Grade-Level MAP Testing
Parent Information Letter - March 2021
MAP Grade-Level Assessments are just around the corner!
This newsletter is full of information, links and resources to keep you informed as we make plans for our students. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding MAP Grade-Level testing, please don't hesitate to reach our to your student's teacher, grade-level counselor or principal.
Clever's Grade-Level MAP Testing Schedule
MAP Information for Parents
What is the MAP?
MAP stands for Missouri Assessment Program. It is a series of assessments for English Language Arts, Mathematics and Science at grades 3-8; and English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies in high school. These assessments are designed to see if students in Missouri are meeting the Show-Me Standards.
Grade-Level Assessments are given in English Language Arts and Mathematics at grades 3-8, while Science is assessed at grades 5 and 8. The Grade-Level assessments are made up of multiple types of questions:
- Selected Response (also known as multiple choice) items are composed of a question followed by a series of possible responses. Students must select the correct response or responses.
- Constructed Response or Short Text items require students to supply an appropriate response rather than making a selection from a list of choices.
- Performance Tasks/Events allow students to work through more complicated items using real-world scenarios.
- Technology Enhanced items make use of technology in the presentation of the item, the ways in which students respond, or both. For example, students might listen to a story and then drag and drop labels into a diagram, or click on specific parts of a text to provide a response.
The End-of-Course assessments are made up of two types of questions:
- Selected Response (also known as multiple choice) items are composed of a question followed by a series of possible responses. Students must select the correct response or responses.
- Performance Tasks/Events allow students to work through more complicated items using real-world scenarios.
The MAP assessments are required under Senate Bill 380, often referred to as the "Outstanding Schools Act," the state school-reform law enacted in legislature in 1993. This bill required the State Board of Education to adopt no more than 75 academic performance standards, which established the knowledge, skills and competencies necessary for students to "successfully advance through the public elementary and secondary education system of this state; lead to or qualify a student for high school graduation; and prepare students for postsecondary education or the workplace or both." These Show-Me Standards are guides to what students should be able to know and to do. There are 40 knowledge standards and 33 performance standards.
How can I tell if my child is being successful?
Your child's results will be sent to you in the form of an Individual Student Report (ISR). The ISR provides information about performance on the MAP, describing results in terms of four levels of achievement in a content area. The test is scored (or graded) according to four achievement levels: Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Missouri's goal is to help students achieve in the top two categories. Assessment results may be used for instructional planning, as a point of reference during a parent/teacher conference, and for permanent record keeping. Other sources of information, such as classroom performance, should be used along with this report when determining the student's areas of strength or need.
Adapted from the Practical Parenting Partnerships by Laura Schwab and the 2001 MAP Class 6 Team.
Tips to Support Success (from DESE)
Read, Read, Read! Reading takes skill and practice. One of the best and simplest steps to improve the reading ability for children is to provide sustained periods of time for children to read.
Tip #2:
Help your child to read like a writer. Even in the early grades, children can begin to "get into the head" of the author. Reading improves a child's writing, and writing improves a child's reading.
Tip #3:
Read a variety of books and magazines. MAP English Language Arts assessments contain a variety of text including short stories, poems, dialogues, magazine articles, charts and tables. Children need to be able to read a wide variety of texts ranging from road signs to restaurant menus, comic books to classics.
Tip #4:
Build your child's reading stamina. To build reading stamina, you may wish to encourage your child to increase gradually the amount of time they read at one sitting. Include short breaks, such as stretching or closing their eyes for a minute. Set individual reading goals based upon doing the "best that they can."
Tip #5:
Teach your child that visuals are part of the text. Students are often required to gather information from photos, captions, drawings, charts, and graphs. You can help by teaching your child to look at all of these materials as part of the total text.
Tip #6:
Help your child know how to use text-based support in written responses. Some items on the MAP assessments have multiple parts or require children to explain or show how they arrived at their answers. Children may receive only partial credit for answers to questions that are not supported with specific details or that do not contain an explanation.
Tip #7:
Teach your child to identify all parts of a question. Teach your child to identify exactly what each question is asking. Some questions have multiple parts, which are often combined into a single sentence with a single question mark at the end. Not answering all parts of a multi-part question is a common error.
Tip #8:
Teach your child to paraphrase test items, turning questions into statements. For example, the question, "Why did the main character play with the ball?" could be rephrased as "The main character played with the ball because ..." This practice allows the child to phrase the question in a way that makes the most sense to them. They are then ready to read the passage and look for answers.
Tip #9:
Prepare for testing day.
- Be aware of the testing schedule.
- Be certain that your child has had adequate rest (this may mean getting them used to an earlier bed time before the week of testing).
- Be on time for school.
- Avoid scheduling appointments that can be done at a later date.
- Dress your child in layered clothing. This way, the child may add clothing to get warmer or remove some clothing to be cooler.
- If your school allows it, make sure your child has a book to read when the testing session is complete.
- Have a positive attitude.
Adapted from the Practical Parenting Partnerships by Laura Schwab and the 2001 MAP Class 6 Team.
Curious about what the Grade-Level MAP test looks like?
The OTTs can be completed more than once to help students become familiar with the testing platform and all of the available tools prior to their testing dates.
Below is the link to the OTTs on DESE's website. These will be utilized in the classroom but may also be used at home.