Growing UnderstandingWith Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Scores

Charlotte Blair Jones

Plan for Today

In order to build understanding and confidence when communicating with other parents, we will discuss:

Ø Why We TestØ Definition of Giftedness

Ø Gifted ServicesØ Understanding MAP Tests

Ø The Bell Curve, Norming Groups and PercentilesØ RIT Scores

Ø Fall Building and District ResultsØ MAP Strengths and Limitations

Ø Questions

Why Do We Test?

The State of Ohio says legally all school districts must:

• Test for Giftedness• Identify Giftedness• Notify Families of Gifted Identifications

The State of Ohio does NOT mandate districts to service gifted studentsbecause the state does not provide funding.

In Dublin, we are very fortunate to have leadership in the district that understands the importance of supporting students, who are gifted, and funds Gifted Intervention Specialists (GIS) at at the elementary and middle school levels.

Definition of Giftedness

Giftedness means a person has the POTENTIAL to work at exceedingly high

levels compared to age or grade level peers.

� Measured by a standardized, nationally normed ability or achievement test approved by the Ohio Department of Education.

� The AIR tests may NOT be used for gifted ID. They are criterion referenced tests measuring mastery of grade level standards only. Since there are no above grade level questions, they cannot be used to measure giftedness. With designations of advanced on the AIR, it is confusing for parents; advanced means students answered more grade level questions correctly.

Gifted Behaviors

Students identified as being gifted do not always behave in a

gifted manner.

Giftedness as defined by ODE can fall into the categories of cognitively gifted and/or

academically gifted.

Our goal is to help students reach their potential and working at

exceedingly high levels.

Joe Renzulli says gifted behaviors occur when you have ability

combined with task commitment and creativity.

Assessments Used to Identify (ID) Types of Giftedness

Superior CognitiveCog At, InView or OLSAT

Specific AcademicMAP

All 3rd

Graders

All 4th

Graders

• Math (1, 3-8)• Reading (3-8)

AbilityTest

AchievementTest

Gifted Services

Superior Cognitive

Cognitive Services

Students meet weekly in a pullout group to further develop their life long learning skills emphasizing:

Habits of Mind, 21st Century Thinking Skills & Problem Based

Learning

Specific Academic

Culture of Enrichment

Students are placed in cluster groupings with other

academically gifted peers in reading & math in the regular

graded class to support differentiated instruction.

Subject Acceleration

All 4th, 5th and 6th grade students in Dublin City Schools are screened for a subject accelerated

placement in math for their 5th, 6th & 7th grade years.

Screening includes:

2 Math MAP Tests

2 Reading MAP Tests

Ability (Cognitive) Test

Teacher Rubric on Mathematical Maturity and Practices

What Are the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)?

� “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.”

� https://www.nwea.org/content/uploads/2011/07/A-Parents-Guide-to-MAP-.pdf

Misconceptions about MAP

If a student scores in thegifted range( ≥ 95%ile) it does not mean that the

student:• answered all of the test

questions correctly• already knows all of

the grade level content for the school year

• Qualifies for/or should be considered for subject acceleration in math

Norming Referenced Tests and Norming Groups

� MAP takes a sample of students. They report that the sample size is over 20,000 students per grade level from all over the country: rural, urban and suburban backgrounds. The students in the sample group scores are ranked from low to high to create percentiles. A percentile tells you how one student compares against this norming group of peers. If a child scores in the 95%ile, they scored better than 95% if the students in the norming group.

Bell Curve and Percentiles

66%14%14%

3% 3%

Percent vs. Percentile

99%ile ≠ A Perfect Score

Raw Score = # CorrectPercentage (%) 20 Out of 25 = 80%

Percentile (%ile) means the student scored better than 99% of the

students in the norming groups; a student could have answered 80% of

the questions correctly and been scored in the 99th%ile.

Measuring Stick (Norms) Based on Weeks in School

That’s why there are testing windows so students can be compared accurately by using weeks students have completed in in school.

Norming groups are measured at different point in the year. So a 99%ile in the fall does not mean a student knows all of the standards for the year. It means they scored better than 99% of the peers at the same point in the school year.

RIT (Rausch Unit) Scores

Ø Because each subject test has a different number of questions, the RIT Score was devised to be able to compare scores between grade levels to show growth and progress. Percentiles should not be used for comparison because the norming groups are different.

Ø RIT score equivalent charts specify a student has access to 50% of the content at a specific grade level.

When Tinkerbell was in 4th Grade in DCS, she scored a perfect score on the 4th grade Reading OAA. Tink also scored a perfect 160 on the CogAt Ability Test and her RIT score for math was > 235. What does that score mean and not mean?

Please, Proceed with Caution and Common Sense

One Snapshot & Data Point in Time

Ø Comprised of 30 to 50 multiple choice questions.

Ø Questions are surface level and typically are not measuring deeper, conceptual understandings

Ø Questions cover a small sampling, NOT all, of the grade level standards

Ø There are above and below grade level questions.

WeaknessesSurface Level, Procedural Multiple Choice Questions

Specific Academic Gifted Students at Pinney

Results as of January 2017What can we deduce from this information?

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%

1st Grade 2nd Grade 3rd Grade 4th Grade 5th Grade

Math

Reading

Average Percentage of Giftedness is 6-10%

Specific Academic Giftedness in Dublin

Math

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Pinney Dublin

Reading

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Pinney Dublin

Strengths of MAPFour Key Classroom Uses

� Evaluate Student Performance

� Individualize Instruction

� Understand a Student’s Achievement Patterns

� Set Achievement Goals for Students

Classroom Assessments

Formative:Activities

ObservationsConversations

PretestsQuick Checks

Tickets Out the DoorSummative:

Show What You KnowActivity, Conversation or

Assessment

Content Standards LadderBuilding Blocks of Understanding

Procedure vs. Concept & Covering vs. Using

Mathem

atical Practices

Deeper, Conceptual Questions

� Make Sense of Problem and Perservere in Solving

� Looking for and Making Use of Structure

� Reason Abstractly and Quantitatively

� Modeling with Mathematics

� Attending to Precision

� Construct Viable Arguments

Out of Context, Real World Application and Problem Solving Requiring Risk

Taking and Thinking

Sample Warm Up Question for 2nd Graders at Pinney:

Consecutive numbers are whole numbers that follow in order, like 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find three

consecutive numbers such that the sum of the first and third is 118.

Explain how you solved this problem.

Moment to PauseWhat are your thoughts before we finish?

Important Parental Questions

� How is my child progressing in learning the grade level standards?

� How does my child respond to challenges?

� What are my child’s strengths and growth areas?

� How well does my student articulate his/her conceptual understandings both verbally and in writing?

Thank You!

Thank you for allowing me to join your conversation today! Please, let me know if you have additional questions.