MAPGrowth – Fall Testing Session -October 2020
Dear Parent/Guardians,
The Fall window for MAPGrowth testing in the Archdiocese of Newark is now open. Assessing students at this point in the school year will provide information about what students are ready to learn. Having this information available will be helpful for teachers as they strive to support student learning. While the data obtained from MAPGrowth is important, testing all students is not feasible. After serious discussion with other principals, our faculty, and the guidance from the Archdiocese, the Remote learners are exempt from the Fall testing. It would be difficult to troubleshoot tech problems at home for the Remote student and the Remote student would need to have a way of being in communication with the instructor while testing – two devices or two browsers. The Remote students will hopefully have the opportunity to test during the Winter and Spring assessment.
Being that Classworks correlates with MAPGrowth, Remote learners will be instructed to complete assignments in Classworks as an alternate fall assessment. Classroom teachers will give Remote learners directives on when to sign on and off for the days that the In-School learners will be testing as well as directives for which Classworks assessments need to be completed at that time. Helping your child answer questions in Classworks compromises the data and makes it harder for teachers to provide personalized instruction. We recommend that you encourage your child to do their absolute best, but that you can’t provide them with hints or assist them in answering questions.
MAPGrowth is a computer adaptive test created by NWEA. It adjusts to each student’s learning level, providing a unique set of test questions based on the student’s responses to previous questions. If the student answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next question is easier. This results in a detailed picture of what the student knows and is ready to learn…whether it is on, above or below grade level. The results provide teachers with information to help them deliver appropriate content for each student and to monitor each student’s academic growth over time. Although the test is untimed, most students complete each subject in less than an hour. Students who do not finish in the scheduled session are able to resume the test at another time without the loss of test responses already submitted.
Testing will begin next week. The subjects covered for the Fall are Math and Reading in grades 2 – 8. Please see next week’s schedule below (Middle School schedule testing will begin the following week).
The testing schedule is as follows:
In-Person Learners
Gr 2 Oct 15 – Math Oct 19 – Reading
Gr 3 Oct 15 – Math Oct 19 – Reading
Gr 4 Oct 14 – Reading Oct 16 – Math
Gr 5 Oct 14 – Reading Oct 16 – Math
For more information about MAPGrowth visit: http://www.nwea.org/parent-toolkit/
Sincerely,
Ms Verdonck, Principal
Mrs. Falcicchio, MAPGrowth Coordinator
Mrs. O’Farrill, Tech Interator