Teachers -sincere question about MAP testing

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks all. There is definitely some performance anxiety at play with her, NOT parent induced. Child one is totally go with the flow. I did not in any way wish to sit with her view the test, I only did once she became upset and was crying.

I have opted her out of further map testing for the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. There is definitely some performance anxiety at play with her, NOT parent induced. Child one is totally go with the flow. I did not in any way wish to sit with her view the test, I only did once she became upset and was crying.

I have opted her out of further map testing for the year.

If it makes you feel any better, had the same experience almost exactly. I understand what an adaptive test is, but the questions were hard and confusing from the start. I failed to see the point of it. You're right to opt out.

[Anonymous]

Which district is this? I teach grade 3 and I’m not familiar with MAP testing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Which district is this? I teach grade 3 and I’m not familiar with MAP testing.

LCPS and they just started a few years ago. It’s awful. 2 tests (math and reading) given THREE times a year!!

[Anonymous]

A few things:

1. In elementary, kids should get all As. It's that easy. So if there are Bs, you need to figure out if she's missing content,
or inattentive, or just blowing things off out of childish glee.

2. Expectations and resilience: that's something she needs to learn and can be talked into. She needs to accept that things are worthwhile to do even though they may be confusing and strange.

3. MAP tests are wonderful. They are adaptive, meaning they adjust the level of questions depending on how the student answers the previous ones. The user interface is also much better than with some other standardized tests out there!

Conclusion: it sounds as if she needs to buckle down. 4th grade is when school kicks up a notch, so weaknesses that may have been invisible before may start showing: either academic ones or behavioral ones (such as inattentive ADHD and low processing speed).

[Anonymous]

Just to give you perspective, MCPS in MD has been using MAP testing for years and it's been a great experience. Kids and parents like it much better than the recently retired and horrible PARCC testing, because it's easier to navigate. additionally, MAP gives the school and families a color report that provides state and county results along with the student's school results, and normed percentile ranges of the student's score. The test begins where the student left off during the last test, and keeps records from previous years. For the reading comprehension, MAP also give a Lexile range so children can pick books most adapted to their level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to give you perspective, MCPS in MD has been using MAP testing for years and it's been a great experience. Kids and parents like it much better than the recently retired and horrible PARCC testing, because it's easier to navigate. additionally, MAP gives the school and families a color report that provides state and county results along with the student's school results, and normed percentile ranges of the student's score. The test begins where the student left off during the last test, and keeps records from previous years. For the reading comprehension, MAP also give a Lexile range so children can pick books most adapted to their level.

MAP didn't replace PARCC, MCAP did. MAP is a different category of test.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks all. There is definitely some performance anxiety at play with her, NOT parent induced. Child one is totally go with the flow. I did not in any way wish to sit with her view the test, I only did once she became upset and was crying.

I have opted her out of further map testing for the year.

I think the fifth grade MAP test scores are used to determine which math class to take in sixth grade, which sets kids on different tracks for math. Not totally sure, but you might want to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just to give you perspective, MCPS in MD has been using MAP testing for years and it's been a great experience. Kids and parents like it much better than the recently retired and horrible PARCC testing, because it's easier to navigate. additionally, MAP gives the school and families a color report that provides state and county results along with the student's school results, and normed percentile ranges of the student's score. The test begins where the student left off during the last test, and keeps records from previous years. For the reading comprehension, MAP also give a Lexile range so children can pick books most adapted to their level.

MAP didn't replace PARCC, MCAP did. MAP is a different category of test.

Never said it MAP replaced PARCC, just that one was so much better than the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just to give you perspective, MCPS in MD has been using MAP testing for years and it's been a great experience. Kids and parents like it much better than the recently retired and horrible PARCC testing, because it's easier to navigate. additionally, MAP gives the school and families a color report that provides state and county results along with the student's school results, and normed percentile ranges of the student's score. The test begins where the student left off during the last test, and keeps records from previous years. For the reading comprehension, MAP also give a Lexile range so children can pick books most adapted to their level.

In LCPS, they do DRA tests and use those scares to determine reading level. At OP's daughter's level (DRA 50), those scores are less important anyway. Her kid is obviously a fluent reader.

[Anonymous]

The information from my foster daughters' MAP tests helped me know what I could help them with at home during DL. Because I had access to all the information AND because the teachers were willing to work with me, the girls have now moved from being 2-3 years below grade level to at or just above grade level. That is pretty phenomenal progress.

I do try to make it like a game and prep them ahead of time, especially when they get to the hard questions - oh, look, you've done so well that now they've moved up a grade level (or a new level of difficulty if I use gamers language). This worked well when they were below grade level, and it is their "challenge" now that they're finally at grade level.

Their teachers have been very supportive and helpful, and their teachers really like the MAP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
A few things:

1. In elementary, kids should get all As. It's that easy. So if there are Bs, you need to figure out if she's missing content,
or inattentive, or just blowing things off out of childish glee.

2. Expectations and resilience: that's something she needs to learn and can be talked into. She needs to accept that things are worthwhile to do even though they may be confusing and strange.

3. MAP tests are wonderful. They are adaptive, meaning they adjust the level of questions depending on how the student answers the previous ones. The user interface is also much better than with some other standardized tests out there!

Conclusion: it sounds as if she needs to buckle down. 4th grade is when school kicks up a notch, so weaknesses that may have been invisible before may start showing: either academic ones or behavioral ones (such as inattentive ADHD and low processing speed).

#1. Is not true at our school. A 3/B is “meets expectations” and a 4/A is “exceeds expectations.” For example, to get a 4 on a spelling test you would have to spell correctly several words that were not taught or part of your spelling list. Same with Math, you’d have to do a harder problem than those taught during the lessons. I realize plenty of kids can do this, but it’s not accurate to say all kids should be able to get an A/4 or something is wrong with them.