Measures of Academic Progress, a computerized testing system created by the nonprofit Northwest Evaluation Association, will be a cornerstone of the district's efforts to make sure all students are on track to graduate high school and succeed in college or careers, Superintendent Heath Morrison and Chief Accountability Officer Frank Barnes told the school board this week (see the presentation here).
MAP reading and math tests will be given to students in grades 3-8 in fall, winter and spring, Morrison said. Some schools used the system last year, with others starting in 2013-14. By 2014-15, Morrison and Barnes said, all elementary and middle schools will be using MAP, with results used to report on whether students are on track to graduate.
"More tests" is not a phrase that's likely to generate applause among teachers and parents. Board members and Morrison were quick to say they're concerned about overtesting and have urged the state to ease up on mandatory end-of-year exams (which will be given in addition to the MAPs).
But Morrison said MAP is the right kind of testing: It provides timely information about what kids know and what they need help with, in a format that students and parents can understand. "Most parents ask a simple question: Is my child reading on grade level?" Morrison told the board. He said MAP lexile scores make it easy to see whether students are at, above or below grade level, and what each student needs to do to improve. And the tests are designed to provide consistent year-to-year tracking, something that's a challenge with ever-changing state exams.
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| Chapman |
"Teaching is a complex task with numerous factors involved, and teachers deserve to be treated with respect rather than threatened with public retribution based on test results that almost certainly do not present a comprehensive view of how a teacher is performing," Chapman writes (read the full post here). "The national fixation on testing, especially standardized accountability testing, is unfortunate and can hurt student learning."
Of course, the most meaningful reviews come from those who have seen any system in action. So if you've experienced MAP already, please weigh in and let the rest of us know what to expect.
CMS will now be offering a french fry flipping class.
ReplyDeleteThe MAP testing isn't new, at least not for all CMS schools. Highland Creek elementary used the map tests for 2012-13. We didn't find that it took away from teaching time. What it did provide for was better grouping of students by ability.
ReplyDeleteHighland Creek commenter - That sounds like tracking to me. NOt sure that I would like that as a parent.
ReplyDeleteWho is tracking all the teachers leaving CMS? Who is tracking the number of students forced into other classes due to this? Who is that leader ? Heath man up we know you get your check and bonus so take charge Mr. Reno the clock is ticking.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that Highland Creek commenter was referring to "flexible" grouping- small groups that focus on learning specific skills that are needed by a select group of students. That sort of instruction would take place in a regular classroom setting with kids across a spectrum of abilities. It's flexible because once a student masters the skill being taught they are no longer a part of the group. This is not tracking, it's providing students with the instruction they need as opposed to teaching all students the same skills whether they have already mastered them or have the prior knowledge necessary to learn them.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in elementary school, my classrooms consisted of a teacher, about 25 to 30 other kids my age, a huge blackboard, various felt bulletin boards, an American Flag and a state flag.
ReplyDeleteWe would recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day, have lunch, recess, instruction, etc. There was never a teacher assistant in any of my classes.
The teacher taught the lesson(s) and we would have tests; pop quizes and tests after each block to see how we were doing. At the end of the year, you either passed or failed and if you failed you could be held back or go to summer school.
During the year, the teacher would make comments about each child's progress on their report card and parents were summoned for conferences if there were any issues.
As with any school, there are several 3rd grade classes, 4th, etc. but all were being taught the same curriculum by different teachers depending on the grade level.
Why in this day and age educrats and politicians make education so difficult is beyond me.
If all elementary school students in the state of NC are supposed to be taught the same things in each grade, why not have at least three "progress tests" to see how students are performing? It's no different than what teachers did over the years and still do now - give major tests containing several chapters of a subject being taught to see how each student is performing throughout the school year.
Teachers can still teach the subject matter their way, give out homework and assignments and also have their own tests, with the state tests used by the state collectively to see how the various grade groups are doing.
There's nothing sinister here. It doesn't have to be rocket science. Streamline the damn process educate the kids and allow teachers to do their job.
One problem with all these tests is the requirement that they be given universally to all students, regardless of whether they are helpful in every situation. That's where the marginal utility of the tests starts to plummet, and the temptation to use the scores for something other than what they're designed to measure starts to soar.
ReplyDeleteDoes every CMS student in grads 3-8 need to take these tests three times a year? Couldn't teachers and principals determine which students would benefit from the information any of these tests provides and which wouldn't? Giving the tests judiciously would save money and computer time, as well as give teachers and schools more time to teach.
What is wrong with giving three basic assessment tests to each student three times per year on the subjects being taught to check progress?
ReplyDeleteI remember in many of my classes having at least two major tests to see what we had learned and in some cases, a test each quarter with the semester and year end tests counting a little more. These were tests given by the teacher and not the state.
What's so different about having a standardized state test that would do the exact same thing?
Test after test after test for testing sake is a waste of time and money.
We can't get any basic information about Bright Beginnings and how it has performed over the past 10 years, so my confidence in any test data coming from CMS or the state of NC is ZERO.
Wiley , CMS leaders are afraid of the tests if it influences holding a child behind. They clearly do not want to do this. Staff is told not to do this in any chance avoidable. What they forget is the kid is not ready to move on and they dont care. So the educational needs of the child matter not just the great CMS reputation. Countless parents have left CMS that have had this situation/battle with schools. Keith W. Hurley
ReplyDeleteKeith,
ReplyDeleteI hear you and agree with your comment.
However, it's time to put up or shut up from educrats.
If they are not going to hold students back (accountable), then forget about the "achievement gap" and graduation rates.
We could save millions of dollars, time and energy just by eliminating all of the minutia surrounding those two issues.
Ann,
ReplyDeleteAre these mapped to Common Core in any way? It would seem that there should be some alignment if that's the goal for the end of the year?
MAPS testing was used at Torrence Creek Elementary in the 2012-13 school year as well, and it was far from a disaster. The word "testing" often evokes a visceral negative reaction - but we all agree that progress needs to be measured. Let's look at the different test options for what they are instead of labeling them all as bad.
ReplyDeleteThe MAPS tests are administered online and go quickly and they give quick and relevant feedback that's easily shared with parents. Plus teachers get the benefit of mid-year feedback, which is crucial when we're expecting them to roll out Balanced Literacy and Common Core.
Also, it's my recollection that they we're just heaped on, but they actually replaced another test. Can't remember which one though.
All in all, I was happy with the MAPS testing. It was easy to understand, and I thought it was helpful for teachers to get such important feedback three times/year as opposed to getting the majority of their feedback from EOGs.
Wiley , I second the motion for accountability. I have no idea why on earth CMS is so shy to this. They will continue to work with less of a budget now that vouchers are coming into play as I predicted. If they open vouchers to "all students not just minorities" CMS is done as a whole. I dont like the bill (as you can see) , but its a positive step in the right direction. Maybe it will reduce some class sizes within CMS as thats a good change. Keith W. Hurley
ReplyDeleteVouchers won't reduce class size. If students use vouchers to leave public schools, teacher allocations will be reduced accordingly.
ReplyDeleteHigh School Principals
ReplyDelete"Suggest" and force teachers not to fail ANY student. It is part of their evaluation and opportunity to receive a BONUS.
MOrrison and BofE only care about the money (Federal Race to the Top)
If CMS were to allow teachers to use their own judgement about who needs and does not need to take progress tests, how long would it be before someone or some group would be calling "foul", alleging that some children were being discriminated against because they had to take the tests while others did not.
ReplyDelete11:40, both Morrison and the NWEA web site say these tests are aligned to state standards, which in this case means also aligned to Common Core. That's supposed to be a big selling point of this system.
ReplyDeleteCarrie and Highland Creek, thanks for the first-hand reports.
Hey Ann,
ReplyDeleteI'd turn your statement around: the tests are aligned to Common Core, which in this case means they are aligned to state standards, since North Carolina has adopted Common Core. One of the arguments for Common Core has been that it means that companies such as NWEA won't have to tailor their products to specific states. One question is whether Common Core will reduce costs to participating states or increase profits for corporations.
I think there's a Pulitzer waiting for whoever can figure out all the ways education reform is linked to profits. (Ditto classroom technology, which is a piece of that puzzle.) But I haven't figured out how to do it.
ReplyDeleteIf a business can make a profit by writing books to teach kids or by developing diagnostic tests to identify weaknesses, is that such a bad thing?
ReplyDeleteIf you're against the idea of profit, consider enrolling your children in Kim Jong Il's North Korean schools.
Pam, if more kids leave CMS via the voucher program it will reduce class sizes. Hopefully this voucher program expands to families of all income levels that fund the tax system. At that point CMS will become half of what it is today and management will be scaled down greatly. At that point it will be run more efficently and education will become the focus. If they can keep the doors open. Keith W. Hurley
ReplyDeleteIt seems with accepting these new MAP tests, we've eased some stress for the teachers. They no longer have to make-up tests, grade them and figure out what a student needs to do to get back on track. And principals have less sway in granting "social promotions" since the facts of an unbiased test will be in their face.
ReplyDeleteThe next best thing will be to send home the school work for the social degenerates and have the family unit responsible for the instruction and work each week. Then the student simply logs on and takes their test.
Now I do agree with increasing teacher pay back to the old scale. While in principle, I do support pay for performance, there are simply too many complications to fairly execute it. But now the teachers have to face the fact that they have done a crummy effort with culling the deadwood out of their profession. You want some politicians' support, come up with a way to identify, remediate, or dismiss those that do not belong in front of students anymore.
But lastly, I will tell you this. The financial picture for North Carolina is very bleak. We've lost many industries that allowed folks with a high school education or little more to enjoy a middle class lifestyle. Those industries are gone. And such is the economic future of this state. Not too far from what we see in California, Detroit, and such. Our economy can not support all the incentives people have to not work.
MAPs tests DO NOT eliminate the need for teachers to create and grade tests and quizzes, and they have the potential to cause more stress for teachers if these tests are tied to Pay for Performance. During one testing session, I observed one student never finish the test, one was absent for a week and missed the "testing window," one fell asleep during the test, and one finished in 10 minutes. I cannot see how that single test gives a clear picture of what those students learned.
ReplyDeleteAn additional concern about MAPs tests is alignment of the time-frame in which skills are taught and when they are tested. For instance, if you plan to teach a measurement unit in January but students are tested on measurement skills in October, how does that give a clear picture of what students are learning? Since the initial test gives a baseline of what students know, is that information skewed when testing and teaching time-frames don't match up? Do we align our instruction to what will be tested? Oh wait, that would be teaching to the test. Hummm....
Pay NC Teachers a decent wage and bring back their benefits!
ReplyDeleteNC will be the WORST in the nation for teachers compensation very soon.
COMMON GOAL for a COMMON CORE
First of all the testing window for Maps was too early so it would not interfere with EOGs. My 1st grade class took them right after Spring Break. So basically when the 3rd test was given my class had over a month and a half of instruction left... Also with these test, if a child keeps getting answers correct the questions get harder. For example, some of my higher students were answering questions that required them to divide, multiply, tell time to quarter hours, use decimals, and work with fractions other than halves and fourths...and all of these things are not covered under the common core standards for first grade. Thus what happens is they miss tons of questions covering materials they are are not required to know and when this happens they don't get enough points to show growth ( which averaged 9-12 points) each time test was taken. Therefore it appears like the student is not learning and teacher isn't doing their job... When in reality some students are being tested on material outside the scope of their grade level standards.
ReplyDeleteCMS needs to reduce size of literacy and curriculum facilitators at each school. Why do some schools have 3-4 of these expensive positions?
ReplyDeleteThey trade in teacher assistant positions or make other trades based on their allotments.
ReplyDeleteI am starting a new private school. It will cost 4,500.00. I will take anyone and everyone who can pay 4,500.00. I realize that no other private school in NC will be remotely affordable to anyone eve if they do get these vouchers, so I am only charging 4,500.00. We will begin our first day of school in A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!
ReplyDeleteCMS and the CMS School Board is an absolute joke. Work on giving some guidance to the "extreme hardship" standard for transfer requests instead of continuing with the rubber-stamp process that is just a waste for the families trying to get their kids out of the Title I schools that wouldn't have been a problem before the exemption to No Child Left Behind. The whole magnet process is a joke and a sham.
ReplyDeleteCMS is one step closer to being renamed ProjectLIFT we all know this. The state should just cut of funding now and send be one big voucher. I pay 80 to 90 k in state tax I will take 40 k and not complain. I will make a donation to Project Lift if they publish results as well. I will spend my 40 k over at CCDS and help the economy. I won't have to help Heath , because he will be gone no more support for bloated educrats.
ReplyDeleteWe were one of the CMS schools that piloted this program in 2012-2013. A few issues ...
ReplyDelete1.) Technology - in our school, over 600 students need to use one small, outdated computer lab. This was quite a process. The testing seemed to go on for weeks. A teaching assistant oversaw the testing - not the actual classroom teachers for the most part. A lot of students did not take it seriously.
2.) Timing - in order to provide useful information, the tests need to be given at regular intervals - Sept, Jan, May - for example. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a completely arbitrary testing schedule at our school so the data was not really monitoring "growth" over time.
3.) Data - who is helping teachers understand how to use the data? If we are going to spend all this time and money collecting data, I want to know that our teachers and facilitators can use the data effectively in the classroom. I did not see the data used at all.
“You know they think you can’t read,” I said as my daughter callously scrolled to the bottom of a 3 paragraph essay and just stabbed at any answer then went back up to the top and clicked next. She was taking a sample MAP test on my laptop. She said, “I can read” as she read the much shorter next question, “Who thinks I can’t read?” As I grabbed the mouse and hit the back arrow, “Your school. Look at me!” I explained loudly, I was mad now, “They DON’T think you are lazy and don’t want to read this. They think you actually CANNOT read, AT ALL. They assigned you the reading skill of a Kindergartner, because you did things like this on the computer test you took in school.” All she could say is, “Well, that’s just stupid because I can read.” I have to agree. Even my 7 year old daughter knows people are making a big assumption when they talk about what great the data this MAP test will produce. Kids will be kids. I can’t help but notice there is no footnote on the Norms chart to remind anyone the subject of all this testing was not a small human brain cloned in a lab, but an actual, unpredictable CHILD.
ReplyDelete