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Charles County board hears mixed assessment results, planners promise summer data dive on Algebra I dip
Summary
District staff told the Board of Education that I-Ready and local common-assessment results show steady, modest gains in several grades but flagged a surprising quarter-one dip in Algebra I; staff said they will analyze classroom-level data and unpack causes over the summer and expand tiered interventions.
District leaders presented spring I‑Ready, common‑assessment and kindergarten readiness data and told the Board of Education on June 22 that the results show steady, incremental improvement in many elementary and middle grades, but also signaled areas needing targeted attention.
Dr. McKenna Lewis, who led the presentation on assessment impacts, said the district has implemented a multi‑tiered system of supports and is “starting to see some initial improvement.” She highlighted growth in second, fourth, sixth and seventh grades and said the district reduced the share of students two or more grade levels below in mathematics by approximately 3 percent.
The presentation separated I‑Ready (vendor screener) results from locally developed common assessments, which are used to guide instruction and are reflected in quarterly grades. Staff noted pockets of stronger performance on common assessments in some grades, while other measures tracked differently at specific points in the year.
Board members focused on a puzzling drop in Algebra I first‑quarter scores. “I’d like to further explore the Algebra One dip that was mentioned,” said Board member Miss Smith. District staff responded that they will do a classroom‑level deep dive over the summer to determine whether the change reflects who took Algebra I (ninth‑ versus tenth‑grade placement), testing timing, or an assessment‑specific anomaly. Staff said quarter two and quarter three showed recovery for many students.
Officials described the district’s intervention framework in detail. Staff said they track students with a universal screener, assign diagnostic follow‑up to isolate the specific deficit (for example phonics, fluency or comprehension in reading), prescribe evidence‑based tier‑two interventions, and conduct progress monitoring as frequently as every five lessons or every two weeks depending on the intervention.
Members pressed for family‑facing tools. Vice Chair Thomas urged clearer guidance for parents so they can understand the data and support practice at home; staff said intervention assignments and progress notes will be visible in the parent portal (Synergy) next year. Several board members proposed summer bridge programs and cohort tracking so the district can follow groups of students year to year.
Early‑childhood measures were also presented: staff reported kindergarten STAR Early Literacy spring results of roughly 55% in the “established” band, 15% “developing” and 30% “beginning,” and noted that pre‑K4 students had a 71% established rate on the same screener.
Next steps: staff will analyze Algebra I quarter‑one discrepancies with teachers in July, refine intervention fidelity checks, expand progress reporting to families online, and return to the board with state MCAP results and a cohort analysis in August.
