TESTING: Poly students take the MAP Assessment in their History and Literature classes.
By Cameron Brewer, Staff Writer
Three times throughout the school year, students have to take the Measure of Academic Progress Assessment (MAP Assessment). The test is a computer adaptive test in Reading and Mathematics,and the test results are supposed to be reflective of student progress over a period of time. Teachers and administrators are able to see the scores given to the students in their classes, providing them with a path to give each student their own unique learning. The MAP Assessment is a step towards Personalized Learning, giving each student what they need to achieve mastery in a class.
Testing began in 2015, with students from grades 2-11 taking the assessment. At Poly, only sophomores took this assessment, and overall sophomores averaged a score of 220 out of 265 on the Reading portion at the beginning of the year, and 230/265 on Mathematics. By the end of the year, sophomores scored a 221.2 in Reading, and a 232 in Mathematics. Not much change was developed throughout the year in either subject; the highest average difference was 2 points overall. However, these scores are the average scores for the entire sophomore class, so this does not entirely reflect individual progress.
The MAP assessment was developed to offer teachers and students alike more opportunities for academic growth. However, the students and parents themselves are not entirely sure of what the test is for. After years of taking CST’s and standardized tests, they are used to testing for the sake of testing. While the MAP Assessment may seem similar to those types of tests, they have important ramifications for the future students, such as giving each student their own personalized class to grow at their own pace. The test uses the scores to give the teacher an idea where the difficulties for students lie. Those that promote the assessment should outline what the point of taking students away from their studies for a math and reading test is, to create a clearer goal for parents, teachers, parents, and students.