NWEA's Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) creates a personalized assessment experience by adapting to each student's learning level - precisely measuring growth and progress of the individuals.
Northwest Local administers the NWEA MAP reading and mathematics assessment three times (fall, winter and spring) during each school year to students in kindergarten through eleventh grade.
The MAP assessment data is used by classroom teachers to meet the instructional needs of each student. They provide a road map for determining where each student is performing relative to local and state standards and curriculum. In addition, Northwest is able to use the MAP data to meet many of the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) reporting requirements, significantly reducing the amount of time spent on data collection and student testing.
MAP testing data is used to meet the following ODE data reporting requirements:
- Gifted Identification - All public schools in Ohio are required to identify students in K-12 who are gifted. MAP assessments are on the ODE approved list of gifted assessment protocols. Previoulsy, the district tested students twice during kindergarten through twelfth grade. The MAP assessments enable the district to identify students at all grade levels and provide opportunities for gifted programming and services.
- Diagnostic Assessments - Based on the Third Grade Reading Guarantee(TGRG) legislation, districts must administer a reading diagnostic assessment to all students in kindergarten through grade three each academic year. District must administer the diagnostic assessment to grade 1 through grade three by September 30th and kindergarten by November 1st to determine if students are "on-track" to meet the requirement of the TGRG. The MAP assessment is an approved diagnostic assessment enabling the district to gather instructional data as well as information regarding a student's "on-track" status utilizing one assessment.
- Third Grade Reading Guarantee Alternate Assessment - All third grade students must obtain a promotion score on the state ELA assessment in order to be promoted to the fourth grade. Students have two opportunities to obtain the score on the state assessment in third grade. The MAP assessment is an approved alternate assessment and provides students with multiple opportunities over the course of their third grade year to meet the TGRG promotion requirements.
- Title I Identification - Northwest Local receives Federal Title I funds to provide reading and math instruction to students who are identified as in need of additional support. Multiple criteria must be used to identify students who are need of Title I services and the MAP data is one of the selected criteria Northwest uses along with comprehension, fluency and foundational skills assessments.
Features of the MAP Assessment:
- The assessment challenges each student.
- Students are not expected to get every question right or every question wrong.
- Tests are untimed and as long as a student is progressing through the test they are given as much time as needed to complete the assessment.
- Students receive results immediately for the specific test they have just completed.
- Student progress reports will be provided to parents when students have completed each testing window (fall, winter, spring).