MAP+Assessments

= Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) - what's it all about? =

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MAP is a computer-based assessment that adapts to a student’s response. If a student answers a question correctly, the test presents a more challenging item, but if they miss a question the test provides a simpler item next. In theory, the tests are able to target a student’s learning level. The MAP assessment utilizes the RIT Scale and provides Lexile scores as well. MAP testing typically begins at second or third grade, as MAP for Primary Grades is recommended for Kindergarten to second grade. MAP for Primary Grades has an auditory component and students use headphones to take the test.======

= MAP Resources - NWEA provides extensive support to understand the data =



= MAP Terms - learning a new professional lingo (my psychologist hat is on now) =
 * ======**Equal-interval** - means that the distance between standard scores is the same or equal. For example, the distance between a RIT score of 146 and 163 is the same as the distance between a RIT score of 246 and 263. This is not true of all measures used in education. Percentile scores and age/grade equivalents are not equal-interval scores. Equal-interval scores are not only a more accurate measure, but they are designed so mean and median scores can be readily calculated.======
 * ======**Goal Performance Areas** - goal reporting categories aligned to the content of state standards.======
 * ======**Lexile Scale** - Lexile scores range from below 0L (Lexile) to above 2000L. Scores that are 0L and below are reported as BR (Beginning Reader).The Lexile score matches readers to books and is the most popular measure of reading ability in the United States. Lexile measures have been incorporated into the Common Core standards.======
 * ======**RIT or Rasch Unit** - tests developed by NWEA use a RIT Scale to measure student achievement. It is a Rasch Unit (RIT), which is a score that relates directly to the curriculum scale in each subject area. It is an equal-interval scale, so school and class scores can be added together to calculate an average score. This cannot be done with percentile scores because they are not distributed at equal intervals. RIT scores allow a growth to be tracked and compared over time. RIT scores range from 100 to 300.======
 * ======**RIT Range** - reflects the range of scores that is one standard error of measurement (SEM) on either side of the student's RIT score.======
 * ======**Standard Error of Measurement (SEM)** - is the statistical estimate of accuracy or precision of the standard score, which in this case is the RIT. The smaller the SEM, the greater the likelihood that the score is accurate.======
 * ======**Survey w/ Goals Test** - a 42 to 64 item test in the areas of mathematics, reading, language usage and science that provides a RIT score for each subject and scores for the goal performance areas.======
 * ======**Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)** - the optimal match between a learner's background knowledge, achievement and readiness to learn new concepts and skills in order to obtain maximum growth. It is based on the work of Lev Vygotsky, a soviet psychologist. It involves finding the balance between tasks that a student can independently accomplish and tasks in which he/she requires assistance. ZPD is the point at which the student is learning, but not overwhelmed.======