Charles County schools report MCAP gains, outline MTSS rollout and math-course restructuring

Charles County Public Schools officials on Sept. 9 reported modest gains on 2024–25 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) exams, described an expanded multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) for struggling students, and warned of upcoming state standards changes that will require schedule adjustments and course-sequence updates.

Superintendent Maria Navarro presented the district's strategic-plan priorities and introduced the accountability team's data review. "We have improved," said the presenter leading the assessment review, noting gains in multiple grades and subjects while emphasizing the need for continued work to reach statewide proficiency levels.

District Director of Accountability Steve Roberts and content specialists showed charts comparing Charles County to Maryland trends and walked the board through elementary, middle and high school results. Roberts highlighted growth in elementary mathematics and in secondary ELA, and said the district saw gains across most subgroups from 2024 to 2025. "We made some gains here, which is really exciting," he said.

Why it matters: the presentation ties testing results, curriculum adjustments and scheduling changes to the district's strategic plan and to decisions the board will face this school year. Officials said the data will inform where to assign interventions and how to structure time for instruction.

Key points from the presentation

- Assessment results and standards changes: District staff said ELA standards will see only modest tweaks next year while math standards will undergo a larger change that consolidates Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II into two integrated courses. Officials said the state also will require 60 minutes of math instruction daily in some grades, which "will require us to make an adjustment to our schedules." (presenter)

- MTSS tracking and parent communications: The Office of Accountability and elementary leaders described a new MTSS tracker implemented in the Synergy student information system to log Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions, monitor progress quarterly, and produce letters to notify parents when a student is below benchmark. "By being able to put it into Synergy, it helps us and helps the principal and the teachers track it at a different level," said Kim Huddler, Elementary Reading Content Specialist.

- Math lab and pre-teaching model: The district's math lab model provides scheduled class time for pre-teaching and targeted instruction tied to diagnostic platforms (MyPath and Mastery Connect within Canvas). Officials said that pre-teaching rather than reteaching produces better results and that lab courses give students an in-schedule opportunity for targeted remediation or support.

- Writing emphasis: Elementary leaders said writing will be a systemwide focus (K'12) after gaps showed up on state exams; staff noted writing fluency and stamina are not measured in some local diagnostics (i-Ready) but are tested on MCAP and appear to account for divergence between the two measures. "We really chose informational writing to focus on because that could be done across content," Huddler said.

- Advanced Placement and early college: Enrollment in AP courses and the number of AP exams taken rose sharply over the past three years; the district reported both more students enrolled in AP and higher pass rates (3 or higher). Officials also noted early-college enrollment is growing and described recent policy changes to grading weight that apply to incoming freshmen; the new AP/college-course weighting will not be retroactive for students already beyond ninth grade.

Board response and next steps

Board members praised the data and asked staff for follow-up detail, including: which AP courses are available at each high school; how the district will preserve access to rigorous coursework if some schools lack enrollment to run a class; and how parents, especially secondary parents, will receive timely information about interventions and diagnostics. Staff said they will return with a breakdown of AP offerings by school and an update on implementation timelines for schedule changes and MTSS reporting.

Officials said the district will continue to monitor progress quarterly and report back to the board as standards and course sequences are finalized by the state.

Ending: District leaders emphasized that while gains are encouraging, the work is early and ongoing. Staff said the strategic plan and the MTSS implementation will guide intervention priorities and schedule adjustments over the coming school year.