Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) are a series of tests that measure a student’s general knowledge in reading, language usage, and math. At East Buchanan, MAPs are taken in grades 3 through 11 grade in the fall and spring.
What are Measures of Academic Progress Used For?
They measure your student’s progress or growth in school. MAP is somewhat of a growth chart. It measures the student’s growth in reading, language usage, and math skills.
How do the tests measure growth in learning?
The Measures of Academic Progress use scores to measure growth in reading, language usage, and math. Scores depend on two things: how many questions are answered correctly and the difficulty of each question.
What do the tests cover?
Each Measure of Academic Progress is made up of parts, which are called goals. Here are some goals similar to what the student will take on a test.
Reading
Word Meaning
Literal Comprehension
Inferential Comprehension
Evaluative Comprehension
Language Usage
Writing Process
Grammar and Usage
Punctuation and Capitalization
Mathematics
Estimation and Computation
Number Sense
Geometry and Spatial Sense
Measurement
Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
Problem Solving
After the tests are taken, the results may show that certain goal areas need more attention than others.
Do all students take the same test?
Yes and no. All students take a computerized reading, language usage, and math test. Although every test has questions covering the same goal areas, not every test has the same questions, and the test questions vary in difficulty.
In a computerized adaptive test, the difficulty of the test is adjusted to the student’s performance so each student sees different test questions. The difficulty of each question is based on how well the student has answered the questions up to that point. As the student answers correctly, the question become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier.
How important are the tests to students and to teachers?
These tests are important because they keep track of progress or growth in the basic skills. They let teachers know where students’ strengths are and if help is needed in any specific areas. MAP is just one look at how students are doing. Teachers already routinely assign projects and tasks, administer other tests, discuss student work, and report grades. These are all very important ways of looking at student progress.
Can a student prepare for MAP?
The best thing your student can do to prepare for testing is to work hard in school everyday. Regular attendance, good nutrition, and adequate rest are also important components for successful test performance.
For more information regarding NWEA or MAP, visit NWEA's Official Web Site @ www.nwea.org.
Created by Kate Lindsay
East Buchanan Community School Tech Team
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