It is give and take...

Posted on 6/02/09

I apologize that no one has responded to your query in four
weeks. It may be one of the most important issues that a test
coordinator has to address.

Over the years our school given the MAP in several different
formats. If one session is administered per day, and the MAP is
stretched over three weeks, the students and instructors are
not as fresh and pumped up the last week as they are the first.
If two sessions are given per day, you can finish all three
sessions in two weeks. I have seen very little difference in
the results.

I would think that DESE would have collected data and have
facts for testing coordinators to use to support decisions. The
data wouldn't be difficult to collect, just have each school
mark the actual dates that they give each session on a bubble
sheet. They could collect data to support whether students who
take the MAP with the entire group score higher than students
who have to make up a session due to absences. But instead, we
have the personal opinions of regional leaders, teachers, and
testing coordinators that drive the way you set up your tests.

All that said, I personally prefer to give two sessions in one
day; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Teachers are
not giving difficult lessons that require homework the
remainder of a day if only one session is tested, so the day is
often not strongly academically structured (meaning many
schools virtually give students fun, stress-free activities to
fill up the hours in which the MAP is not given, so the day is
a waste academically anyway).

I would also like to see the assessment window from the last
week in April until the third week in MAY. Many schools still
have an additional six-week term after they have given the MAP.
Students tend to think that "learning is over" after the MAP,
and it is more difficult to get them to work on lessons. If
the MAP was later, that learning window might be extended
another month.

4/22/09, Gena wrote:
> I am the Assessment Coordinator for our District. We
> usually spread the MAP testing in grades 3rd-6th out over
> two weeks taking one or maybe two sessions a day. I teach
> kindergarten so I do not give the MAP test, but I make the
> schedule. The state recommends that you only give 1 session
> a day. My teachers feel the kids would do better to NOT
> stretch it out over 2 weeks. They would rather give a
> session in the AM and one in the PM in one week. I am
> wondering what other districts are going and if you have
> seen any trends in results?? Thanks!!

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