by Grame Scott
graemes@isb.ac.th
Dear Parents,
In the coming weeks, your child will participate in MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing. MAP is an assessment produced by Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) and is the largest standardized assessment of its type in the US. It is done by students in grades 3-9, independently on a computer. Each test adapts to the student’s previous answers, so if they answer a question correctly, a more challenging question is presented. If they answer incorrectly, a simpler question follows.
MAP is a standardized test and is only one of many different types of assessment that we use to determine student learning progress. We get the most accurate picture of a student’s progress by using a variety of learning evidence including everyday ongoing assessments, learning conversations with students, ongoing formative assessment and short quizzes, to the more formal and less frequent standardized tests such as this one.
The MAP test also measures your child’s achievement level compared to other students who have taken this test, and measures academic growth over time in the areas of mathematics and reading. The student sample is drawn from US public and private schools, not international schools. The test does not cover all academic skills, nor does it cover such areas as physical, artistic, or interpersonal skills. Parents will gain a more complete picture of student performance by looking at this test in conjunction with a variety of classroom work samples and other assessments over a period of time.
For further information, please visit the website www.nwea.org
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Graeme Scott
Deputy Head of School for Learning