The Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) test is an adaptive assessment that provides individualized questions for students based on their responses. It measures student growth over time in reading, math, language usage, and science. MAP results include RIT scores that pinpoint student achievement levels and indicate concepts that require more instruction. These scores along with subtest performance are used by teachers to target instruction and by students and parents to understand strengths and areas for growth. While MAP provides useful information, teachers emphasize that classroom performance and work provide the fullest picture of a student's learning.

1. NAVIGATING YOUR WAY
THROUGH THE MAP
Understanding your child’s scores

2. What is the Measure of
Academic Progress?
 ONE measure of student learning
 “Snapshot” in time
 Differentiated questions
 Timely feedback
 Tied to nationally-recognized
curriculum benchmarks

3. How is the MAP test different?
Traditional tests
 Same questions
for all students in
a grade
 Time limit
 Results come
months later
MAP Test
 Different questions
based on student
responses
 Difficulty varies
 No time limit
 Results in 48 hours

4. How are questions different?
When students take a MAP test, they experience the chance
to show others what they are capable of doing without being
bound by grade level expectations. As students answer
questions correctly, the testing program provides more
difficult questions. When students miss a question, the next
question is easier.
Students who are high achieving can successfully
demonstrate their level of achievement, while students who
struggle are not frustrated by interacting with assessments
that are too difficult. More importantly, all students can show
how they have grown academically regardless of where they
are relative to standards.

5. Why do we use it at ACS?
 Used by many U.S. international
schools
 Provides an external assessment for
grades 2-8
 Gives teachers and administration
data for planning instruction
 Provides feedback on academic
programs

6. What information is provided?
 Reading, math, language, science
 RIT scores: specific objectives
 Lexile scores for reading test
 Subtest scores for all tests
 Comparison with U.S. students
 Growth information

7. Growth Report for a Student
W
hen the test
was taken RIT
Score
ACS
Average
U
.S. Average
Of 100
students
who took the test
Growth in RIT
numbers

8. What is a RIT score?
 RIT stands for Rausch unit, a number scale that was
developed for the MAP testing. The RIT scores are a
measure of the level of difficulty of questions that a
student can answer. MAP tests produce scores that make
it possible to monitor student growth from year to year
along developmental curriculum scales.
 Teachers use RIT scores to identify specific skills that
students have mastered or on which they need to focus
instruction.
 Each subject-area has a unique alignment to the RIT
scale. As a result, scores between subjects are not
equivalent.

9. How are RIT scores used?
 Measure of difficulty of questions
 Hierarchical—can measure growth
by looking at increasing RIT score
 Tied to specific skills/benchmarks so
teachers know exactly what
students can do
 Given as a range of numbers to
account for a margin of error

10. What does percentile mean?
 Compared to students in a norm
group (hundreds of thousands)
 Out of every 100 students
Example: Scoring at 70th
percentile
means that child performed better
than 70 students out of 100 who
were in the norm group.

11. Graph Report
When test
was taken
F = fall
S = spring
RIT Score
Subtest
Evaluations
Appropriate
level for books
Compares RIT scores
from one test to another

12. How do we use the information?
 Grouping students
 Targeting instruction
 Finding appropriate materials
 Identifying areas for focus
 Student goal-setting

13. How can parents use the
information?
 Identify areas of relative strength
and areas for improvement
 Over the long term, track progress
 Follow suggestions from your child’s
teacher

14. MAP scores are just one measure
of achievement
Teacher-madeTeacher-made
AssessmentsAssessments
Daily work andDaily work and
classroomclassroom
performanceperformance
StandardizedStandardized
Tests (MAP)Tests (MAP)

15. Remember that the MAP scores
are only a snapshot in time.
Your child’s day-to-day
progress in the classroom is
the most important gauge of
his or her learning.

16. For more information
 Refer to the Parent Toolkit on the
MAP website:
http://www.nwea.org/support/article/930/parent-toolkit
 Contact the Director of Learning
Jean Beyer at jbeyer@acsamman.edu.jo
 Contact your child’s principal