Standardized Assessments
The purpose of using external assessment data is:
- Identify the skills and concepts individual students have learned
- Diagnose instructional needs
- Monitor academic growth over time
- Make data-informed decisions at the classroom, division, and school-wide levels
- Ensure optimal alignment of taught curriculum with stated standards
- Place new students into appropriate instructional programs
ASFM uses the following external standardized tests:
MEASURES OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (M.A.P.)
ASFM is using a computerized adaptive test called Measures of Academic Progress (M.A.P.) which is developed by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA). In a computerized adaptive test, the difficulty of the test is adjusted to the student's performance. The advantage of this testing process is that teachers and students receive prompt feedback and can then personalize instruction based on the student's needs.
As you may know, this was ASFM's first season hosting this kind of standardized assessment, and we are keen to involve and inform our parent community as we proceed down the path of data-driven assessment and learning.
Useful Links for Understanding M.A.P.
- FAQ. Click here for answers to the most common M.A.P. questions
- M.A.P. Assessment Overview
- Parent Toolkit: A guide to NWEA assessments.
- Lexile Framework for Reading. Search Titles, Analyze Text, FAQs and more.
- Glossary of Terms: Explanations of all the terms relevant to the M.A.P Assessment
- Example Report 1: How to interpret the Student Progress Report
- Example Report 2: How to interpret the Student Progress Report for multiple testing sessions