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Superintendent: MAP growth shows broad gains but K–2 literacy needs more focus
Summary
Superintendent Derek Little told the LA JOYA ISD board that MAP growth shows improvement in 18 of 25 tested areas and that the district met seven MAP-linked GPM targets, while acknowledging K–2 foundational literacy remains below desired levels and final STAR-based accountability is pending state results.
Superintendent Derek Little presented LA JOYA ISD’s end-of-year MAP growth results to the board on May 20, saying the district showed measurable learning gains this year and that, for the seven GPMs tied to MAP growth, the district "met or exceeded all of those targets for this year." Little said 18 of 25 tested areas improved year over year despite changes to national norms on the assessment.
Little highlighted both progress and remaining gaps. He said the district saw a notable third-grade MAP reading increase ‘‘from 14% to 40%’’ over the school year — a 26-percentage-point gain — but cautioned that the district’s STAR target is 43% and final accountability results depend on state STAR reporting. On early grades Little emphasized that K–2 foundational results are "not where it needs to be" and that the district will focus summer work and forthcoming instructional adjustments on foundational literacy and math.
On math, Little credited year-two implementation of new high-quality instructional materials and additional coaching supports for strong early-grade gains. He said examples include first-grade reading and math growth and a first-grade math end-of-year MAP of 56 compared with a target of 38. Middle-school MAP results also showed steady improvement, with sixth-grade reading rising from 36% to 44% and an eighth-grade MAP figure reported at 52% against a 36% target.
Board members asked about the timing of final STAR accountability results. Little said the state’s data cleaning and validation typically delay STAR results until late July or early August and that the district would return close to the start of the next school year with final STAR results and a fuller analysis. Little and board members also discussed subgroup performance, noting that second-grade subgroup targets for special education and emergent bilingual students were met or exceeded and that identification and inclusion practices affect interpretation of those subgroup trends.
Little said the district will return in two weeks with an update on instructional adjustments and strategic shifts to accelerate early-grade gains.
