Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District officials expressed concern last week over high numbers of failing math grades, with more than 800 secondary students receiving D or F marks in the fall semester, despite improved standardized test performance.
SMMUSD Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation Patrick Miller presented the board with the Quarter 2 Lead Metrics Report on Jan. 23, which encapsulates assessment scores, English Learner reclassification, secondary school grades and attendance/disciplinary statistics. A major takeaway from secondary school grades was the amount of D and F grades given out in math courses, a difference from scores in Star and CAASPP assessments.
Both student participation and scoring on the 2024 Star Math Fall Diagnostic Assessment were up from the prior year, with 96% participation for students eligible for the exam (up from 85% in 2023) and 79% of students reaching at or above benchmark scores.
The assessment score was up 4% from the prior year, though this is something Miller said was to be anticipated because the Star is a “norm reference test” that adjusts scores based on 5-year national data. Similarly, Star Reading benchmarks went up from 68% in 2023 to 81% in 2024 based on the sliding scale.
Even with the caveat, math achievement scores increased, which made some of the board confused when secondary school grades were reported. Out of the 822 D or F grades given to high school students over the fall semester, 166 were in Algebra, Algebra II and Geometry courses. For the 434 D or F grades handed to middle schoolers, 52 of which came from the 8th Grade Math Core course.
Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services Dr. Stacy Williamson said that math has always been an area of need in the district, with board member Jon Kean adding that looking at the secondary grades doesn’t provide him with any potential solution.
“I think we have a problem with math, and I don’t know the answer … that was my takeaway from this (report), we have a math problem,” Kean said.
One conversation was around looking at grading policy with math, seeking a districtwide balanced practice on how grades are given out. Board member Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein added that this has to do with the “equity of grading” as well as an inconsistent amount of assignments put before students from class to class and school to school.
“I do not believe there’s a consistent expectation across all sites around grading practices, number of assignments in the grade book, types of assignments, how marks are assessed … other than adherence to the existing grade policy,” Miler said.
