Ensuring high academic standards through MAP growth assessment

So, what is MAP? The acronym stands for Measures of Academic Progress, and it is one of the assessment tools that our school uses to track each student's academic progress.

Firstly, let's backtrack on the theoretical underpinning of MAP. There is a concept in education that we call Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). This term relates to the importance of MAP and how it will promote and uphold high academic standards. If you can think about it in terms of the solar system, the zone of proximal development is like Earth. Earth is in the habitable zone; it's not too hot or cold due to its proximity to the sun. Everything grows, and there is life! MAP data provides a score from around 140 to 300, which indicates where each child is academically. Each child then has a specific range, representing what we call the Rasch Unit (RIT) score. It is this RIT score that represents the zone of proximal development where learning for that specific child happens the best and where the child will thrive.

MAP data assists our teachers in designing classroom instruction. We call this scaffolding or support of learning. When teachers ask how they can support their students' learning, one entry point is designing the learning experiences for their students based on the RIT or MAP scores. Are you familiar with IXL? Our school uses each child's MAP data and injects that into the IXL platform. Then, IXL uses its technology to benchmark the RIT scores and presents questions related to or within each child's range. This means that each child has a different set of questions according to their RIT scores. We call this differentiated instruction. This allows teachers to plan a personalized learning experience for each child.

You may wonder how school administrators use the MAP data. In my department of Teaching and Learning, MAP data is used to measure the effectiveness of instructions and strategies and for future curriculum review. Here at our LifePlus schools, we have a six-year curriculum review cycle for every subject. We use this data to revisit and review curriculum resources, strategies, and professional development.

MAP Growth assessments are conducted three times a year, so take the time to understand the benefits to your child's academic success. Reach out to your child's teacher or divisional principal.