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District reports summer learning gains in math; officials say attendance affected results
Summary
Washington County Public Schools reported participation and assessment outcomes for summer programs in elementary, middle and high schools, with math gains for regular attendees and plans to analyze ELA results when testing windows close.
Washington County Public Schools presented results of its summer learning programs on Sept. 22, reporting math gains for students who attended regularly and higher completion rates at the high school level, while noting attendance patterns affected measured outcomes.
Dan Fowler, the district supervisor of school management, told the Board of Education the district enrolled 1,009 elementary students across 16 July sites and that 63.6% of those students improved on mathematics pre‑ to post‑assessments, with an average growth of 11.1 percent. Middle‑school cohorts showed larger average gains on short assessments—35.5% in sixth grade, 46.5% in seventh grade and 26.2% in eighth grade—while high school participants completed original or repeat credit courses at higher rates.
“For kindergarten through second grade, our outcomes in mathematics, 62%, a little over 62% of the students increase their score from the pre assessment… and the average growth…was a little over 11%,” Fowler said. Fowler added that the district is still in the testing window for English language arts and will report ELA results once that assessment window closes Oct. 3.
The district budgeted site‑level amounts for the elementary program (about $170,000 per site, including transportation) but reported spending substantially less in several areas. Fowler said the elementary program used about $111,631.52 of a single site budgeted amount and that transportation across levels cost about $197,555.53 of an originally budgeted $235,000. He said staffing and program design sought a 12:1 student‑to‑instructor ratio when possible.
High school summer programming ran at South Hagerstown High School; officials said 469 students enrolled and attendance was 93.8 percent. Of 90 original credits attempted by students, 86 were completed; repeat credit attempts totaled 379 with 336 completed. The district also held a summer graduation for 27 students who finished their requirements during the session.
Board members and administrators discussed variability in attendance—elementary overall attendance was 74.35% of enrolled students attending regularly—and whether to expand or replicate the programs next year. Fowler and other administrators said the programs produced measurable gains for students who attended consistently and recommended stronger outreach and planning time to increase participation if the district repeats or expands the initiative.
The district said it will track summer participants into the school year so testing and interim assessments can show whether summer gains carried into regular instruction.
