At the beginning, middle, and end of every school year CJUSD requires students to take the MAP test, which every student dislikes because of how tiring the test can be.
Maybe it’s the words “testing” and “important” that teachers always use when talking about the test that annoys students, but MAP isn’t the type of test you study for. It doesn’t affect your grade negatively.
MAP, which stands for “Measures of Academic Progress,” is a test that measures your learning ability, achievement and growth in reading, language arts, science, and math. The first round of testing was back in August. The next round is starting up this week on Wednesday, Nov. 6.
Why is MAP testing so important? Why do we have to take the test? These are the questions most of Colton High’s students have asked since we started taking the tests two years ago.
According to Dr. Sneha Sharma, who works at CHS as a Teacher on Assignment supporting the English department, the test matters for a couple reasons. “The MAP also gives you an idea about how you are going to do on CAASPP, our statewide college and career readiness assessment. It also gives teachers an idea of students’ academic progress.”
MAP prepares students for CAASPP, so it’s best to think about how important it is to encourage them for the next test.
For many students, one of the biggest questions about MAP testing is how the test is scored. Is there a score limit or a perfect score? According to NWEA, the test publishers, there is no maximum or “perfect” score on the MAP test.
This test only measures growth. You can get a high score, but there’s no limit.
So, what do teachers do with the data? What do they actually do? According to Dr. Sharma, “Teachers review the data to learn about student’s reading lexiles, academic performance, and growth. Students review their family reports during advisory. These reports contain academic performance data for each subject area that was tested.”
Before taking the test, here are tips on getting prepared for the test. According to www.testprep-online.com, there are a few suggestions everyone can benefit from: get good sleep, practice vocabulary and mathematical methods in case you are unsure about something, and eat well.
Just a reminder: there is no reason to worry about MAP testing. Just try to the best of your ability. Remember to do your best, don’t stress yourself out, and good luck!
