El Paso ISD officials report midyear MAP growth and outline expansion of Algebra for All and spring intervention

El Paso ISD academic staff told the school board at a workshop that midyear NWEA MAP Growth results show measurable student growth across grade bands and that the district will scale its Algebra for All program while offering a new spring intervention called Impact to reduce summer remediation needs.

Officials said the MAP Growth assessment—an adaptive, norm-referenced screen—gives projections that are predictive of end-of-year STAAR/STAR results and helps the district target instruction and interventions. "MAP Growth is an online adaptive assessment that El Paso ISD is using as a universal screener for all students regardless of achievement levels," NWEA representative Miss Araceli said during the presentation.

The presentation stressed that growth is the key metric for predicting summative performance: when students meet or exceed their MAP growth projections, district staff expect corresponding gains on STAAR/STAR. Al Garcia, the district's chief academic officer, cautioned that the spring MAP administration can be less reliable because students are tested late in the year. "The winter 1 correlated to the STAR and of course exams for last year, was a ride on the money," Garcia said, describing the midyear administration as particularly useful for planning.

District-level midyear growth figures presented by staff showed mathematics at the 47th percentile and literacy at the 43rd percentile. Emergent bilingual students scored higher in the midyear sample (math 48, literacy 48). Students receiving special education services showed midyear growth percentiles of 43 in math and 37 in literacy. Presenters emphasized that these percentiles represent growth relative to a nationally normed bell curve and are used to project likely STAAR/STAR outcomes if current instructional trajectories continue.

The report included grade- and campus-level details: several elementary and middle schools were identified as exceeding the 50th percentile for growth in specific subjects, and staff highlighted kindergarten and early elementary gains measured in average RIT-score increases. Garcia and Guy Rosales, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, noted that gains are uneven by campus and by subgroup, which guides targeted supports.

Algebra for All, a district pilot in seven campuses this year, was singled out as a major success in accelerating math achievement. "When you set the expectation for kids, and really build the system that's gonna support you to meet that expectation," Garcia said, "they're making it happen." District leaders said the plan is to scale Algebra for All across middle schools in 2025–26.

To reduce the number of students who require summer remediation, the district also announced a new spring-to-summer bridge called Impact, which begins in February. Campuses will design local programs of a minimum 30 hours and up to 74 hours; the board previously approved raising the summer/extra-work teacher pay rate from $30 per hour to $50 per hour to support the effort. Rosales described the model as "intervene just in time with kids to strengthen their skills so that they're ready before the next school year starts."

Presenters described testing-window and measurement cautions: MAP growth is calculated in part using days of instruction, so late or extended testing windows can reduce calculated growth for a campus. The district said it will close testing windows to avoid skewed results.

Staff framed the midyear MAP results as positive evidence but reiterated the district will continue monitoring classroom practice and targeting supports through trend walks, campus-based facilitators assigned part-time to struggling campuses, and expanded professional development. Garcia closed the segment by saying academics will "stay vigilant" ahead of the district’s May STAAR/STAR results.

Ending: District staff said they will use the remaining weeks of instruction and the new Impact schedule to push growth that would be reflected in the district's end-of-year accountability measures. Board members thanked the team for the data and said they look forward to seeing May scores.