Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion What to expect from MAP testing

So DS6 is getting ready to start school again in a few weeks. He's at a charter STEM school and just finished K. He'll be going into 1st grade. In K he was moved up to 2nd grade for part of the year in both reading and math. We (both his parents and the school) are not exactly sure what to do with him this coming fall.

The school, at this point, wants to go ahead and start him off in the 1st grade classroom and then have him complete the NWEA MAP testing along with the 2nd graders in the fall to ssee where he is actually at, acheivement-wise. The school did put him in the classroom that we requested (his K teacher, who he loved, suggested this teacher) and have been willing to discuss various options but I have really felt this whole time that we have just been throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

I am hopeful that the MAP tests will give us a little better idea where he is at and at least get us a starting point. Can anyone give me any info about the MAP tests? What they are like, etc... DS6 is generally much less apprehensive about things if he has some idea of what to expect ahead of time. Other questions that have popped through my mind are how long for results?, is there info available anywhere that shows what skills are required for particular score ranges?, and whether anyone has any ideas on how to best use these results to sdvocate for DS (obviously that will vary according to induvudual circumstance, but previous experiences are appreciated).

BTW- I am aware that a full evaluation by a private psychologist would be best but, due to current finances, that just isn't in the works right now.

Our twins took MAP tests for the first time last year - they were 6th graders. They took the tests on a computer - I believe they are multiple choice. (It might be worth checking the internet for sample questions.) I imagine they are always computer based, as they are "adaptive" tests, meaning that the level of the questions are selected in real time based on performance on earlier questions. The computer keeps feeding questions until the software is satisfied that a stable score has been established. I believe this means that there would be effectively no ceiling for even a very advanced six year old.

We did not get "official" results from the school until a couple of months after the testing, but eventually figured out that at the end of each test, the computer displayed the score so the student could see it. So if I knew they were going to be tested on a certain day and reminded them that morning to take note of the score, I could get the scores on the same day.

Most MAP tests are not timed. As amylou explained, the questions will keep being fed and progressively more difficult until the test taker cannot answer similar difficulty questions say, perhaps 3 in a row.

Explain to your child exactly that, it's going to get tough eventually, don't let that frustrate you, it's SUPPOSE to get hard to the point where you don't know anymore. Tell them just to give their best effort, read fully everything, and check their answers. Most MAP tests allow a student to save where they're at and continue at another time if a break is needed or the time period available isn't enough.

I love the MAP tests. They progress with your child, so they don't get stopped upon achieving some arbitrary grade level number. The teacher should be able to get the results immediately, but of course they have other stuff to do as well, so I would wait a couple of days before asking. At the very least, make sure they give you the numbers before you have any meeting about them, so you can look them up at the following links and be on the same page as the teacher.

This link shows you what sorts of things a kid who gets a particular score should already know and what they should be ready to learn:
http://www.powayusd.com/projects/edtechcentral/lladder/Default.asp

This link has percentile ranks based on scores, in Appendix B. For comparison, you can take your child's number and find where it falls in higher grades as well. E.g., a 220 in reading for a 1st or 2nd grader is off the charts 99%, and falls between 98th/99th percentile for 3rd graders, 70th for grade 6. http://www.nwea.org/sites/www.nwea.org/files/resources/NWEA_2011_RIT_Scale_Norms.pdf

As the first poster said, if you can ask your kiddo to remember the number at the end of the test, then you can know the same day what the scores are. But personally I wouldn't ask a first-timer to try to remember something at the end of an unfamiliar test.

The only time I've see MAP testing stop is in the HS level in math. Often times, depending on what service the school is using for the MAP software, the math tests will only go up to basic Calc level. I'm sure it may happen with other subject matter as well.

While you wouldn't normally think that's an issue, GT sutdents and teachers are sometimes assessed by how much the students have improved. When standardized tests are given to students who have already topped out on standardized tests or haven't studied what is in the tests for years, it gives a false impression that the student hasn't progressed, indeed they have, just not on what they're being tested on.

Our dd had a very high MAP reading score at the beginning of 6th grade. Her winter reading score was a bit lower, and her spring score was a bit lower still. I'd like to blame it on the school for not teaching her (and I may yet do that), but I suspect there is some element of ceiling effect. I think both kids will also soon hit the math ceiling. They both had big jumps in Language Usage during 6th grade, possibly due to a school change just prior to the school year. (This is why I said earlier in the thread that I thought there would be essentially no ceiling for a six year old.

My younger son's MAP tests for reading have been up and down for years. Sometimes many years past his grade level, sometimes at grade level. Ask the teacher for specifics on what kinds of questions they're missing, look for patterns.

Then again, sometimes it's because they simply have stopped caring having been tested to the point of being bored, likely my youngest DS case. Kids often don't realize the ramifications of standardized tests of course and the opportunities that the results can present them.

You're absolutely right. Sorry - I only have an 8yo. If you look at the charts, the map only seems to gauge kids up through 11th grade, so once you get beyond those marks, you really have no idea where your kiddo is, except "beyond 11th grade". So how about "I love the MAP for younger elementary GT kids."

DS9's school uses the MAP for ability grouping purposes. It is untimed, on a computer, with no ceiling (or very high. He is advanced in math, but not doing calc yet.). DS is HG/ADHD/dysgraphic. He does very, very well on this particular test despite the disabilities because it is untimed and he does not have to write. The school actually looks at the scores to determine a proper ability grouping for him and then follows his IEP, so it has worked out really well for him