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District presents fall–winter MAP benchmark snapshot; third‑grade reading flagged for follow‑up
Summary
Theresa Moritek presented fall‑to‑winter MAP reading and math results, noting district‑wide small gains in math, stable reading overall and a drop in third‑grade reading proficiency that the district will address through coaching and targeted interventions.
Assessment staff presented fall‑to‑winter MAP benchmark results for grades 3–7 and a district snapshot of higher‑grade preACT indicators at the March 18 meeting. The presentation focused on growth and percentile distributions rather than single test comparisons.
Theresa Moritek, who led the briefing, said MAP is a nationally normed, adaptive assessment used locally to monitor student growth and inform instruction. She explained that NWEA (MAP) groups results into quintiles (0–20th percentile, 21–40th, etc.) and that the district uses the fall, winter and spring administration to track movement across those bands.
Moritek reported that, district‑wide, math showed a three‑percentage‑point gain from fall to winter in the share of students at or above the average band; reading was largely flat overall but third‑grade reading proficiency dropped about two percentage points between fall and winter, a result district staff marked for follow‑up. The presenter said MAP national norms are being recalibrated post‑COVID and that NWEA will release updated norms; she also emphasized triangulating MAP with classroom assessments and district adoption materials (for example, the American Reading Company assessments used in classrooms).
Middle‑school preACT indicators showed some cohort gains when comparing this year’s fall data to last year’s spring results; staff said that could be an early signal of improved readiness for future ACT performance if gains continue through spring testing.
District leaders said they are continuing literacy and math learning walks with coaches, strengthening core instructional practices and using student‑level data dashboards to align interventions with needs. The district also plans targeted tutoring and after‑school supports for students who need additional practice.
Board members asked how to interpret percentiles and asked for longitudinal (cohort) comparisons; staff said they can provide further breakdowns by subgroup and year‑to‑year cohorts on request.
The presentation closed with staff noting persistent outcome gaps by racial and ethnic groups and reiterating that district coaching, intervention scaffolding and data tools are priorities for narrowing those gaps.
