Board hears midyear MCLASS and first-year I Ready results showing early-grade growth
February 20, 2024 | TYLER ISD, School Districts, Texas
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Tallerassee trustees received a midyear academic update on early-reading (MCLASS) progress monitoring and the district’s first-year use of I Ready for math and reading.
A district presenter (first speaking SEG 239) said the district’s kindergarten, first- and second-grade MCLASS results showed progress: “We’re at 56 percent in kindergarten at this point,” and second grade at 58 percent for students at or above benchmark. The presenter reported the district had progress-monitored about 2,900 students and “assessed, about 22,000 skills” to track growth and target small-group instruction.
On I Ready, the presenter (first speaking SEG 327) described this as the district’s first year with the tool and said midyear data show stabilization from fall to midyear with growth in higher performance bands: “we were above the state average for proficiency by 6%, and we’re widening that gap to 8%,” the presenter said when comparing Tyler ISD to a set of comparison districts. The presenter also noted that I Ready is adaptive and recommended campuses aim for about 30 minutes per week of I Ready work for math and reading.
Trustees pressed on middle-school midyear results. One trustee asked, “what happened with middle school in the middle of the year?” and another asked whether middle-school students give their best effort on an adaptive test, noting students may game adaptive items. The presenter replied that test scope, alignment with curriculum and the adaptive format can affect results and that administration practices (timing and setting) remain an area the district is “still working through.”
Dr. Kristen Walls, the district’s executive director of college and career (first speaking SEG 623), reported on AP, dual credit and CTE: she restated Goal 3 (established in 2020) to raise college-and-career-ready graduates from 63.4% to 71.7% by June 2026 and said dual-credit enrollment has recovered since COVID, with students increasingly taking combinations of AP and dual-credit courses. Walls said the district is encouraging students in AP classes to take the exam to pursue college-credit recognition.
Board discussion focused on administration of assessments, incentive options for middle-school engagement, sample sizes used for comparisons, and how dual-credit transferability differs by college. Presenters said some cohort comparisons are limited because Tyler ISD’s use of I Ready is new and statewide samples include districts with prior years of I Ready data.
A district presenter (first speaking SEG 239) said the district’s kindergarten, first- and second-grade MCLASS results showed progress: “We’re at 56 percent in kindergarten at this point,” and second grade at 58 percent for students at or above benchmark. The presenter reported the district had progress-monitored about 2,900 students and “assessed, about 22,000 skills” to track growth and target small-group instruction.
On I Ready, the presenter (first speaking SEG 327) described this as the district’s first year with the tool and said midyear data show stabilization from fall to midyear with growth in higher performance bands: “we were above the state average for proficiency by 6%, and we’re widening that gap to 8%,” the presenter said when comparing Tyler ISD to a set of comparison districts. The presenter also noted that I Ready is adaptive and recommended campuses aim for about 30 minutes per week of I Ready work for math and reading.
Trustees pressed on middle-school midyear results. One trustee asked, “what happened with middle school in the middle of the year?” and another asked whether middle-school students give their best effort on an adaptive test, noting students may game adaptive items. The presenter replied that test scope, alignment with curriculum and the adaptive format can affect results and that administration practices (timing and setting) remain an area the district is “still working through.”
Dr. Kristen Walls, the district’s executive director of college and career (first speaking SEG 623), reported on AP, dual credit and CTE: she restated Goal 3 (established in 2020) to raise college-and-career-ready graduates from 63.4% to 71.7% by June 2026 and said dual-credit enrollment has recovered since COVID, with students increasingly taking combinations of AP and dual-credit courses. Walls said the district is encouraging students in AP classes to take the exam to pursue college-credit recognition.
Board discussion focused on administration of assessments, incentive options for middle-school engagement, sample sizes used for comparisons, and how dual-credit transferability differs by college. Presenters said some cohort comparisons are limited because Tyler ISD’s use of I Ready is new and statewide samples include districts with prior years of I Ready data.
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