Rapid City Area Schools reports 37% math proficiency, board urges targeted action for Native American students
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Summary
At a Dec. 10 study session, district presenter Jen Roberts said the state report card shows 37% of students met math proficiency and highlighted subgroup gaps; board members pushed for targeted plans, more attendance and "bubble" reports showing students within 5–10 points of proficiency.
Jen Roberts, presenting data from the South Dakota Department of Education, told the Rapid City Area School District 51‑4 board on Dec. 10 that district results are a single‑day "snapshot" but show areas of both concern and improvement. "Thirty‑seven percent of our students were proficient or above" in mathematics, she said, and 47% of students made year‑over‑year progress in math.
Board members pressed for context and action. A board member who identified persistent subgroup gaps said the situation "is almost criminal," pressing the administration for concrete remedies. Another board member said, "Our Native American students are not doing well in this district," and urged a targeted update to the district's strategic plan.
Roberts emphasized limitations of one‑day assessments and described several follow‑up steps. She recommended cohort (diagonal) comparisons to track the same group of students over time, noted a missing 2020 testing year that complicates trend lines, and said participation rates matter: the state expects at least 95% testing participation and absences or opt‑outs are counted in averages. She agreed to run "bubble" reports showing students within 5 and 10 points of proficiency by grade and school and to provide subgroup breakdowns of graduation rates.
The presentation separated results by grade bands and by subgroups (Native American, students in poverty, students with disabilities). Roberts said some subgroups showed small gains — including improved proficiency in high‑school ELA for Native American students and gains in 8th‑grade math — but the district remains "not satisfied with our results" and will continue targeted improvement efforts.
Board members and administrators discussed other measures used to monitor progress beyond the statewide summative test, including midyear MAP testing, pre‑ACT/ACT data for 11th graders, and school‑level formative assessments and PLC (professional learning community) work. Roberts noted the state will discontinue funding the NCRC test; the district will need to determine next year's college and career readiness measures, which may include ACT scores, Accuplacer results, AP course participation or other options.
Roberts identified attendance and test participation as immediate levers: Dr. Justin Conroy is working on common attendance protocols so schools follow consistent processes, and principals are drilling down to teacher and student levels to identify needs. Roberts said district staff have begun outreach when subgroups test below 95% participation.
The board asked for further detail on counts of students near proficiency, year‑by‑year subgroup graduation rates, and other drilldowns; Roberts committed to supplying the requested reports to the full board.
The board moved next items on the agenda after the presentation.
