District to pilot competency‑based assessment for fourth graders at William Bryant

Dr. Jerome told trustees the district will seek approval Monday to run a competency‑based pilot assessment at William Bryant for fourth graders, describing it as a limited, multiyear effort to evaluate a possible shift away from MAP testing.

"We are exploring this pilot that will only be issued to fourth grade students at William Bryant," Dr. Jerome said, adding that the students in the pilot "will not take the MAP test next year." He said the district is taking a cautious approach, piloting only one group so staff and principals can provide feedback and the district can learn what a competency‑based model would mean in practice.

Dr. Jerome noted funding questions at the state level and said a broader switch to competency‑based assessment would require multiyear planning and more state certainty. He also acknowledged the ambiguity of defining 'mastery' under competency models: "The biggest challenge with this type of assessment is no one can really land on what is acceptable for mastery," he said, and observed that prior statewide attempts decades ago encountered the same difficulty.

Board members asked about other districts' experiences; Dr. Jerome said a few districts have run both assessments concurrently in recent years and that the district has deliberately moved slowly to avoid overtesting students.

Next steps: the board will consider formal approval on the upcoming Monday agenda; if approved, the pilot will be limited to William Bryant fourth graders next year and would not immediately replace MAP districtwide.