Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Identification, Testing & Assessment Wonky "growth" on MAP Testing and gifted students

I am almost positive that I read a thread very recently on this site regarding atypical "growth" or even negative "growth" on MAP testing and how it's occurance is not uncommon in gifted students. I think there was a link to the article/research. Am I imagining this?

If anyone has a link to this study, I would greatly appreciate it.

This isn't specific to gifted students but it does adress growth on MAP testing.


We should also keep in mind that, even in the best schools, many children do not succeed in
achieving their growth index target. In the top 10% of schools about 60 to 70% of the students
reach their RIT point growth norm target in reading, while about 65 to 75% of students meet this
target in mathematics. When setting targets using this statistic, educators should remember that a
school in which more than 70% of the students meet or exceed their growth index norm is
exemplary.

http://illinoisnwea.wikispaces.com/file/view/SchoolGrowthNormStudy2006-Final.040407.pdf

I also found this

http://www.dist50.net/Parents/MAP-FAQs.pdf

2. What if my child�s scores went down from the last test to this test?
(a) MAP reports that in any testing season, about 10% of scores do not show
growth. Most of these scores occur in children well above average and well below
average. Nonetheless, they can occur in any child. This does not mean that your child
did not learn this year. Many other indicators exist to measure learning: classroom
or standardized tests, grades, portfolios, etc.
(b) Declines may occur over the summer. So, it is better to look at growth from
the fall of one year to the fall of the next year, or spring of one year to spring of the next
year.
(c) If scores continue to decline for two or more tests, other factors need to be
taken into consideration.
� Does your child understand his or her goal?
� What does your child think about his or her scores?
� Can your child describe what goes on during testing?
� Does your child have good attendance?
� Is your child completing class-work and homework?
� Is your child attentive during testing?
� Is your child motivated?
� Is your child ready to learn each day?
Please see your child�s teacher with your concerns.
3. Should my child�s scores go up the same amount each time he or she tests?
No. Growth targets vary by grade and by score. For example, students at
Elementary School (grades 2 and 3) have larger growth targets than children in
Intermediate School (grades 4-5). At the same time, children in Intermediate School
have larger growth targets than children at the Middle School (grades 6-8). These growth
target patterns are the same across all the schools that use MAP.
In addition, high growth years can be followed by less growth and low growth
years can be followed by high growth years.

Those are great links. Thanks. I have a child who's MAP Fall scores went up/down in various areas. In some areas she was way above the typical growth and in some she was below. According to her RIT scores on her MAP scores, she is still a minimum of 2 years above in all tested subject areas.

Dottie - funny you should mention the STAR test. She took one at the end of August and then again on October 22. She increased her GE score by 1 year 3 months in that time period.