Student Testing
NWEA
Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) is a non-profit organization committed to helping school districts throughout the nation improve learning for all students. It partners with more than 1,300 school districts representing more than three million students. As a result of NWEA tests, educators can make informed decisions to promote your child’s academic growth.
NWEA’s computerized adaptive tests are called Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP. When taking a MAP test, the difficulty of each question is based on how well a student answers all the previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more difficult. If a student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. The final score is an estimate of the student’s achievement level.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What are computerized adaptive tests?
Computerized adaptive tests are tests taken on a computer. The difficulty of a test is adjusted to the student’s performance so each student sees different test questions. The difficulty of each question is based on how well the student has answered the questions up to that point. As the student answers correctly, the questions become more difficult. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier.
What subjects does MAP test?
MAP test’s students in math and reading.
How long does it take to complete a test?
Although the tests are not timed, it usually takes students about one hour to complete each test.
When will my student be tested and how often?
Districts have the option of testing their students up to four times a year. Districts typically test students at the beginning of the school year in fall and at the end of the school year in spring. See the above schedule for the 2007-2008 STMA test windows.
Do all students in the same grade take the same test?
No. NWEA assessments are designed to target a student’s academic performance in math and reading. These tests are tailored to an individual’s current achievement level. This gives each student a fair opportunity to show what he or she knows and can do. In the MAP test, the computer adjusts the difficulty of the questions so that each student takes a unique test.
What are NWEA assessments used for?
NWEA assessments are used to measure your student’s progress or growth in school. You may have a chart in your home on which you mark your child’s height at certain times, such as on his or her birthday. This is a growth chart. It shows how much he or she has grown from one year to the next. The MAP tests do the same sort of thing, except they measure your student’s growth in reading and math skills. The scale used to measure your child’s progress is called the RIT scale (Rasch unIT). The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale much like feet and inches on a yardstick. It is used to chart your student’s academic growth from year to year.
How do teachers use the test scores?
The MAP tests are important to teachers because they keep track of progress and growth in basic skills. They let teachers know where a student’s strengths are and if help is needed in any specific areas. Teachers use this information to help them guide instruction in the classroom.