Into Math growth mixed across grades; committee flags Acadience start points and IXL diagnostic gaps

On June 9, 2025, Central York School District staff presented end-of-year K–8 math assessment results to the Curriculum Committee, highlighting Into Math growth measures and supplemental scores from Acadience and an IXL diagnostic.

The presenter told the committee how the Into Math growth categories are reported (far below, below, approaching, on/above, above) and said the district ended the year with notable on-or-above rates in early grades: kindergarten on/above 91.6% (down 0.2 points), Grade 1 on/above 84.4% (down about 3.5 points), Grade 2 on/above 84.8% (down about 1.4 points) and Grade 3 on/above 88.1% (up about 5.5 points). The presenter also reported Grade 5 at 73.3% (down ~5 points), Grade 6 at 81.7% (up ~6 points), Grade 7 at 72.2% (up ~5 points), and Grade 8 at 82.1% on/above (no prior-year comparison provided for that cohort). The presenter noted a rough district-size context point that a 1.7 percentage-point change in kindergarten represents about five students out of approximately 350.

District staff described Into Math as an adaptive growth measure and said the district introduced Into Math in 02/23. They reported that Acadience (presented as a supplemental early-literacy/benchmark tool) and Into Math do not always track identically; Acadience starting points in some early grades were lower for the 2024–25 cohort compared with prior years even where Into Math growth remained steady. The presenter said the district will investigate those lower Kindergarten Acadience entry points and whether they reflect anomalies, implementation differences, or other factors.

Committee members raised concerns about the IXL diagnostic at the middle-school level, where IXL end-of-year achievement showed a decline that did not match Into Math growth trends. One committee member said parents and students report frustration with IXL scoring mechanics and potential demotivation when a single missed question can drop a student’s score substantially; the member described fatigue and disengagement as possible contributors. The presenter and members said teachers use IXL in similar ways across classrooms and that the district will dig into practice and diagnostic windows to understand the discrepancy.

Staff also noted operational context: grades 7 and up were tested online this year, and the district expects to receive preliminary state assessment extracts (PSSA and Keystone) later in June; those files require verification and the presenter said final state results will help the district connect growth measures and standardized achievement. The presenter said the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) recognizes Into Math and IXL as research-based tools in certain contexts and that the district will continue to align its intervention plans (including ATSI-related steps) with approved resources.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the assessment data but asked staff to analyze the Acadience starting-point dips, the IXL/Into Math diagnostic disconnect at middle school, and the possible role of testing fatigue in year-end diagnostics. Staff indicated they will return with deeper analysis and suggested the committee may have initial state-test indicators by the July meeting.