Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment MAP tests

This is from the conjuring.pdf that INky linked me to in my MAP thread.

8+9=10+?

A. 6 B. 9 C. 6 D. 17 E. 7

Most fourth-grade students in the MAP norm group do not answer this question correctly. The more advanced concept of balance or equivalency within an equation is introduced in this item. This concept is fundamental to algebra and makes this much more than a simple arithme- tic problem. The student must know how to solve a prob- lem by balancing the equation.


WHAT? My 1st grader just looked at this and said "7."

Looks like the MAP sample questions are similar to the NAEP (The Nation's Report Card). While it's impressive that a 4th grader can score better than most 8th graders, it's discouraging to see the kinds of questions most 8th graders miss:

Only 35% of 8th graders got this one correct (calculator available).
Only half of 12th graders got this one correct:

wow.......

That's how I felt when I got Ds's Explore scores.....the scores said less about him being smart than it did about the performance of the 8th graders ....

The calculator is probably the reason many of them got it wrong. You have to do it mentally or by hand to get the remainder. I bet many of them had .33 for the answer sigh~

DDDOOOOHHHHHHH I bet you're right FloridaMama!!!! I just did it mentally. And since there answer from the calculator was a choice, they just assumed they had the right answer.

That perspective didn't escape my notice, but in general, ND kids who are compliant and in families who are 'educationally competitive' are taking the SAT 3 or 4 times in their Junior and Senior year anyway, so I think it really doesn't matter enough to stop me.

Do kids who aren't compliant enough or come from not 'educationally competitive' families suffer an unfair disadvantage - yes, they do, but I think that the SAT score part is so small compared to the 'everything else' that it wasn't enough to matter to stop me. If I turn my attention to that after I've discharged my responsibility to my own actual child - and I might - I sure wouldn't start with extra chances at the SAT. I'd teach the parents to talk to (rather than at) their babies and offer choices to babies and toddlers. I'd try to support the parents to enjoy observing the babies closely.

My .02
grinity

My understanding is that any student (ND or gifted) could take the SAT as a middle schooler if he/she wanted. You don't have to take it as part of a talent search. Some talent searches only want 7th graders testing, so if I want my kid to take it in 8th grade, I have to register on my own. There is no reason an ND kid couldn't do the same. I know plenty of GT kids who opted out of taking it as 7th graders, but for my money, it's a great chance to take the test before it counts. I don't see why that's unfair - it's open to ND and GT alike.

It could be that ND parents don't know that they have the option.

Dazey

It is true that you can sign up directly with the talent search, so it is technically fair, but realistically, who would even think about doing that to their ND child? If you never hear about an opportunity, then you can't make a choice about it either way.

((shrugs and more shrugs))
Grinity

Inky,
My DYS 8.11yrs is taking the MAP survey w/goals 6+ today through Acces. I wrote down the results. Now where do I find the charts to find out what the numbers mean??

He took the MAP Survey/w Goals 2-5 last year through a public school, so I have numbers to compare from this month last year.

Thanks for your direction!
-CC