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MAP Testing
Westchester students in grades 3-5 will take standardized tests each spring. Our students will take the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) exams in Communication Arts, Math & Science. These tests assess what students have learned during their entire elementary school careers. Students in primary grades (K-2) are also assessed in April using local assessment measures.
We’ve always worked hard to support student achievement, and standardized test scores are one measure we look to in gauging performance. In-class assessments are ongoing, and we use these data to determine student needs and inform day-to-day instruction. Yearly standardized tests, taken by students across the state and nation, provide a glimpse into how our students perform against external standards of excellence.
We take standardized testing seriously at Westchester and in Kirkwood, and we hope our kids and parents do as well. We spend considerable time on “test prep,” helping students prepare and making sure they feel confident in their test-taking capabilities. Our challenge has been in finding an important balance:
We want Westchester Kids to take tests seriously so they can achieve to their potential, but we don’t want students to feel undue stress.
Standardized tests have become more “high stakes” for schools and districts with federal passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001). Student scores aren't high stakes for individual kids – scores don’t determine what middle school you get in or whether you move onto the next grade, but test results are high stakes for our school and our district. State and federal agencies now use test results to hold schools more accountable. No Child Left Behind means just that – and we have until 2014 to ensure that 100% of our students perform at the “Proficient” level or better on our state exam. Test results serve as a measuring stick when comparing schools and districts to standards – and to each other. The stakes have clearly been raised.
Q How does No Child Left Behind hold schools more accountable?
A Schools are required to measure student achievement on state exams. Each year the stakes are raised a little higher; we are expected to have more students scoring “Proficient” or better than the year before, so that by 2014 we have 100% of students scoring at this level. NCLB forces us to look not only at our total student population, but also at achievement scores of students in each population subgroup. If any one subgroup doesn’t meet expectations, we don’t make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Schools that consistently fall short on AYP could face state and/or federal sanctions.
Q What are these subgroup populations?
A We have four subgroups at Westchester, and each must meet AYP goals for us to meet expectations for the year:
o African-American students
o White students
o Students with diagnosed disabilities
o Students receiving free or reduced lunch
Q What are Missouri’s AYP goals for 2012?
A 83% of students in each subgroup must score proficient or advanced on the MAP communication arts exam. 82% of students in each subgroup must score proficient or advanced on the MAP math test. AYP targets for science have not been determined.
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