Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) are K – 12 interim assessments that accurately measure growth, project proficiency on state accountability tests, and inform how educators can differentiate instruction, evaluate programs, and structure curriculum. In a blog by Joi Converse late last year, she outlined six ways that MAP data can help both students and teachers:

• Compare and predict student achievement
• As a universal screener/RTI placement
• For differentiated instruction
• For student goal setting
• To build proficiency
• For parent communication

One of the great benefits of MAP and MAP data, however, is that it can help teachers make assessment personal with test results that can help identify each student’s unique learning strengths and challenges. Here’s how:

1. MAP creates a unique assessment experience by adapting to each student’s learning level. Due to its deep item bank and adaptive test design, research-based MAP quickly reveals the precise achievement of students on, above, or below grade level

Each untimed MAP test begins the same way, with a question appropriate for the individual student. If a student answers correctly, the test algorithm selects a more difficult item; if a student answers incorrectly, the follow-up item is easier. This computer adaptive item delivery repeats throughout the test.

By adjusting the difficulty of items up or down, MAP precisely measures every student’s achievement as well as growth over time. And by meeting each student where he or she is, MAP reduces the chance for student boredom or anxiety.

MAP is personal because it adapts to each student’s ability level, not their predetermined grade level.

2. MAP provides accurate information that helps educators transform student learning. MAP assessments use our RIT (Rasch Unit) scale to create a grade-independent RIT score, which indicates the level of question difficulty a given student is capable of answering correctly about 50% of the time. Because each test item has a single RIT value associated with it, RIT scores carry the same meaning in terms of student ability no matter which test or set of standards was used to obtain them.

A student’s RIT score helps you understand what he or she knows, is ready to learn, and is projected to achieve.

Our mature, stable, and reliable RIT scale ensures that the RIT scores you see are both accurate and fair.

We developed our RIT scale more than 30 years ago. Today, we continue to obtain the RIT value of each test item using a rigorous calibration process that ensures our assessments’ integrity. Before we include an item in MAP tests, we field test it with thousands of students across the nation and calibrate it to a measurement scale to ensure accuracy.

Thanks to our scale you can compare your students’ academic performance relative to:

• national achievement and growth norms
• state standards, including College and Career Readiness (CCR) standards

MAP is personal because every student’s score is highly accurate, enabling educators to guide each student on his or her unique learning path.

3. MAP supplies real-time data educators can use to accelerate student learning. Despite a short testing time, MAP comes with substantial rewards: you’ll have essential information about what each student knows and is ready to learn on rigorous new state standards within 24 hours. You can use your data to help differentiate instruction and make a district-wide impact—and students can use it to better connect with their learning goals.

Quick, accurate results from MAP help you create highly targeted, 1:1 instruction:

• Plan individual, small group, or whole classroom instruction
• Measure student growth and achievement
• Diagnose student strengths and opportunities
• Increase student and parent engagement

Reliable MAP data empower you to support effective strategies:

• Predict state summative assessment performance
• Predict college readiness as measured against ACT® benchmarks for students grade 8+
• Analyze school or district performance
• Provide teachers and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) with clear, specific instructional next steps
• Gain insights for school improvement planning

MAP is personal because it delivers data when educators need it the most: when there’s still time to make a difference in every student’s learning.