Transcript File - GIS Newsletter
MAP Testing for Parents
GEMS International School Al Khail An interactive FAQ ~
Parents Frequently Asked Questions ~ Click on the Question you want answered>>>>
4. Why is GIS doing this testing process?
5. What grade levels will be involved in this program and for how long?
6. Where can I get additional information?
7. How many tests will each student take?
8. How long will each test take?
9. What happens if a student is absent?
10. What happens if a student just guesses and hurries through the test?
11. What should the students bring to the GIS Media Lab?
12. Who will be in the GIS Media Lab during the testing?
13. Who will take the students to the lab?
14. What do the students do when they are finished with the test?
15. When will the results be available?
16. What do the scores on the MAP look like?
17. Why is a RIT score useful?
18. How does the RIT score tell me how my child is doing in school?
19. How much should the RIT scores go up from year to year?
20. How will the school use these scores? Can they pass or fail with these scores?
What does MAP stand for?
MAP is an acronym for M
easure of
A
cademic
P
rogress.
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How does MAP testing work?
MAP tests are taken on the computer, with just one question at a time displayed.
The test automatically adjusts in difficulty, according to student performance on each question answered.
This way each test is individualized for each student.
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Who or what is NWEA?
NWEA is an acronym for Northwest Evaluation Association.
The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping all children learn. NWEA provides research-based assessments, professional training, and consulting services to improve teaching and learning.
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Why is GIS doing this testing process?
We are one of a number of participating GEMS schools that use the MAP Test to gain valuable data about the academic progress of students.
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4. What grade levels will be involved in this program and for how long?
We presently use MAP tests from Grade 1 to Grade 8. MAP tesing these grade takes about 2 to 3 weeks. We test 3 times a year.
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Where can I get additional information?
NWEA Parent Toolkit
http://legacysupport.nwea.org/sites/www.nwea.org/files/resources/ParentToolkit.pdf
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How many tests will each student take?
Grade 1 will take 2 Reading tests and 2 Math Tests.
Grades 2 to 5 students will take Reading, Language Use, and Math. Grades 6-8 will take Language and Math.
The tests will be administered in three or four separate sessions on three or four different days. There is a bank of 2500 questions for each of the subject areas and from that bank the students receive the following: Reading--42 questions Language Use--52 questions Mathematics--52 questions
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How long will each test take?
Technically, there is no time limit, but most students complete the test in about 40 minutes. We have alloted an hour for each testing session, but have also provided for Extra Time sessions. Students are permitted to stop their test and continue it at a later time or on a different day.
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What happens if a student is absent?
Anyone who misses a testing session will be asked to complete the test at another time. We have several Extra Time sessions built into the schedule.
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9. What happens if a student just guesses and hurries through the test?
If a student progresses through all the questions too quickly, the test program will consider the result invalid, and another testing period will be scheduled. The proctors can also require a re-test if the time is short and the score is low.
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What should the students bring to the GIS Media Lab?
The students don't need to bring anything. We will provide cups for getting a drink of water and scratch paper and pencils.
An electronic calculator is embedded into the MAP test. Students should NOT bring their own calculator.
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Who will be in the GIS Media Lab during the testing?
Mr Gavin will be administering the MAP testing with support from Mary Jane and the ELL and LS teachers.
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Who will take the students to the lab?
The class teacher will walk the students to the computer lab and help get them get settled. Once the testing begins, the teacher is free to go back to the classroom.
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What do the students do when they are finished with the test?
After scores have been printed, students get a book or magazine and sit quietly and read. NO TALKING! Students will be sent back to their classrooms in small groups.
Grade 1 students will be accompanied by a TA or teacher.
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When will the results be available?
Some results are available as soon as the student finishes the test. We will share those results with the teacher. More detailed results are available to the teacher within a week.
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What do the scores on the MAP look like?
MAP test scores are reported at RIT scores. RIT stands for R ausch I nterval Uni T , and it is a regular measuring scale for best results. A RIT score shows a student's instructional level of a subject (Reading, Math and Language Usage.)
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Why is a RIT score useful?
The RIT score tells teachers exactly where the student should be working and what the next areas of instruction should be. Teachers are able to use the information to make flexible groups within the classroom, putting students with similar needs together. On the NWEA website, there are many resources for teachers to help make the scores useful to them.
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How does the RIT score tell me how my child is doing in school?
There are two main ways the RIT score helps you understand how your child is doing: 1. Your child's score is compared to thousands of other scores for children at the same grade level (this is the normative group). A mean (average) score is calculated for each grade level, along with above and below average benchmarks. By comparing your child's scores to these indicators, you can see how your child compares to the students in the normative group. These scores are given as percentiles.
2. In the individual report that you will receive, you will see a chart that shows the progress your child is making from one test administration to the next. There are comparisons that help calculate the appropriate rate of growth in the RIT.
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How much should the RIT scores go up from year to year?
In the earlier years, the there should be increases of 8 to 10 points; in later years the scores will increase less than that.
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How will the school use these scores? Can they pass or fail with these scores?
The scores on the MAP are only part of the information that GIS gathers about students. When a student is struggling, classroom performance, teacher comments and observations are all used together to make decisions about students.
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Additional questions?
Please feel free to contact: Gavin McLean [email protected]
Cathy Hayes PYP [email protected]
Carolyn Parker MYP [email protected]