Superintendent McCormick presents MAP results, cites elementary gains and a persistent grade 5<br>6 transition gap

Superintendent McCormick presented the district
s winter MAP (Measured Academic Progress) assessment results to the North Brookfield School Committee, saying the districts median achievement sat around the low 50th percentile in math and the mid-50s in reading and that elementary grades showed meaningful gains.

"Overall the district median achievement, all grades combined, was in the 51st percentile," McCormick said, adding that roughly "334 students" took the math assessment and about "328" took the reading assessment. He highlighted that grades 4 and 5 were performing above average and described those gains as the product of improved instruction and focused data work by teachers.

McCormick told the committee the district is using a structured four-step data protocol (describe, pause, interpret, act) in professional development and will expand internal PD next year so building teams lead more training. "We want teachers to facilitate goal setting during WIN blocks," he said, describing plans to help students understand their own data and to use MAP as a precision instructional tool.

The superintendent also flagged a recurring concern: a performance dip in the transition from fifth to sixth grade. "The fifth to sixth grade cliffis still a concern," he said, and said the district will prioritize vertical alignment between elementary and secondary instruction to address the gap.

On instructional technology, McCormick described district use of an AI-supported math platform that he said is aligned with state standards and the districts middle- and high-school curriculum. "It won't give you the answer," he said of the platform, which staff are using to provide targeted practice and to free teacher time for differentiated instruction.

Student representative Noah and other committee members said practicing the computer-adaptive assessment format helps students feel comfortable with testing. Noah described district incentives and student-facing communication used to support test participation.

McCormick said the district will continue to disaggregate data, track cohorts longitudinally and focus on building stamina and vocabulary instruction as part of a multi-pronged effort to raise achievement. He also said the district will share the full rural school funding presentation used for advocacy with the public and legislators next month.

Next steps he listed for the committee included continuing MAP-driven tier 2 instruction, building district-led PD where school teams train one another, and using cohort reviews to guide targeted interventions.