Watertown Students Outperform National Benchmarks in Latest MAP Testing
- Steve Jurrens
- Feb 9
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - Students in the Watertown School District are showing “better than normal” growth and achievement across core subjects, according to the latest NWEA MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) assessment results presented at Monday night’s school board meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Derek Barrios provided a comprehensive update on the winter testing window, highlighting that the district consistently lands in the top percentiles nationally.
District-Wide Achievement and Growth
The MAP assessment, which is adaptive and aligned specifically to South Dakota standards, measures student progress in reading, math, and science three times a year. The winter data revealed strong performance across all three areas:
· Math: The district reached the 59th percentile for growth and the 67th percentile for achievement.
· Reading: Students achieved the 60th percentile for growth and achievement.
· Science: Watertown students excelled in science, hitting the 65th percentile for both growth and achievement.
“Overall, we’re showing better than normal growth as a district,” Barrios noted, explaining that the “yellow” indicators on the reports represent the 50th percentile and are not a cause for concern, but rather a sign of meeting national averages.
Data-Driven Instruction
The district uses MAP data from kindergarten through 8th grade to track the “educational journey” of every student. Teachers use these metrics during “data retreats” and monthly RTI (Response to Intervention) meetings to tailor classroom instruction.
The reports provide a “learning continuum” that allows educators to see exactly what a student has mastered and what they are ready to learn next. Additionally, the data can predict how students will perform on future state assessments, including the ACT or SAT.
The Incentive Debate: Grades vs. Standards
While the data showed positive trends, the presentation sparked a spirited board discussion regarding student motivation and the current elementary grading system.
Board member Jean Moulton expressed concern over the district’s standards-based report cards for grades 1–4, which use a 3-point scale (Below Proficient, Approaching Proficiency, and Proficient). Moulton argued that the lack of a “superior” or “Level 4” category may discourage high-achieving students from pushing further.
“Incentivizing students within a classroom sometimes is most often difficult, particularly when the report card doesn’t mean much because there’s no incentive to work to a higher level,” Moulton said, citing feedback from veteran teachers and parents.
Board member Roshal Rossman offered a different perspective, noting that her outreach to nearly 15 teachers across various buildings yielded positive feedback on the current scale. “They all said... It’s very clear for them to have a conversation with a parent about it,” Rossman shared, adding that teachers often find internal ways to challenge and incentivize students who have already met the standards.
Building-Level Success
The meeting concluded with anecdotes of successful building-wide incentives. At Mellette Elementary, students were so “hyped up” to meet the growth goals that they were going to bed early to be ready for test day. After meeting their collective goal, the students were rewarded with a “midnight bowling” celebration in the gym.
