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Rockingham County pilots elementary math specialists and uses IXL diagnostic for growth measures
Summary
Amanda Rickard told the board the division has begun using the IXL diagnostic as a growth assessment and is piloting dedicated elementary math teachers at Pleasant Valley to free planning time for homeroom teachers; expansion depends on budget and further evaluation.
Amanda Rickard, introduced by the board as the math presenter, briefed the board on midyear math work and an elementary pilot.
"We asked over the summer for approval to use the IXL diagnostic assessment instead of the Virginia state growth assessment," Rickard said, explaining teachers found the state growth assessment provided less actionable data and IXL offers continuous diagnostic information and strand‑level scores. Rickard said the division took a snapshot of IXL at fall and winter windows to produce a growth measure that can be compared across grades.
She described a pilot at Pleasant Valley in which the division hired three teachers who rotate to teach math by grade bands (K‑1, 2‑3, 4‑5), giving homeroom teachers an extra 45 minutes of planning time per day. Rickard acknowledged early implementation challenges, including insufficient time in some grade bands to cover standards, and said the division is discussing funding to expand the model next year.
Board members asked whether the pilot is producing measurable gains and how the division will compare pilot schools to others. Rickard said winter assessment data provide the first meaningful comparison and show signs of improvement at Pleasant Valley, but cautioned that demographic and staffing differences (for example, a high English‑learner population or first‑year teachers) complicate direct comparisons. Dr. Shiflett and other board members said the pilot's expansion would be a budgetary decision and should be informed by more complete achievement data before a larger rollout.
What happens next: The division will continue to monitor IXL growth data, discuss possible expansion in the budgeting process, and report back to the board with more complete end‑of‑year comparisons.
