Fall MAP scores show students in Community Consolidated Elementary District 181 are high-achievers and, in almost all cases, showing more growth than their peers.
“Some school districts only focus on achievement,” Superintendent Hector Garcia said. “We’re very proud of achievement but also focusing on student growth.”
Districtwide, 72.1 percent of students met or exceeded the 69th percentile benchmark, while 79.2 did so in math. That percentage falls in line with results for the past six tests in reading (71.9 to 77.3), said Tracey Miller, director of assessment, instruction and evaluation. The math percentage is slightly higher than the range of 74.6 to 78.8 percent for previous tests.
D181 students took the MAP test between Sept. 19-30 after about four weeks of instruction. They will take MAP tests again in the winter and spring.
“It’s a strong start and we’ll continue to add on during the next two benchmarking periods,” Miller said.
Almost 79 percent of students scored in the top three decile bands (70-99 percent) in math, which Miller called extraordinary, and almost 72 percent did so in reading.
Percentages of students meeting/exceeding standards by building range from 70.1 to 76.4 in reading and 73.7 to 85.8 percent in math.
The results on the RIT scale, which MAP Growth uses to help measure and compare academic achievement and growth, are even more impressive.
Reading RIT scores are in the 99th percentile for second- through sixth-graders and the 97th percentile for seventh- and eighth-graders, with more than 50 percent of students growing more than their peers in all grades except third.
“The principals were pretty consistently positive that this cohort is going to bounce back,” Miller said of the third-graders.
In math, all grade levels performed in the 99th percentile and all students grew more than their peers.
“Which is exactly what we want to see,” Miller said.
Board member Margie Kleber praised educators for the results.
“I’d like to congratulate the department of learning and our administrative team for these incredible numbers,” she said, noting many school districts around the country are seeing declines in test scores following interruptions in instruction during the pandemic.
“Clearly what we did worked,” Kleber said. “It set our students up for success.”
