District leaders urge caution on Mastery Connect benchmark drops and plan switch to MAP
May 25, 2026 | Richland 02, School Districts, South Carolina
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At the May 22 academics committee meeting, Dr. Coleman and Dr. Davis presented the district's final formative assessment snapshot and warned trustees not to treat Mastery Connect projected proficiencies as definitive indicators of student performance.
Dr. Coleman said Mastery Connect benchmarks for this year are not fully aligned to the district’s pacing guides and to state cut scores, which are set after administrations conclude. "We need to use extreme caution when we're looking at these benchmarks," she said, noting the state determines cut scores in June and that assessment vendors have produced items before those decisions were finalized. Staff said the district will move to MAP as its primary formative tool next year to improve alignment and comparability.
Coleman described how content specialists shifted from projected proficiencies to item analysis at the school level to identify misunderstandings and adjust instruction: "Instead of looking at the projected proficiency ... they actually pivoted to item analysis," she said, a change staff described as beneficial for teacher planning.
Dr. Davis told trustees that some subject areas require targeted attention. "Biology 1 is the most alarming story when you look at high schools now," he said, reporting significant semester declines and citing curriculum alignment and placement as factors. He also cited changes in course sequences for Algebra I that left a higher proportion of repeaters and depressed scores, and urged work to align instruction with standards and assessment expectations.
Trustees and staff agreed to present the benchmark narrative at the upcoming board meeting and to use the June Instructional Leadership and Planning Conference (June 8–10) for principal and PLC work on data. The chair said the district will continue analyzing results and develop the 2026–27 assessment dashboard.
The committee also discussed grading‑policy changes triggered by recent legislation and the need to fast‑track policy reviews so any required changes are in place before the school year starts.
Dr. Coleman said Mastery Connect benchmarks for this year are not fully aligned to the district’s pacing guides and to state cut scores, which are set after administrations conclude. "We need to use extreme caution when we're looking at these benchmarks," she said, noting the state determines cut scores in June and that assessment vendors have produced items before those decisions were finalized. Staff said the district will move to MAP as its primary formative tool next year to improve alignment and comparability.
Coleman described how content specialists shifted from projected proficiencies to item analysis at the school level to identify misunderstandings and adjust instruction: "Instead of looking at the projected proficiency ... they actually pivoted to item analysis," she said, a change staff described as beneficial for teacher planning.
Dr. Davis told trustees that some subject areas require targeted attention. "Biology 1 is the most alarming story when you look at high schools now," he said, reporting significant semester declines and citing curriculum alignment and placement as factors. He also cited changes in course sequences for Algebra I that left a higher proportion of repeaters and depressed scores, and urged work to align instruction with standards and assessment expectations.
Trustees and staff agreed to present the benchmark narrative at the upcoming board meeting and to use the June Instructional Leadership and Planning Conference (June 8–10) for principal and PLC work on data. The chair said the district will continue analyzing results and develop the 2026–27 assessment dashboard.
The committee also discussed grading‑policy changes triggered by recent legislation and the need to fast‑track policy reviews so any required changes are in place before the school year starts.
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