reading scores

[Anonymous]

My understanding is that they are computerized and the computer gauges the level by asking progressively harder questions and then moving to easier ones when mistakes are made. Different children would have a different numbers of questions. Time/speed is not really a factor like a child didn't do well because they couldn't finish.

[Anonymous]

Well, yes and no. My child has extra time on tests due to a 504 plan and gets more time. So it's true, you just finish what you can within the time allotted, but you don't have unlimited time, and the number of questions completed correctly is taken into consideration.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They are timed.

No, they are not timed. The test has a set amount of questions (I think 42). Generally speaking, the kids have an hour to take the test on the computer (They go to the computer lab with their class for an hour). If the kids don't finish within the hour, they come back at a later time (usually on a different day) to finish all of the questions.

Signed,

An MCPS teacher

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So my 4th grader came home and said she got a 246 on her map-r..that means?? new to this... TIA

this may help explain the background. Map-R are given 3 times a year to help teachers assess student acheivement/growth. As I understand it they are not designed to provide information for parents to use for other purposes which is why the results are not given to parents. MSA scores are the ones used for federal purposes and thus are sent home. You really should think of the MAP-R as a regular test your child is given, I think.
[url]
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2007/MAP-R%20prediction%20brief%2001-29-07.pdf[/url]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my 4th grader came home and said she got a 246 on her map-r..that means?? new to this... TIA

this may help explain the background. Map-R are given 3 times a year to help teachers assess student acheivement/growth. As I understand it they are not designed to provide information for parents to use for other purposes which is why the results are not given to parents. MSA scores are the ones used for federal purposes and thus are sent home. You really should think of the MAP-R as a regular test your child is given, I think.
[url]
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2007/MAP-R%20prediction%20brief%2001-29-07.pdf[/url]

Are the MAP-Rs used to group kids into similarly-leveled reading groups or is it to track an individual child's progress? Do they even break out into reading groups in MOCO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my 4th grader came home and said she got a 246 on her map-r..that means?? new to this... TIA

this may help explain the background. Map-R are given 3 times a year to help teachers assess student acheivement/growth. As I understand it they are not designed to provide information for parents to use for other purposes which is why the results are not given to parents. MSA scores are the ones used for federal purposes and thus are sent home. You really should think of the MAP-R as a regular test your child is given, I think.
[url]
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2007/MAP-R%20prediction%20brief%2001-29-07.pdf[/url]

As a parent, I find MAP-Rs to be far more useful than the MSA results. MAP-R can assess over many grade levels. MAP-R scores can also correspond to Lexile scores, which a parent can then use to see what level books might be appropriate for their child. Performing "advanced" on the MSA doesn't correlate to anything for a student -- it has no meaning for their grades, it provides no useful data for a parent (unless the MSA score is not proficient or above ...) With the MAP-R score, I found out that my child reads approximately 6 years above grade level. This definitely made me consider her educational needs in a different light. In our school, MAP-R scores are given to parents, but not at the beginning of the year -- more like middle.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with post above. It's a meaningful score -- you can find out the lexile, you can compare over time, and there are actually specific charts that show you where your child falls.

I have a child with a learning disability, and I make it a point to ask for these scores when the tests are given three times a year. It is very helpful to me as a parent.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the useful info. In MOCO at what grades in elementary school, are these tests administered ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So my 4th grader came home and said she got a 246 on her map-r..that means?? new to this... TIA

this may help explain the background. Map-R are given 3 times a year to help teachers assess student acheivement/growth. As I understand it they are not designed to provide information for parents to use for other purposes which is why the results are not given to parents. MSA scores are the ones used for federal purposes and thus are sent home. You really should think of the MAP-R as a regular test your child is given, I think.
[url]
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2007/MAP-R%20prediction%20brief%2001-29-07.pdf[/url]

Our MCPS ES school sent home a form letter with our child's MAP-R score and the Lexile range for independant reading with a link to the www.lexile.com website. My understanding is that purpose of the MAP-R is as you described, but the MSAs measure the school's achievement of the NCLB benchmarks (% of children scoring proficient in whatever subject) more so than a measure of the student's achievement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the useful info. In MOCO at what grades in elementary school, are these tests administered ?

MAP-R begins in 3rd grade in MCPS

[Anonymous]

Is it true that the benchmark for 3rd graders is about 190-200 on the MAP-R?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the benchmark for 3rd graders is about 190-200 on the MAP-R?

This may help for MCPS:

http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/sharedaccountability/reports/2011/Establish%20G38%20reading%20benchmark_brief_2_2_11%20FINAL.PDF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it true that the benchmark for 3rd graders is about 190-200 on the MAP-R?

The form letter we received said that nationally the average for the MAP-R taken in the fall of 3rd grade is 192. Interestingly, the form letter did not mention a benchmark for MCPS.

[Anonymous]

I don't believe the 2011 version is available yet, but beginning on page 127 of the following report are the MAP RIT score-to-percentile conversions for the various MAP tests for beginning, middle and end year testings.

http://pickens.it.schoolfusion.us/modules/groups/homepagefiles/cms/374410/File/MAP/Norms2008.pdf?sessionid=14d1e9266e4482d198ebc39c6e6bc9c3

[Anonymous]

OP, just want to tell you that my child is a very bright 6th grader with an extremely high (>99.9th percentile) verbal IQ who attended an elementary gifted center and now a gifted middle school magnet. He reads at a very high level and makes straight As in these demanding programs. And he took the MAP-R today and got a 244.

So if your 4th grader got a 246, that is really something -- off the charts. Pay attention because your child has some really unique needs and you will need to work hard to keep her challenged.