Communication and collaboration; these two skills are critical for all teachers. Whether communicating with students or fellow faculty or collaborating with peers, teachers must hone these skills for success. These skills also come into play when it comes to speaking with students and parents about testing, and we’ve put together some great assets to help in this endeavor.

Head on over to NWEA Connection, our partner community, and you’ll find a helpful discussion thread – Communicating About Testing with Students and Parents. As the fall testing period for MAP Growth is upon us, these tips can come in handy. Here’s a quick recap:

• Tag-Teaming MAP Results with Parents
• A Parent’s Guide to MAP
• Communicating with Students Before Testing
• Teaching Students to Read Their MAP Results
• Log in and download a classroom poster, “Testing Tips for Students”

There are also some great blog posts here at Teach. Learn. Grow. that we’ve compiled over the years that have tips on communicating about MAP Growth. Here are some of our favorites:

• 11 Talking Points for Teachers Preparing Students for the MAP Test
• Answers to the Top 6 Questions Parents Ask About the MAP Test
• Answers to 6 (More) Questions Parents Ask About the MAP Test
• Seven Cardinal Rules When Reporting MAP to Parents
• Seven Things to Consider in Preparing for MAP

One of the great benefits of MAP Growth and its data is that it can help teachers make assessment personal with test results that can help identify each student’s unique learning strengths and challenges. Communicating these results with students and parents is a big part of the MAP Growth equation and one that can help the data work even harder.