Data showing the progress of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students in gaining math skills has fallen flat from fall 2023 to fall 2024 overall, although some grade levels and schools have seen improvements due to the use of instructional coaches, according to district officials.
Kindergarten through eighth-grade students are assessed two to three times a year using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), which tracks growth in math content standards. Peggy Pugh, chief academic officer, told the Montgomery County school board Jan. 9 that the overall data across all grades fell flat from fall 2023 to fall 2024 since kindergarteners had significantly lower scores and other grades increased slightly.
“We’re not seeing the progress we hoped for across the board,” Pugh said. “What stands out most this year is this year’s kindergarteners starting even further behind.”
Progress by the numbers
According to student MAP data, the percentage of kindergarteners who achieved math benchmarks in fall 2024 was significantly lower than those who met the benchmarks in fall 2023, MCPS staff told the county school board during a Jan. 9 presentation. The presentation noted that in fall 2023, about 67% of kindergarteners met the benchmarks, while only 54% of kindergarteners did so in fall 2024.
The number of third graders who met the MAP benchmarks declined by just 1% in the same period year over year. In fall 2023, about 59% of third graders met the benchmark, compared to about 58% in fall 2024.
In third grade, more than 70% of students who identify as white or Asian or of two or more races met the benchmarks, while only about 52% of Black students and 37% of Hispanic/Latino students met the benchmarks.
While the number of students meeting MAP benchmarks declined in lower grades, higher grades saw a slight improvement, with the percentage of sixth graders who met the benchmarks increasing from 29% in fall 2023 to 32% in fall 2024.
The scores of middle and high school Algebra 1 students saw increases of 4 percentage points and 3 percentage points, respectively, from fall 2023 to fall 2024. The percentage of middle school Algebra 1 students who met the benchmarks in fall 2023 was 83%, increasing to 87% in fall 2024. In fall 2023, 30% of high school Algebra 1 students met the benchmark while 33% did in fall 2024.
MCPS staff members said during the board presentation the data also showed disparities between racial groups, with a higher percentage of students who identify as white or Asian or of two or more races meeting benchmarks compared to the percentage of Black and Hispanic/Latino students.
Math instructional coaches making an impact
Staff from schools making progress on math outcomes testified at the meeting, sharing that instructional math coaches have guided teachers to better educate students this school year. According to the presentation, second-grade students at Strawberry Knoll Elementary School in Gaithersburg improved their scores last fall, with 47% meeting benchmarks compared to 22% when the students were in first grade.
The instructional math coaches are content experts who help teachers plan and prepare to teach, as well as implement the instruction and monitor progress, according to Carla Britt, MCPS supervisor of elementary mathematics.
Britt said at the elementary level, the barrier to helping students make progress is that teachers, who are generalists, are being asked to become content experts. That’s why providing instructional math coaches for teachers can help students make progress.
Jennifer Loznak, MCPS supervisor of secondary mathematics, said student progress can also be prevented by not allowing teachers enough time to plan and to study the curriculum to better understand it.
Several board members noted the district only has 12 instructional math coaches and asked how it planned to continue to make improvements without more coaches.
Superintendent Thomas Taylor said he has asked for funding for more instructional coaches in his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, noting those coaches would be part of cross-functional teams to assist teachers. MCPS also said the district will be providing professional development and learning opportunities to help educators teach the math curriculum.