MCPS presents literacy results, new curriculum and targeted supports to county committee

MCPS officials briefed the Education and Culture Committee on Sept. 19 about 2023–24 literacy performance and the district's strategy for raising student reading outcomes. Chair Will Juanda opened the meeting and said literacy is a ‘‘fundamental skill’’ and a priority for the committee; the presentation reviewed DIBELS, MCAP and MAP-R assessment results and next steps for curriculum implementation.

MCPS staff said the district did not meet its board goal for evidence of learning (the district reported 69.5% met the benchmark versus a board goal of 81.9%). A district presenter described the new elementary curriculum as an important change: "The new curriculum is actually a huge win, and thanks to the support of the board and the council for allowing us to place a real high quality instructional material in the hands of our teachers," the presenter said. Officials also emphasized persistent racial and ethnic gaps — with white and Asian students scoring at higher proficiency rates than Black and Hispanic/Latino students — and outlined both classroom-differentiation strategies and school‑level, targeted resource deployment to close those gaps.

Committee members pressed for details on how the district will turn near-proficient "cusp" scores into proficiency, how families will be informed, and how absenteeism factors into achievement. MCPS said it is deploying cross-functional instructional teams, progress monitoring, and intensified support in a set of identified schools to move students closer to proficiency. The committee requested follow-up materials and additional sessions on attendance, special education and mathematics.