Because MAP tests are based on a grade-independent, stable scale, educators get an accurate indication of student growth. Educators use this information to identify trends at student, class, grade, program, and school levels.

Read the story below to learn more about growth measures.

Running track

Martin is a sixth grader attending middle school. He has never been athletically-inclined, but this year he decided to join the track team. At the beginning of the season, he was the slowest runner on the team. Most of his teammates and competitors had been involved in sports previously. And some had natural talent that carried them across the finish line, despite a lack of training. They consistently lapped Martin in the first races of the season.

Martin's coach understood that simply reinforcing Martin's finishing place in races would not help him develop into a stronger runner. Moreover, the coach recognized that the more advanced techniques he was sharing with Martin's teammates would not benefit Martin much-if at all-since he hadn't mastered the very basic running techniques.

Instead of focusing on Martin's finishing place, which gave his coach no valuable information to help Martin improve, his coach recorded Martin's time, not his ranking. In addition, his coach noted running techniques that Martin could use to improve his running.

Martin was surprised to learn that even before his first race, he had cut his time to run 1000 meters by almost a minute.

Encouraged by his improvement, Martin continued to practice and race. Each race, his coach recorded his time and emphasized a technique that Martin could focus on in his next race.

By the end of the season, Martin was a much stronger runner. Despite the fact that he never placed in the top five of any race, Martin improved more than any other team member.

Martin looked forward to seventh grade track. He was confident that he would continue to improve. In fact, he was sure he was going to place in at least one race next year.

The classroom experience

Now imagine that Martin is in a classroom, not on a track. Imagine Martin is taking a test, not running a race. A traditional test would present Martin with questions appropriate for most sixth graders. As an under-performer, Martin would not be able to comprehend the vocabulary in the first few questions. He would quickly become frustrated and not put forth his best effort. He might even spend the remainder of the test guessing answers, without attempting to even read the questions.

The results from this traditional test would not provide his teacher any information she could use to help Martin. They would only indicate that he was performing below the sixth-grade level, something his teacher already knew.

The MAP experience

Instead of a traditional test, Martin is taking an NWEA MAP assessment. As he sits at the computer, the first test item he sees on the screen is at a sixth-grade level. Martin struggles to read and understand the question. He attempts an answer, but it is wrong. The next question the computer presents is slightly easier than the first. He better understands the question, but again responds incorrectly. The questions get progressively easier with each incorrect answer. Martin is encouraged by the fact that he can better read and understand the questions, and remains engaged. Within only a few questions, the MAP assessment has adapted to Martin's ability.

Since the test only presents questions that Martin can reasonably attempt to answer, the results are an excellent indicator of those skills and concepts that will appropriately challenge him. With this information, his teacher can ensure his academic growth.

In this instance, Martin's teacher accesses an online report the day after testing and sees that Martin's overall reading score is lower than most of her students, exactly what she expected. Reviewing Martin's individual report, she sees that Martin's word analysis and vocabulary development were very low; however, his achievement in literary analysis was slightly better.

Using this information together with NWEA classroom resources, Martin's teacher is able to provide targeted instruction for Martin and his peers with similar results. Martin is more successful with his new assignments. While his performance is not perfect, he earns grades much higher than he is used to receiving. He is proud of his work. As Martin continues to do well, his teacher gives him progressively more difficult assignments with the goal of bringing Martin up to grade level.

Three months later, Martin takes the MAP Reading assessment again and earns a higher score. Focused on his growth, he and his teacher set a goal for the score Martin would like to receive when he takes the MAP Reading test again in three months. The goal Martin sets for himself is aggressive, but Martin and his teacher know that he is capable of achieving it.

Learn how:

NWEA assessments are useful instructional measures. Research-based MAP tests produce results that can be used with confidence. MAP test results measure student growth.