Putting All Students FIRST

     Dayton Independent Schools has a new assessment procedure for students to make sure that all students are getting what they need to succeed academically.  This assessment is known by the name of MAP testing (Measures of Academic Progress).  The assessment gives teachers the exact areas where each individual student is excelling or in need of assistance in the area of language usage, reading and mathematics.  Our teachers are not satisfied to teach in ways that work only for most students but leave others behind.  They are working hard to ensure that all students succeed.
     The MAP achievement tests in mathematics, reading, and language usage are delivered by computer to students.  Each test is "adaptive", which means it immediately responds to student answers and custom selects future questions. This method provides an accurate and immediate measure of their achievement.  Important assessment information is available when and where it is needed.
     While most tests simply provide scores that compare and rank students and schools, the MAP tests provide growth information that is vital in classrooms faced with helping students meet rigorous standards.
     Teachers want to improve student learning, but to do this they need more accurate information than a single-form test can provide.  With conventional tests, low-performing students see only a few questions that they can get right, and high-performing students see only a few that they will miss.  This not only causes boredom or frustration in students; it also makes achievement scores less accurate.  This most accurate picture of student achievement is obtained when each student is appropriate challenged at his or her functional achievement level.
     An adaptive test gives all students an equal chance to succeed. There are no "wasted" items; students can actually attempt all of the items in a given test, which makes them feel better about the testing experience.
     Adaptive testing couples the advantages of Achievement Level Tests with the power of technology to tailor tests to each student's achievement level.  Each student takes a unique test that is dynamically developed for him or her as the test is being administered.  The program instantly analyzes the student's response to each test item and determines the appropriate difficulty level to present throughout the remainder of the test.  It also remembers which items a student has seen in previous sessions and doesn't display them again.    
     The Map tests can be customized to match district goals and standards.  Mathematics, reading and language usage MAP tests can be used with students in grades K through 11.  The tests are not timed; a test that provides information at the goal level takes about 45 to 60 minutes per student.
     Results are reported on an achievement scale called the NWEA RIT scale.  This scale enables districts to measure student progress - growth in student achievement can be accurately tracked between terms and across years. Academic growth for individual students can be tracked through a longitudinal report.  In addition to the RIT score, NWEA provides percentile scores that can be used to compare students to others in the nation.  NWEA's norms include more than 500,000 students.
     Results are available to teachers within 48 hours of administering the tests. This allows teachers to respond immediately to potential problem areas and adjust their curriculum accordingly to their existing group of students.
     Because of the commitment of the Dayton Independent School District to “Put All Students First,” the time, cost and energy required by this assessment will be of invaluable benefit to the progress each student will gain in academic progress.   The Dayton Schools are always looking to improve your child’s progress.