9.13.18 Why NWEA Invalidates MAP Growth Tests for Rapid Guessing If you have started MAP Growth testing this fall, you saw that more student assessments are being invalidated this year than in prior years. You may also be wondering why that’s the case. At NWEA,... Read more
5.30.23 Don’t test after lunch: Time of day affects test-taking engagement When we assess a student’s achievement using MAP® Growth™, we assume they remain fully engaged throughout the test. This assumption allows us to view their RIT score as an accurate... Read more
9.13.22 How to make stronger decisions with the MAP Growth Class Profile Report You’ve probably heard the saying, often attributed to Desmond Tutu, that the best way to eat an elephant is—wait for it—one bite at a time. In the world of big data we’re all living in... Read more
1.13.22 10 ways to prepare students for MAP Growth winter testing As any researcher will tell you, good data doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of a lot of care and planning. When administering an interim assessment like MAP® Growth™, we get good data when... Read more
2.27.20 What happens when test takers disengage? The best assessments are only effective and reliable if students are engaged and trying their best. But we know that’s not always the case. Sometimes students zip through a test, selecting... Read more
11.7.19 The proctor tip you haven’t tried: A mascot When Alex Martin, lead teacher at Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori School in North Charleston, South Carolina, first learned about the new auto-pause feature in MAP® Growth™, he was... Read more
9.10.19 10 proctor tips for engaging students If you’re in a MAP® Growth™ school or district, your students will notice a big change this year: MAP Growth will auto-pause as many as three times—reminding them to slow down and try their... Read more
8.15.19 Engaging students before it’s too late On July 19, NWEA released new capabilities to help students try their best on MAP® assessments and reveal when they don’t. When students disengage from assessments, they often exhibit... Read more
7.25.19 Why We’re All-in on Student Test Engagement Teachers have long known that students don’t always give their best effort when they take a test. A lack of student test engagement can negatively impact scores and misrepresent a student’s... Read more
9.21.18 Testing Duration: How Long is Too Long to Spend on the MAP Growth Assessment? As fall is in full swing, and most schools and districts are either testing or starting to view results, we thought it was timely to share some findings from NWEA Research on average test duration.... Read more
2.8.18 New Student Assessment Engagement Metrics in MAP Growth Reporting – What you Need to Know MAP® Growth™ reporting has added two new student assessment engagement metrics: Percent of Disengaged Responses Estimated Impact of Disengagement on RIT These metrics will inform... Read more
9.7.17 What is NWEA Doing to Manage Disengaged Test Taking on MAP Growth? In my last blog, I discussed the problems caused by disengaged test taking, and how we detect its occurrence when students take MAP Growth. Today, I want to share what NWEA is doing to address the... Read more