Anonymous
05/07/2025 11:27
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:MCAP is state testing and is required by the gov't. It takes a long time to get results and they are more used to reflect the school, rather than the individual student. Schools have some choice on how to administer it, but in my 5th grade, we have 2 day of science, 4 days of reading, and 2 days of math (each day of math has 2 sessions). It is insane. It is NOT helpful for teachers, but parents like to see how their kids are doing compared to the rest of the state.
MAP is an adaptive test with results immediately after finishing. We use it to see growth throughout the year. It is actually helpful for parents and teachers. It takes about 1 hour for each of the math and reading tests and can be given 2-3 times a year.
As a teacher, I wish we could just give MAP and just focus on growth of the students, but that doesn't go with NCLB. I'm not sure how the dissolution of the Education Dept will change the testing requirements, but I absolutely agree that there are way too many days being devoted to tests!
Thank you for the explanation but what MCPS is doing makes little sense. Using MCAP to judge the school fine, but it takes so much time to administer and the results come too late to inform teachers, parents or students about how to improve. You say parents want to see how their school is doing in comparison to other school, but I would guess that most parents are more interested to see how their kid is doing in a timely fashion-not to get MCAP results a year later…
It's kind of like previous poster said, MCAP is state mandated testing. MCPS really has no say if they want to opt in or out of it, the test windows, turnaround time, etc.
They're integrating state tests into final grades now. I didn't want to respond to the previous thread because I'm not 100% sure. But for the Science scores, I think the state first sends school systems preliminary files of the grade equivalent for the science scores, so it can be accounted for in calculating final grades. Then the actual scores file comes a little bit later.
MAP is more local and often on the chopping block when it comes to the budget. But I think a lot of people find it more beneficial and useful in testing and measuring student's growth and knowledge. Some school systems don't administer the spring MAP to students that will take the spring MCAP due to testing fatigue. It sounds like MCPS has students take the MAP in the spring regardless and in more grade levels too.
Anonymous
05/07/2025 00:35
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:MCAP is state testing and is required by the gov't. It takes a long time to get results and they are more used to reflect the school, rather than the individual student. Schools have some choice on how to administer it, but in my 5th grade, we have 2 day of science, 4 days of reading, and 2 days of math (each day of math has 2 sessions). It is insane. It is NOT helpful for teachers, but parents like to see how their kids are doing compared to the rest of the state.
MAP is an adaptive test with results immediately after finishing. We use it to see growth throughout the year. It is actually helpful for parents and teachers. It takes about 1 hour for each of the math and reading tests and can be given 2-3 times a year.
As a teacher, I wish we could just give MAP and just focus on growth of the students, but that doesn't go with NCLB. I'm not sure how the dissolution of the Education Dept will change the testing requirements, but I absolutely agree that there are way too many days being devoted to tests!
Thank you for the explanation but what MCPS is doing makes little sense. Using MCAP to judge the school fine, but it takes so much time to administer and the results come too late to inform teachers, parents or students about how to improve. You say parents want to see how their school is doing in comparison to other school, but I would guess that most parents are more interested to see how their kid is doing in a timely fashion-not to get MCAP results a year later…
Anonymous
05/07/2025 00:11
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just opt out. Keep the kid home and make it a fun day. We do!
I asked what would happen if we didn’t show up, and our school said that kid would be required to take MCAP on the day they came back. There is no opt out option. They suggested just having kid sit and not fill anything out.
Plus if you want your kid to be in CES, compacted math or be considered for magnet programs, they use this testing info.
Not the MCAP. Results are too slow to help with placement. MAP scores are the ones that are used.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:34
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Just opt out. Keep the kid home and make it a fun day. We do!
I asked what would happen if we didn’t show up, and our school said that kid would be required to take MCAP on the day they came back. There is no opt out option. They suggested just having kid sit and not fill anything out.
Plus if you want your kid to be in CES, compacted math or be considered for magnet programs, they use this testing info.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:28
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Just opt out. Keep the kid home and make it a fun day. We do!
I asked what would happen if we didn’t show up, and our school said that kid would be required to take MCAP on the day they came back. There is no opt out option. They suggested just having kid sit and not fill anything out.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:26
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s horrific. I hate that they put the kids through MCAP. At the middle school our 8th graders have over a MONTH of testing and that doesn’t include the MISA in March. This month each week there is a different test- MCAP math, MCAP ELA, MCAP social studies, MAP M and MAP R. And all the class projects and assignments. Ugh!
A test in every subject? And projects? And assignments? Whatever will these schools think up next?!
Tell me you’re clueless without telling me…. 🙄 just maybe next time don’t post unless you actually have an idea of what these “tests” entail.
+1. My 8 year old third grader just had 5 days of MCAP tests on reading and math. Next week they will have 3 days of MAP tests on reading and math. There has to be a way to streamline this. At the very least, MCPS should be using its billion dollar budget for better communications of what is being tested and why. They send such useless emails most of the time.
MCAP is actually streamlined compared with PARCC, which was even longer.
I wish they would just skip th spring MAP for students who are taking MCAP. (Fine to do it for grades where no MCAP is taken.)
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:20
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Just opt out. Keep the kid home and make it a fun day. We do!
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:09
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:MCAP is state testing and is required by the gov't. It takes a long time to get results and they are more used to reflect the school, rather than the individual student. Schools have some choice on how to administer it, but in my 5th grade, we have 2 day of science, 4 days of reading, and 2 days of math (each day of math has 2 sessions). It is insane. It is NOT helpful for teachers, but parents like to see how their kids are doing compared to the rest of the state.
MAP is an adaptive test with results immediately after finishing. We use it to see growth throughout the year. It is actually helpful for parents and teachers. It takes about 1 hour for each of the math and reading tests and can be given 2-3 times a year.
As a teacher, I wish we could just give MAP and just focus on growth of the students, but that doesn't go with NCLB. I'm not sure how the dissolution of the Education Dept will change the testing requirements, but I absolutely agree that there are way too many days being devoted to tests!
Part of the reason MCAP is not useful to teachers is because it takes so long to get the results. it takes even longer for the parents to get the results and then they’re sent snail mail like a year later and not even put in Parentvue?
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:05
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s horrific. I hate that they put the kids through MCAP. At the middle school our 8th graders have over a MONTH of testing and that doesn’t include the MISA in March. This month each week there is a different test- MCAP math, MCAP ELA, MCAP social studies, MAP M and MAP R. And all the class projects and assignments. Ugh!
A test in every subject? And projects? And assignments? Whatever will these schools think up next?!
Tell me you’re clueless without telling me…. 🙄 just maybe next time don’t post unless you actually have an idea of what these “tests” entail.
+1. My 8 year old third grader just had 5 days of MCAP tests on reading and math. Next week they will have 3 days of MAP tests on reading and math. There has to be a way to streamline this. At the very least, MCPS should be using its billion dollar budget for better communications of what is being tested and why. They send such useless emails most of the time.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 23:02
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:It’s horrific. I hate that they put the kids through MCAP. At the middle school our 8th graders have over a MONTH of testing and that doesn’t include the MISA in March. This month each week there is a different test- MCAP math, MCAP ELA, MCAP social studies, MAP M and MAP R. And all the class projects and assignments. Ugh!
A test in every subject? And projects? And assignments? Whatever will these schools think up next?!
Tell me you’re clueless without telling me…. 🙄 just maybe next time don’t post unless you actually have an idea of what these “tests” entail.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 22:14
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
I am a teacher with PGCPS and it is the same for us. The MCAP is very pointless. I teach middle school and they do not care about the test. I honestly do not blame them. They are tested out. It is for an entire month. The results are not useful for parents or students, specially when they come out with the results next year. There is nothing gained or lost if you do well or poorly on the test. It is a component to measure the success of the school and that is it.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 22:04
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
Anonymous wrote:It’s horrific. I hate that they put the kids through MCAP. At the middle school our 8th graders have over a MONTH of testing and that doesn’t include the MISA in March. This month each week there is a different test- MCAP math, MCAP ELA, MCAP social studies, MAP M and MAP R. And all the class projects and assignments. Ugh!
A test in every subject? And projects? And assignments? Whatever will these schools think up next?!
Anonymous
05/06/2025 21:53
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
It’s horrific. I hate that they put the kids through MCAP. At the middle school our 8th graders have over a MONTH of testing and that doesn’t include the MISA in March. This month each week there is a different test- MCAP math, MCAP ELA, MCAP social studies, MAP M and MAP R. And all the class projects and assignments. Ugh!
Anonymous
05/06/2025 21:19
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
MCAP is state testing and is required by the gov't. It takes a long time to get results and they are more used to reflect the school, rather than the individual student. Schools have some choice on how to administer it, but in my 5th grade, we have 2 day of science, 4 days of reading, and 2 days of math (each day of math has 2 sessions). It is insane. It is NOT helpful for teachers, but parents like to see how their kids are doing compared to the rest of the state.
MAP is an adaptive test with results immediately after finishing. We use it to see growth throughout the year. It is actually helpful for parents and teachers. It takes about 1 hour for each of the math and reading tests and can be given 2-3 times a year.
As a teacher, I wish we could just give MAP and just focus on growth of the students, but that doesn't go with NCLB. I'm not sure how the dissolution of the Education Dept will change the testing requirements, but I absolutely agree that there are way too many days being devoted to tests!
MAP is an adaptive test with results immediately after finishing. We use it to see growth throughout the year. It is actually helpful for parents and teachers. It takes about 1 hour for each of the math and reading tests and can be given 2-3 times a year.
As a teacher, I wish we could just give MAP and just focus on growth of the students, but that doesn't go with NCLB. I'm not sure how the dissolution of the Education Dept will change the testing requirements, but I absolutely agree that there are way too many days being devoted to tests!
Anonymous
05/06/2025 21:12
Subject: Why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP testing?
My kid just finished their fifth day of MCAP testing today. Teacher announced that they have MAP testing next week. I’m all for measuring outcomes, but why does MCPS do both MCAP and MAP, how do they compare and why do they happen on dates so close together?