This past year was my first year teaching in public school. Just a few weeks in I noticed that we had three shortened days in a row where the studens would be spending over two hours in their homeroom at the end of the day. I quickly found out that this was for MAP Testing. For thoe who are not familiar with MAP testing, "NWEA is a research-based, not-for-profit organization that supports students and educators worldwide by creating assessment solutions that precisely measure growth and proficiency—and provide insights to help tailor instruction. For 40 years, NWEA has developed Pre-K–12 assessments and professional learning offerings to help advance all students along their optimal learning paths," (Advancing)

That is the technical definition. However, my school uses it to see what levels the students are at in regards to reading, science, and math. For 8th graders, their scores determine what classes they will take in high school. 

After administrering these tests for my first year, I have mixed feelings on the test and how it is used. I believe the validity of the test is very strong. Also, it is nearly impossible for the students to cheat because all tests are different, and also it is very hard to guess because the student will automatically get kicked out of the test. The students are asked appropraite questions that help determine their skill levels. What I had an issue with was how my school used the data. It seemed like in every meeting we had, one of the administrators would mention that if we wanted to, we could look at individuals MAP scores to help create the proper lessons for groups of students. Despite that instruction, it never seemed to happen. I am not trying to throw anyone under the bus, especially because I also did not use the data. I do think assessments like these can be very beneficial, but in order for that to happen, teachers need to recieve the appropriate training on how the data could be use positively. 

Reference:

Advancing growth for all students. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2020, from https://www.nwea.org/about/