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District 15 reports gains in reading and math; MAP renorming raises district baseline
Summary
District officials reported multi‑year improvements in foundational reading and math, described a favorable MAP renorming outcome that raises the district baseline, and outlined curriculum reviews and a partnership with the Reading League to sustain growth.
District 15 administrators reported measurable improvements in reading and math across grade bands and briefed the board on the recently released 2025 renorming of the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment, which raised the district’s comparative baseline and requires a recalibration of district goals.
Dr. Emily McFadden and Superintendent Lori Haynes presented district assessment results showing upward trajectories: early literacy foundational skills improved notably on FastBridge measures in K–1 after the district implemented a foundational reading program; spring MAP results for grades 2–8 showed gains that moved the district’s comparative standing. McFadden said the district’s spring composite placed it on track for a 70 percent target in several indicators and that, under the new 2025 MAP norms, District 15’s relative standing is higher than under the old norms.
McFadden explained the renorming process: MAP re‑norms every five years to reflect changes in student populations and assessment design, including a shift to questions more tightly aligned to grade‑level standards. She described three drivers for differences between the 2020 and 2025 norms — COVID‑era learning effects, revised item types, and changes in national student populations — and said District 15’s updated relative position means the district will set a higher baseline and reconfigure school improvement goals accordingly.
Administrators also summarized actions to sustain progress: expanded full‑day kindergarten, a second year of a K–2 foundational reading program with year‑three coming for current second graders, a planned ELA curriculum review for grades 3–5, partnerships with the Reading League for evidence‑based reading instruction, and ongoing professional development tied to MTSS (Multi‑Tiered Systems of Support) and common formative assessments.
Why it matters: school districts use MAP and FastBridge trend data to set improvement targets and to shape curriculum and staffing decisions. McFadden said the district will recommend updated performance targets now that the norming baseline has shifted and will return to the board with an aligned multi‑year plan.
Ending: Administrators described the data as an earned outcome of multi‑year investments in curriculum alignment, staffing, and training and said they will present specific goal adjustments and curricular recommendations to the board this fall.
