District 41 reports strong MAP growth; new HMH literacy shows gains in primary grades as parents press for catch‑up services for older students

District 41 administrators told the Board of Education on Aug. 18 that the district’s NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) insight report shows sustained growth and high achievement across schools, and that early results from the new HMH reading curriculum produced especially strong gains at primary grades.

The district’s MAP assessment, which staff described as a universal screener used to “inform instruction,” will be administered three times this year; the fall benchmark begins Sept. 2. Doctor Webster said NWEA updated its norms this year, which makes year‑to‑year achievement comparisons trickier, but that “the growth piece you can” compare and that the district continues to show “strong growth which is resulting in strong achievement.”

The superintendent, Doctor McHugh, and board members discussed how MAP differs from the state’s Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). Doctor Webster said MAP provides “real time” instructional information that teachers can use immediately, while IAR is summative and its results arrive long after testing. “We take the math test, we get the results that day and teachers can start responding to that,” she said.

Board members asked about reading outcomes after the district’s switch to HMH (formerly Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Doctor Webster and Doctor McKee said the earliest data show particularly strong growth in kindergarten through second grade. “First and second blew it out of the water in reading,” Webster said, while McKee added that teachers faced “a big lift for them in year 1” and “they just nailed it.” Administrators cautioned that it is difficult to prove causation after a single year but said they expect more consistent gains as teachers and students gain experience with the curriculum.

Parents speaking during public comment urged the district to address older students who they said continue to struggle with spelling, grammar and reading comprehension after earlier curriculum choices. Helen Bosacki said she sees a “huge difference” in her youngest child but raised repeated concerns that older children “were essentially disadvantaged and left behind” by prior classroom materials and are not being identified for remediation. Nicole Kenny, who said her fifth grader lacked systematic phonics instruction earlier, called for “targeted intervention and remediation” for students who did not receive foundational instruction. Mika Johnson said her seventh grader scored poorly on grammar, vocabulary and reading and urged more explicit instruction in those areas.

Administrators acknowledged those concerns. Doctor Webster said the district seeks to meet each student where they are and noted that MAP growth remains a central focus because sustained growth should lead to higher achievement. She and board members said the district will report a fuller academic update in November after the state report card and IAR cut‑score changes are released.

Discussion versus action: the presentation and the public comments were discussion only. No board motion or formal policy change on remediation or screening was made during the meeting.