MAP testing data shows improvements for middle school math at Columbia schools
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Columbia Board of Education provided an update on the school district's Missouri Assessment Program testing data on Monday.
The statewide assessments are designed to improve accountability and measure student performance. According to a recent presentation from an Aug. 6 BOE meeting statewide participation in the test continues to be more than 95%. Even charter schools -- which are typically free from many of the rules and regulations that public schools are subjected to -- are required to participate in MAP testing.
According to Columbia Public Schools, the overall 2024 results show small improvements over the previous year, specifically in middle school math, which has matched or surpassed pre-pandemic levels. However, the district noted a decline in fifth grade English, eighth grade science and English, and optional end-of-course assessment in English I.
CPS spokeswoman Michelle Baumstark said that testing scores have been down nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic. She feels that CPS is not back at the level it was pre-pandemic but it’s “closing the gap.”
The school district’s goal is to increase its MAP testing scores by 3% each year in math and communication arts. CPS was able to accomplish that goal in math, coming in with a 3.2% increase from last year. In English and science, it fell short of its goal but still saw a 1.1% improvement in both subjects.
“The best word I would use to describe how we're doing right now is momentum. we've got some significant momentum,” CPS Chief Academic Officer Jeff Klein said. “The efforts that our educators have put in this year are really paying off.”
During the meeting school officials admitted they were surprised the math scores showed more improvement than English scores. In years past CPS has been roughly 4% behind the state average in math. This year the gap was at just 2%.
Klein said the district's biggest focus is ensuring that each student is showing growth.
“That's a number that we're keeping track of across all of our schools, is to see what percentage of our scholars are making at least one year's worth of growth in that time frame,” Klein said.
The data presented on Monday night was just preliminary. Most of the test score analysis will hinge on state growth data, which won’t become available until September. However, the district believes it can use the preliminary scores to help predict what test scores will look like during the upcoming school year.
Of the students tested grades 3-8, fewer than 20% were considered “proficient” in English. Fourth, fifth and seventh grades were tied for the highest percentage of students considered “proficient” at 20% each. Meanwhile, the third grade had the most students considered “below basic” in English at 29%.
The third grade was also tied with the fourth grade for students who took Algebra I for having roughly 29% of students “below basic” in math. The 12,435 students who took Algebra II had the highest percentage of students who were considered “advanced” at 29%.
Of the students tested in science, the fifth grade had 27% of students “below basic” while the eighth grade had 25%.
In social studies, numbers show that 54% of students were considered to be “basic” in American government while 55% were “basic” in American history. Seven percent of students were “advanced in American Government” while just 4% were “advanced” in American history.
