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District reports fall-to-winter MAP growth: math gains districtwide, reading improvement uneven with foundational-skill needs
Summary
District staff presented NWEA MAP fall-to-winter benchmarking results to the Programs Committee on March 17, reporting math growth that in many cases exceeded national expected growth; reading growth showed strengths in some grades and schools but identified districtwide needs in foundational skills and writing for K'2 students.
District assessment staff, with support from Dr. Guzman, presented the Aurora East USD 131 NWEA MAP fall-to-winter growth report to the Programs Committee on March 17, including English- and Spanish-language assessment notes and school-by-school breakdowns.
Staff said the district is using 2020 MAP norms pending an updated national norm set expected later in the year. They noted Spanish MAP assessments are administered for K-4 dual-language students but national norms for Spanish were not available, so those scores are reported without a national comparison.
Key findings presented: kindergarten students performed near winter national norms in reading, but K-2 data indicate districtwide needs in foundational reading skills and writing. District staff identified targeted PD and literacy-adoption planning to address those needs. For grades 3-5, staff said students generally grew at rates similar to national norms but achievement levels remain below national averages, so the district must sustain growth that exceeds norms to close attainment gaps.
Math results showed stronger trends: elementary math winter scores were higher at most grade levels than last year and, overall, the district's MAP math growth often exceeded national expected growth. Staff credited curriculum implementation (three years in math) and targeted coaching with I-Ready supports.
In middle and high school, the district reported growth beyond expected norms in many grades. The presentation singled out several schools for strong results (example: Johnson and Magnet schools often outperformed peers in the slides), and highlighted that eighth-grade cohorts in some schools had growth well above expected year-to-year points. Staff said continued coaching, curricular alignment and targeted interventions are planned to convert growth into attainment.
Presenters noted some small-group sample-size suppression on school-level slides (groups of five or fewer students are not displayed) and emphasized that MAP is a predictor and mirror for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). Several vendors and partners were named in the presentation as supporting work in the district's bilingual and literacy programs, including HMH, Mercury and Sabas, and the district's partnership with I-Ready for math coaching.
Committee members asked clarifying questions; several members praised the data as useful for telling the district's story and for pursuing alternative funding if needed. No committee vote was recorded in the transcript.
