Twice a year the school in which I teach administers MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) tests to freshman math students. The tests are provided by the Northwest Evaluation Association and give teachers a measurement of student growth over time. The students take the test at the beginning of the year when they have had little or no time with me as their math instructor and again in the Spring after they have been under my instruction for a majority of the school year. These tests not only show how students perform according to the Common Core StateStandards, but they show how every student’s achievement changes over time. These results can be broken down by standard to show what areas a student is weak or strong in. Additionally, I can view results class-wide to get an idea of how my students performed in different areas. This allows me to make inferences about the quality of my instruction and how I can apply the data to improve my practice.
How does this address the standards?
Element A: This evidence shows that I analyze learning, development, and growth, and apply it to improve my practice. Not only does the data provided by MAP scores allow me see how students perform against the standards, I can also see how they grow over time, which provides really enlightening knowledge about their learning. By also including my reflections and inferences about my instruction based onthe data, I will demonstrate that I actually apply the data to improve my practice.
Here is the MAP DATA used to Improve Instruction
I have blacked out student names for privacy, but this screenshot shows groups of students according to their goal score in a particular topic in mathematics. In parentheses is how they actually scored. This helps me see what topics students failed to meet, met, or exceeded expectations, which identifies strengths and weaknesses in my instruction.