehension. This design ensures that children are not challenged twice at the same time:
Once by complex reading
Once by the science content itself
What happens:
Science will unlock automatically when the student reaches Grade 3 in Reading.
Parents do not need to do anything to trigger this.
Minimum starting level:
Grade 3 is the minimum starting level for Science at Alpha.
Even if a child takes Grade 3 Science as their first test and scores below 90%, the next test will still be at Grade 3. This is because Grade 3 is the foundational starting point for Science.
How and when can students and parents access bracketing test scores?
How and When Can Students and Parents Access Bracketing Test Scores?
Bracketing tests play a crucial role in assessing a student's placement and progress, providing valuable feedback about their learning journey. Below, find detailed information regarding score visibility for both students and parents.
Score Visibility for Students
Students can see their bracketing test scores immediately upon completing the test. This instant result display is available directly within the Pear Assessments platform (Edulastic), ensuring that students can quickly access feedback to understand their performance.
Access Limitations for Parents
Currently, bracketing test scores are not accessible to parents in the Dash/Parent Portal. The results are exclusively available to the student within the Pear Assessments platform. Parents seeking information about test outcomes will need to discuss directly with their student or explore other available resources for assessment insights.
Related Support
For further information or support regarding bracketing tests, parents and students are encouraged to explore additional resources within the Pear Assessments platform or reach out to customer support for guidance.
Knowledge Gaps Explained
Knowledge Gaps are targeted lessons that appear when a student scores between 60 - 89% on any test that is not their first test. These lessons:
Usually appear the next school day in the Dash portal
Target only the specific skills that need reinforcement
Must be completed before the student takes another test at the same grade level
Important detail for Reading:
Reading Knowledge Gaps actually appear under the Language section in the Dash portal, not under Reading.
Parents should look under Language when searching for Reading related Knowledge Gaps.
Key Principles to Remember
Mastery over speed:
The aim is deep understanding, not simply moving quickly through grades.
Individual placement:
Each subject is assessed independently. A student might be at different levels in Math, Reading, Language, and Science.
No gaps allowed:
The system is designed to avoid missing skills that could block future progress.
Adaptive process:
Bracketing continues until the optimal placement is found for each subject.
Foundation is critical:
Starting at a lower level to confirm foundations often leads to faster progress later.
90% as mastery threshold:
A score of 90% or higher indicates fluency and readiness to build on that knowledge.
Post-Test Coaching (PTC)
For scores that trigger foundation checks or Knowledge Gaps, parents are encouraged to book a Post-Test Coaching session. PTC helps:
Identify which mistakes came from missing knowledge vs. test-taking behavior or focus
Provide targeted strategies to support the student
Ensure parents clearly understand the next steps in the bracketing process
PTC Booking Link:
calendly.com/d/cm57-z6r-t8z
Support Resources
For general bracketing questions or help:
Email Support:
[email protected]
Daily Live Q&A Sessions:
calendly.com/joe-marone-2hourlearning/bracketing-general-help?month=2025-11&date=2025-11-25Bracketing Compass: https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/250f823b-3160-4fbf-b9f4-74eb9de5c506
This is a tool we have that interactively explains the bracketing process.