Author: Justyna King /

MAP Testing for the FALL 2020

Summary:

  • All students participating in MAP testing must be rostered BEFORE any testing can begin. Rostering can begin as early as August 13th and we ask that all students are rostered by September 3rd by 3pm.
  • MAP tests for READING and MATH are required, LANGUAGE will be available but not required, in the spirit of baseline information – just as we will have to choose essential standards we must also make tough decisions about assessment requirements for this school year.

The MAP testing window is September 11th – October 30th.

Article:

Dear Principals and Map coordinators!

THANK YOU for your patience while we continue to work with NWEA to ensure that MAP testing is ready to go this fall, be it in-person or virtual. Last Thursday, we held an online training where Nathan Stuart led a presentation on how virtual MAP testing will be held, and how to roster for all MAP testing. The links to this presentation can be found here:

Remote testing: https://vimeo.com/user84717829/review/446620743/6b84c0db6a [vimeo.com] [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com]

 

Rostering: https://vimeo.com/user84717829/review/446610173/0565acfa15 [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com] [vimeo.com]

At the morning Principal meeting on Tuesday, August 11th, I shared that we have had several schools ask that MAP testing be optional for the Fall of 2020 while schools continue to try and adjust for the ever changing landscape of Catholic education. Teachers are continuously asked to change plans, to pivot and to adjust to the many needs that COVID has burdened our families, students, and selves with. I want to acknowledge that several principals reached out to me directly and cited compelling evidence to emphasize that schools should be focusing on social-emotional learning of our students and asked that we consider the impact that early testing can have on the classroom environment. I fully support the emphasis on student-relationship building, family-contacting and community outreach, especially during the first few weeks of school. However, I still am compelled by the need to also give teachers the appropriate tools and data to ensure that each student is being served academically and that a thoughtful, measurable and assessable learning plan is made for each individual student so that our educators can be effective and equitable to the needs of all students.

 

The MAP test is one data point, albeit, a data point that can show student progress as compared to the nation, the state, and districts around each particular school. The nuances of the MAP test provide specific information that can help educators discern the need for specific areas of academic intervention and support. Without a comprehensive academic plan to start the school year, students may be left with a generalized curriculum that does not serve their particular and individual academic need. MAP data can be used for accreditation, for referencing standardized scores to get support from public school resources, and quite frankly, to give parents a snapshot of where their student is on the academic spectrum as compared to where they were the season before, and where they are expected to be in the future.

I strongly recommend that all Catholic schools continue MAP testing this fall and throughout the school year and NWEA has committed to providing support to all schools should they need it. You can see the email below that I sent after the training with all pertinent contact information to our team of NWEA partners.

If your school chooses to go again the recommendation, I would ask that we have a conversation about alternative forms of baseline assessments and how your school is working to serve the academic needs of your students – I promise I will try to convince you to do MAP testing, but despite my valiant efforts, if you choose to do something else, I will support your decision because I know that your teachers and school leadership knows what is best for your school and community. My email is justyna.king@seattlearch.org .

 

There is no reason why you should be asked to provide information as a Data Administrator – because the process should be

  1. Log in (email me directly if you need a log-in at king@seattlearch.org
  2. Find the Roster File Template on the bottom of your screen
  3. Download the Excel Spreadsheet (template)
  4. Upload your school and student information onto the template from your student information system
  5. Save the file as a CSV with the name “rf”.  It should look like this: csv
  6. Upload the template into your school’s file on the page. You school title and password is in a file I’ve attached to this email. J

 

That is the process in its entirety. If you get an “error” message after submission, it will let you know what errors there are. Typically these can range from misspelling student names to dual ID numbers. You can resubmit as many times as you want without having to go back and delete anything that you submitted earlier.

If you are getting a message that says that you MUST log in as an administrator, then something is wrong.

If you have technical questions, the best place to send them immediately is to NWEA Partner Support at 1-877-469-3287 or online Chat here [cdn.nwea.org] [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].

If you’re still pulling your hair out and cannot get the support that you need online, feel free to reach out to me directly and I will hook you up with a technical support team member. (Please only do this AFTER you’ve watched the video and attempted other modes of support!)

If you have technical questions about rostering or the mechanics of MAP testing, please contact: NWEA Partner Support at 1-877-469-3287 or online Chat here [cdn.nwea.org] [nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com].

 

If you have questions about MAP testing and support at the Office of Catholic Schools, please contact me! Justyna.king@seattlearch.org – we are here to support you!