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District reports improved MCA/MTAS proficiency with persistent gaps; middle schools drive recent gains
Summary
District presenters said Stillwater's MCA/MTAS participation is high and proficiency rates exceed state averages across many grades, with recent growth concentrated in middle school grades; persistent achievement gaps remain by race and family income. The district will receive MCA4 science results in October.
District staff presented the district's MCA and MTAS assessment results for reading and mathematics and answered extensive board questions about cohort trends, subgroup gaps and how the data are used.
Elsa, the assessment presenter, said participation was strong—elementary participation was about 98–99% for tested grades, middle‑school participation roughly 96%, and high school participation lower (about 93% for tenth grade and ~81% for math). Elsa emphasized that the MCA is a single point‑in‑time assessment used along with other measures. For reading, Stillwater outperformed the state at most grade levels by about 10 percentage points, with particularly notable gains in middle‑school grades (sixth grade around 70% proficiency in the presentation). For math, the district also exceeded state averages across grades, with fourth grade noted as strong and a five‑point gain in fifth grade tied to curriculum and assessment alignment work.
Elsa highlighted persistent gaps by student subgroup: growth trends for Latino students have rebounded toward pre‑pandemic levels whereas Black students showed divergence from other groups, and gaps by free and reduced‑price lunch status, English‑learner status and special education persisted. Board members asked whether GATE students skewed middle‑school results; staff said removing GATE students from the data would reduce proficiency by roughly seven percentage points in the relevant analyses. Students and board members discussed whether high‑school students are incentivized to try on the MCA; student board members said many high‑schoolers do not take the MCA seriously due to competing tests (AP, ACT) and perceived lack of direct incentive.
Board members and staff discussed how the district uses MCA results: the data identify strands and curriculum gaps that feed into benchmark reports and teacher planning, but the lag time between testing and final results limits direct classroom use. Staff noted the district also uses FastBridge and other internal assessments to track growth and inform interventions; board members asked to see follow‑up FastBridge results in the winter.
Elsa said that MCA4 science results will be released in October after the state's standard‑setting process and that the district will return with further analysis when those data are available.
Key takeaways: Stillwater's MCA/MTAS proficiency and participation compare favorably to the state; recent gains are concentrated in middle grades; however, subgroup disparities remain and staff plan continued curriculum alignment and professional development to address gaps.
