We recently initiated a new assessment program called Measures of Academic Progress� (MAP�). We gave students these MAP tests to determine your child's instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of Reading, Mathematics, and Language. Your child takes the tests on a computer. MAP is a computer-adaptive test, meaning that the level of difficulty is adjusted according to the child's responses to help provide the most accurate measure of his/her abilities.

MAP tests are not like other standardized tests and are more comparable to benchmark testing as they can be administered multiple times in a school year to help chart student progress. MAP tests are also unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child's level of learning. As a result, there is far less test pressure and each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. Furthermore, with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child's growth. The tests will be repeated towards the end of the school year to measure growth over the course of the semester.

Each school year, students can take the tests up to three times in the school year. Following each testing period, teachers receive detailed reports indicating areas of strength and areas where the child needs more instruction. This information will be used by the teacher to help meet the individual needs of each student. The results provide normative data comparing the child's results to national norms but also detailed accounts of which objectives the child has mastered and which the child needs to work on next. Your child's 1st-7th grade teacher may bring up your child's results from the tests at the parent-teacher conferences this coming Monday. However, the results are still incomplete as some students are still completing testing. 

We are truly excited to begin a new era that focuses on every child's individual growth and achievement. We ask that you help your children maintain a positive attitude towards these assessments by not overemphasizing them. They will face questions to which they do not know the answer, but this is important so that the test can adjust itself to the appropriate level of difficulty for each child. We administer the tests in the mornings to ensure optimal testing conditions.

For more information about the test and on resources for parents, see the Parent Toolkit from NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association).