Board keeps DPP goal requiring MAP testing for all 9th and 10th graders, sets 55% growth target

The Lyon County School Board on Wednesday moved to keep the District Performance Plan(DPP) goal that all ninth- and tenth-grade students will take the NWEA MAP growth assessment in 202526ndash;26 and that at least 55% will meet their individual growth goals in math and reading.

The item was discussed at length during a presentation from district staff and the executive cabinet. Board members weighed how MAP testing for high school freshmen and sophomores would interact with other assessments used in the district(i-Ready in K8, WorkKeys for 10th graders and the ACT for juniors) and debated whether to expand MAP testing to 11th and 12th graders.

District staff told trustees the proposal is intended to give the district a reliable baseline and consistent growth measure at the secondary level by testing all students in grades 9 and 10 with the MAP growth assessment. "What we would recommend is they all take the same MAP test, the math 6-plus growth," a member of the executive cabinet said during the discussion.

Why it matters The change makes MAP the required growth assessment for 9th- and 10th-grade students, while i-Ready would continue as the vendor for K9. The board heard that using a single growth measure in grades 9 and 10 would provide a cross-section of the student population (including students in remedial and special-education classes) and allow the district to monitor progress toward the ACT and other postsecondary measures.

Trustees and staff debated percentages and scope Trustees who participated in the discussion said historical data supported raising the target from prior levels. Administrators told the board that historical scores had hovered around roughly 50to51 percent and that principals generally thought a 55 percent target was achievable.

Some trustees urged caution about applying the same measure to juniors and seniors, noting upper-grade students often pursue different academic and career pathways (AP, dual credit, jumpstart/college courses or industry credentials) that make a single standardized growth measure less meaningful. Others suggested using MAP plus other measures (WorkKeys in 10th grade; ACT in 11th grade) to triangulate student readiness for postsecondary work.

State policy and vendor questions Staff reminded trustees the Nevada Department of Education is reviewing statewide assessment language and vendor contracts. The board was told the state contract for MAP is under review and that district choices should be compatible with whatever the state adopts; the district also discussed the possibility that a state bill under consideration could change K5 testing requirements and require districts to submit their chosen vendor and plan.

Board action and next steps Trustees moved to keep SMART Goal Number 2 as written (MAP for 9th and 10th grades; 55% meeting individual growth goals). The DPP, with the confirmed language, is expected to come back to the board at a subsequent meeting for final adoption and then to be submitted to the Nevada Department of Education under the state timeline.

The district will use fall MAP results as the baseline and spring MAP results as the growth measure for the 202526ndash;26 school year. Staff said they would return with the final DPP document and any necessary clarifying language for trustees to approve.

Ending Trustees directed staff to present the final DPP document at the next meeting and to monitor the statepolicy and vendor developments that could affect the districttiming or vendor selection.