MAP Test

What is MAP?
You may be familiar with paper and pencil tests where all students are asked the same questions and spend a fixed amount of time taking the test. Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®), created by Northwest Evaluation Association™ (NWEA™), is different.

MAP is a computer adaptive test, which means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, most students will answer about half the questions correctly.

What does MAP measure?
MAP results are provided as a numerical RIT (Rasch Unit) score. This score is used to measure a student’s achievement level at different times of the school year and compute growth. Think of this like marking height on a growth chart. You can tell how tall your child is at various points in time and how much they have grown between one time and another.

What is a RIT score?
After each MAP test, students receive a RIT score. Think of the score as a student’s height. The score reflects the student’s academic knowledge, skills, and abilities like inches reflect height.
The RIT (Rasch Unit) scale is a stable, equal­interval scale, like feet and inches. Equal­interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale, and a RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. Scores over time can be compared to tell how much growth a student has made, similar to measuring height with a ruler.
 
Can MAP tell me if my child is working at grade level?

Just as a doctor has a chart showing the most common heights of people at certain ages, NWEA has put together charts showing the median RIT scores for students at various grade levels. NWEA researchers examined the scores of millions of students to find the average scores for students in
various grades. You can see a chart of these scores in the Comparative Data to Inform Instructional Decisions. Please note that MAP scores are just one data point that teachers use to determine how a student is performing. Please discuss any questions that you have about your child’s performance with your child’s teacher.

What subjects are available with MAP?
There are MAP tests in reading, language usage, mathematics, and science.

How long is a MAP test?
Tests are not timed, and students may take as much time as they need to complete them. Most
students take less than an hour to complete a MAP test. MPG tests typically last a shorter time.

What type of questions are on MAP tests? Are there sample tests?
The MAP tests include multiple choice, drag and drop, and other types of questions.

What computer skills should each student have?

Each student should know how to use a mouse rather than a touchpad.

Each student can point, click, drag, and drop object.