District 49 reports highest midyear STAR Math proficiency; USAFA cadet tutoring struggling to attract high‑school students

Christina Tiernan, the district’s coordinator of math performance, told the Board of Education on Feb. 26 that District 49’s midyear STAR Math proficiency rate is 41.4%, the highest rate the district has recorded since it began using STAR Math. Tiernan said the measure tracks the top two proficiency bands (meets and exceeds) and forecasts CMAS performance.

Tiernan said the district is tracking both proficiency and growth. She reported that among teachers in cohorts supported by a multi‑year grant the district calls Mission DNA, 27 of 53 teachers showed 50% or greater growth at midyear. Cohort 2 consisted of the original group in the grant and cohort 3 was added after demand, Tiernan said. She described work aimed at grades 3–12 and singled out concern about dips in fourth grade and seventh grade performance.

“Part of the job as the math team is to continue to think about and work on sustainability,” Tiernan said, describing classroom coaching, vertical articulation for 6–12, and professional development the team has provided. She said the district is wrapping up the five‑year Mission DNA grant in 2024–25; the grant began in 2021–22 and had an initial budget that Tiernan said “we started with $1,500,000, and so that budget needs to be down to 0 or 1p here in closeout year.”

Tiernan described enrichment and intervention activities the district is running, including spring‑break camps for fourth through ninth graders, and partnerships with the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) for tutoring. She said cadets from the Academy are offering free tutoring sessions, typically Tuesday nights from 6 to 7 p.m. via Google Meet, but staff have struggled to get high‑school students to attend.

“We went classroom to classroom for periods 1 and period 2 at Vista Ridge High School and at Sand Creek High School begging students to come to this free tutoring,” Tiernan said, noting that some nights only she and one cadet were present. She praised the cadets’ commitment: “They’re eager to help. They wanna be a part of supporting our math efforts here in District 49.”

Board members pressed administration on possible reasons for low participation and on ways to increase turnout. Director Heil suggested testing fatigue and scheduling conflicts tied to practices and work hours; Tiernan and others noted the cadets’ limited availability as college students and discussed experimenting with different times or in‑person visits so students could meet cadets directly. Director Livia Wright and other board members proposed targeting coaches and athletics staff or offering brief in‑person introductions so students recognize the tutors. Student board members and directors also suggested incentives and offering Zoom as an option.

The board heard that STAR spring testing is valuable for placement decisions — for example in algebra placement — and that midyear STAR data is useful because it allows staff time to adjust instruction ahead of CMAS in the spring. Tiernan told the board she and the math team will continue to refine scheduling and outreach for tutoring and sustain grant activities as they move into closeout.

Clarifying details: Tiernan described a 41.4% STAR Math proficiency rate at midyear (highest since implementation), noted a pattern of spring dips after winter peaks in some grades, said Mission DNA targeted K–5 military‑connected students and ran cohorts starting in 2021–22, and confirmed the grant’s original funding figure as $1,500,000. She said 27 of the 53 teachers in cohorts 2 and 3 showed at least 50% growth at midyear and that the district is running multiple spring‑break camps and site‑based coaching.

Why it matters: STAR math proficiency and growth guide placement, instructional coaching and algebra enrollment decisions, and influence predictions for CMAS results. The district’s ability to convert volunteer university partnerships into regular high‑school tutoring attendance affects the reach of targeted interventions.

Speakers (attributed in text): Christina Tiernan, coordinator of math performance; Desiree Magana, project manager for Mission DNA (named by Tiernan); Viola Lee, math coach (named by Tiernan); Director Schmidt; Director DeVola; Director Heil; Director Livia Wright; Director Thompson; Student board member Gilbert.

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