Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment NWEA MAP test, second grade

My DD7, second grade, took the NWEA MAP math test and scored a 212 in math(I got her scores and she scored around 225 or so in most areas, but somehow scored much lower than expected in the easiest computation section which brought her total score down. She is usually very strong in computation so I was surprised she didn't do well in the easies section)

Her reading scores range from 228-237 which seems accurate for her.

Anyone have experience with this test?

Hi, TwinkleToes.

Are these her spring scores? You mind find this helpful:

http://www.nwea.org/sites/www.nwea.org/files/resources/NWEA%202011%20Norms%20Report_01.17.2012_2.pdf

If I am reading this right and those are spring scores, those are at the 95 percentile for spring second graders. HTH!

DS8 has it three times year. The thing I find most instructive is the change from Fall to Spring. It tells us that he is learning each year. Until a number is a bit further out there, it would be hard to know what it suggests for acceleration without having it in reference to other kids in your daughter's school. If it is a faster paced school, then a national 95% could be just above average for her school.

Also of note: MAP is reporting current achievement levels. If a kid is capable of learning more in math at a faster rate but doesn't get the exposure, then the achievement test isn't telling you much about ideal placement.

I am not looking for her to skip a grade in math, just have some sort of enrichment so she can learn each year. She tends to enter each grade knowing the end of year skills so learns very little. She is more an artsy / creative / language kids and those are her strengths, so any math enrichment would just mean that she didn't spend the year reviewing old material.

The Math MAP will bite my youngest in the behind today. I'm pretty certain she won't get the 96th percentile score required to get into advanced math in 5th grade. She'll be over 90th percentile, but she doesn't want to "learn ahead" in math.

Last year, over a third of the 4th grade scored 94th percentile and above. DD16 doesn't think we should be worried about this, but DD18 agrees that many others are hothoused and that we should do the same with DD9. I don't think DD9 appreciates how this one test could change her path in math through senior year of HS. I think she is capable - yesterday at the bus stop I was explaining squares and square roots. I gave the example of 8^2 and sq root of 64, then she asked, "Since 64 is 4^3, how would you do that as a root?" I am quite certain she could handle the advanced math, but I'm pretty sure she'll be shut out of that due to MAP. Often "lower" MAP scores mean no enrichment.

Well I found out she got a 228 on reading and that is higher as I expected.

How can kids be expected to score at a higher grade level in math if they are not instructed above grade level though? She is better in reading because she just reads and gains vocabulary etc, but you don't just know some math concepts unless taught. I do not teach her above grade level and she just does second grade math in her class, and next year in third she will just do third grade work. Maybe some of the more mathy kids seek out more math at home in their own time and so they learn more outside of school or get more advanced math at home. I know my DD7 isn't a super math kid, but I am sure she could learn more than they are currently providing.

And, FWIW, the 75th %ile for spring third graders, and 50th %ile for spring fourth graders.

I'm not so keen on using achievement scores for math placement. Consider 90th, 95th and 99th percentile kids. Say the 95th and 99th have been going to Kumon twice a week for the past three years. Bright kids schooled in math beyond grade level - they score well on the MAP math. The 90th percentile kid has just been sitting in his grade level math class, and has lots of potential, but no exposure to above grade level stuff. The 90th percentile kid gets stuck in the regular math class and is bored to tears.

Thankfully, DD9 surprised me. After getting 92nd percentile on the Fall and Winter MAP math, she got a 243 today (appears to be 98th percentile for 4th grade). I won't need to go on my special snowflake rant...this time.

DS8 is also in 2nd grade. He is pretty much self taught. He wanted more in math , so we started going through singapore math. He completed through 4b as a first grader. His spring MAp score was a 235. His school starts compacting math in 3rd grade (its 3 years of math completed in 2 years). DD10 is in this program (finishing 5th grade math as a 4th grader) and her MAP score finally surpassed DS this spring due to exposure.

My kid learns math like the bus stop conversation....funny but I heard my 8th grader explaining roots and exponents to my fourth grader on the couch...just a back and forth conversation....he now has a cursory grasp of it and will probably ponder and manipulate it in his head until he has a firm grasp. He might google additional questions and might. Look at Kahn or other websites he has access to at home.

His teachers also let him go on the computer when he is done with his classwork. The one site he hits a lot is FCAT Explorer....as he finished on grade level of material on that website he just moved up to the next. He is in fourth grade...he finally hit a grade level that was the tiniest bit challenging in reading (8th) and I think he has just moved up another grade level or is about to on the math (7th).

Another thing with mathy kids is that you teach them skill or concept one and they just manipulate it, proof it, and get it...show them the next logical concept/skill on a map test and they have the power to muscle through it using logic and prior knowledge because they understand at such a mathy level.

My kid finished a standardized test 20 minutes before time called. Not allowed to read or write or do anything I asked what he did...he said I thought deep thoughts.