HCPSS reports modest gains in MAP scores; less than half of middle schoolers meet MCAP math proficiency

HCPSS curriculum staff told the Board on April 29 that while some early indicators show modest recovery from pandemic declines, too few middle school students currently meet state proficiency standards in mathematics and the district must accelerate supports for students in grade‑level classes.

Jenny Novak, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, said fewer than 50% of middle school students met the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) proficiency standard in mathematics in 2024, though the system showed modest gains and ranks highly in grades 5 and 6 statewide. Novak and the math office highlighted early positive movement on the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) benchmark: grade 6 saw a 3.8% increase in students meeting the HCPSS MAP benchmark from fall to midyear and a 2.5% fall‑to‑winter gain; subgroup gains included roughly 3% for Black/African American students, 2% for Hispanic/Latino students and 2% for economically disadvantaged students.

David Larner, executive director of elementary schools, described three school improvement key strategies the district is asking schools to focus on: (1) student mathematical dispositions and self‑efficacy, (2) a multi‑tiered system of supports (MTSS) that ensures high‑quality core instruction plus targeted interventions, and (3) stronger formative and summative assessment practices to identify instructional gaps. The district has implemented at least three targeted, short instructional visits at every school this year (more than 200 visits total) to observe practice, provide feedback and inform future professional learning.

The math offices also described partnerships and pilot projects: a research‑design collaboration with WestEd and Illustrative Mathematics to pair curriculum‑embedded tasks with student learning‑experience surveys (945 students sampled so far) and targeted coaching cycles; and collaborative classroom visits where math teacher leaders and central staff provide formative feedback to teachers and administrators.

District staff said the work is showing early promise — particularly in seminar/intervention classes where students receiving intensive supports reported gains in motivation and math identity — but noted the need to scale interventions across grade‑level classrooms where proficiency is lowest. Staff said next steps include aligning district work to recent state mathematics policy changes, expanding elementary MTSS, finalizing a formative assessment “look‑for” tool for teachers, and integrating WestEd findings into professional learning and curricular materials.

Ending: Board members asked for continued updates and expressed interest in seeing the formative “look‑for” tool and disaggregated data; staff said they will return with additional analysis and plans for sustaining coaching and intervention expansion.