Harrison County presents cohort test-score trends; ELA gains credited to sustained reading program, math lags as students age

Harrison County Schools on Oct. 27 presented cohort-level assessment results showing falloff in math performance as students progress to older grades, while English language arts scores have shown steadier improvement, district staff said.

Julie Mancini presented the analysis of state assessment cohorts, comparing the same students over multiple years to avoid apples-to-oranges comparisons. Mancini said the district’s third graders in 2021–22 scored 42 percent proficient in math; the same cohort scored 34 percent as sixth graders in 2024–25, a decline she highlighted as a pattern across multiple cohorts. "We see a trend in math: the older our students are, the scores drop," Mancini said.

By contrast, the district reported gains in literacy after several years of implementing the science-of-reading and phonics supports. Mancini said one cohort rose from 37 percent proficient in ELA as third graders (2021–22) to 53 percent when the same students reached sixth grade. She credited district literacy coaches and sustained instructional routines, naming Stephanie Runyon and the district reading team as central to those efforts.

Mancini described math supports that the district has deployed, including a new core adoption and classroom coaching from staff members who model lessons for teachers. She singled out a math coach, Karen Freeland, saying that targeted classroom coaching has helped teachers bring manipulatives and practical strategies to instruction.

Board members asked how many coaches are assigned; the presenter said the two coaches (one focused on math and one on ELA) serve all 11 elementary schools and run after-school professional development sessions to reach teachers who cannot attend during the school day.

Superintendent remarks later in the meeting said the West Virginia Department of Education reviewed the district’s literacy work and assigned Harrison County to Tier 1 (universal) support, meaning the state will check in less frequently because the district’s literacy team met the state’s benchmarks for implementation.

Mancini emphasized that cohort data give schools specific standards-based areas to address; the district publishes school-level tables that highlight standards where a school scored below 50 percent to guide school leadership teams. She warned that changes to instruction must be sustained to show results, and she urged stability rather than repeated adoptions of new approaches.

Board members and staff discussed attendance and student motivation as complicating factors for older grades; the presenter and superintendent said the district is exploring classroom engagement strategies and targeted interventions rather than attributing changes solely to student behavior.

No formal action was taken during the presentation; the board received the data and asked follow-up questions.