Moscow Middle School credits new curriculum and MathLab intervention for ISAT gains

Moscow Middle School teachers told the Moscow School District board May 28 that changes to curriculum, classroom placement and a targeted intervention called MathLab helped reverse the typical state “eighth‑grade dip” in ISAT math scores.

The department’s presentation, led by Derek Sanders, math department head at Moscow Middle School, showed longitudinal ISAT data back to 2019 and attributed a large portion of recent gains to the district’s adoption of the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum and to MathLab, an extra hour of targeted instruction for students who scored low on prior ISATs.

The math department showed that the district’s current eighth‑grade cohort avoided a drop that usually appears statewide. “We were very excited. Derek and I are having nightmares about this class because of this joke. We are not sure how we’re gonna get above 73% in the eighth grade,” Sanders said, describing the unusually high proficiency levels the department is now tracking. Sanders also credited daily brief, individual feedback to students as a core practice behind growth.

Rachel, a Moscow Middle School math teacher who presented growth visuals, described three main changes: adopting Illustrative Mathematics in 2021–22; introducing MathLab in 2023–24 for students with low ISAT results; and changing grading and assessment routines so students engage daily with a teacher on formative work. “We touch base with every kid in our class every day… those 30‑second, 45‑second conversations have a great impact,” Rachel said.

Presenters said MathLab enrollment was based on prior ISAT results: students who received a 1 on the prior year’s ISAT were placed in MathLab. The department reported larger average quantile (Q) growth for MathLab students than for peers: in seventh grade MathLab students averaged roughly 225 Q‑points growth versus about 100 for non‑lab students; eighth grade gains were smaller but still higher for lab students (about 56 points vs. 23 points). Presenters cautioned some reported comparisons are “deceptive” because of how long students remained in the intervention and how some higher‑growth subgroups were selected.

Teachers and the principal described implementation constraints and follow‑ups. The department said MathLab sizes should remain small to retain effectiveness (they prefer about 10 students per lab) and that the district ran five MathLab sections this year and expects to reduce to four next year based on capacity and student need. The team said they are refining a student profile to better target who will benefit most from MathLab, and they plan to consult special education staff and regional state math support (Josh Watson) to align placements and avoid duplicative interventions.

Superintendent Sean Rice noted the district’s overall ISAT results remain higher than state averages at nearly all grade levels and highlighted the middle school results as a potential long‑term contributor to higher proficiency at the high school level. He said the district will continue monitoring cohort growth as the middle school cohorts move into high school.

Board members asked about capacity and elective trade‑offs: placing students in MathLab reduces elective opportunities such as band or art. Teachers said they try to balance intervention with elective access, but limited daily periods constrain options. “If you make the MathLab too big, then you lose all the effectiveness,” one teacher said.

The math department thanked state supports and vendor partners by name. They singled out Josh Watson (regional state math support) and Tiffany Poppy from Imagine Math, the adaptive online practice platform used in MathLab.

The presentation closed with the department seeking further collaboration with special education staff, ongoing data review, and additional state support to sustain growth while protecting elective opportunities.