Latest results show students moving toward goals
By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
After starting Measures of Academic Progress – or MAP – testing in 2011, Burlington Area School District officials wanted to get a handle on what to improve and how to improve it.
Judging by the latest round of MAP testing, the district has not only answered both questions, but figured out how to excel at it.
With school improvement plans presented for grades kindergarten through eighth grade Monday night at the BASD School Board Curriculum Committee meeting, it appears the high goals the district has set for itself have proven obtainable.
Grades K through 8 set goals for the 2015-16 school year to not only meet and surpass national means, but to meet or exceed the Northwest Evaluation Association’s school growth norms.
With just a few exceptions, the district passed with flying colors. NWEA runs the MAP testing, which works with two primary sets of data – the first set of tests students take in the fall, and the second in the spring.
In that period of time, students are expected to grow by a certain amount, the difference between the national means from the fall of a school year to the spring.
With the exception of third-grade reading, third-, fourth- and fifth-grade language usage, and second- through fourth-grade math, the district met its goals of surpassing the national growth norms. Those that missed generally missed the mark by less than one point.
What was more to the point about the MAP testing is how the district has improved since starting the testing in 2011. That first year, most grades started in the red – below the national mean – and many stayed there.
Now, in the fifth year of the testing, most of the grades are starting in the green, and indications are that the district will continue to meet the national growth norms.
“Our efforts are starting to come to fruition,” said BASD Curriculum Director Connie Zinnen.
Among the initiatives being used and expanded to prepare students:
- Math workshops, which gives students a different learning structure both as individuals and in groups.
- The addition of math language understanding and usage.
- The addition of reading literature across not only the English curriculum but in other subjects as well.
With fall MAP testing scores in as well, the district is looking at starting at or above the national mean across all subjects at all grade levels.
Zinnen also pointed out that the state’s report cards for schools are due out in the next two weeks, which will allow the district to see how it stacks up not only with neighboring districts, but using scores from the Forward Exam – the new statewide assessment.
One note on MAP testing: while many districts are now using it as an assessment tool, none of the districts Zinnen contacted would share their data, saying that the data is meant for self evaluation only.
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