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Horry County Schools reviews fall formative results and explains Lexile reporting to board
Summary
District assessment leaders told the Curriculum & Instruction committee that fall formative results provide a baseline for instruction and that Lexile reporting will be used to translate multiple measures (DIBELS, MAP, I‑Ready) for parents; officials pledged public materials and cut‑score detail.
John Washburn, executive director of accountability and assessment for Horry County Schools, told the Curriculum & Instruction committee that fall formative assessments give the district a starting point for instruction and monitoring.
“According to our fall assessments, 58 percent of first graders and 62 percent of second graders scored at or above benchmark on the fall DIBELS,” Washburn said, and he reported that broader grade‑level averages “surpass the 50th percentile” on national MAP and I‑Ready comparisons for many grades. He said the district will use those results as baselines for its Rise with Reading initiative.
Washburn explained why the district reports multiple measures rather than a single number. “Each assessment has its own metrics,” he said, noting that MAP and I‑Ready are standards‑aligned while Lexile is a measure of reading complexity and fluency. “There are some concordances, but at the same time it’s not a direct one‑for‑one relation,” he said, adding that the district will publish Lexile bands that parents can use to compare a child’s performance across assessments.
Board members pressed for clarity about cut scores and parent communications. When a board member asked whether the district had raw or cut scores to match percentages, Washburn said the district uses state cut scores for SC Ready and will share them; he acknowledged they were not included in the slide deck shown. District staff also said they will produce explanatory videos and one‑page summaries to help parents interpret Lexile bands and examine a child’s trajectory across reporting cycles.
Superintendent (identified in the meeting exchange) emphasized the district’s goals and the longer‑range target of improving proficiency. He also said the district is partnering with community organizations — including the county library, Waccamaw Education and United Way — to give families accessible ways to find Lexile‑appropriate materials.
What happens next: Washburn said the district will continue to report fall baseline data, provide cut‑score documentation on request and return with updated formative results two or three more times this school year.
