NWEA Improves K-2 Assessment Tool

• By David Kopf
• 07/10/07

The Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), a non-profit based in Portland, OR that works with educational organizations to improve K-12 education, released new features for its MAP for Primary Grades computerized adaptive assessment system.

As part of its MAP Growth Measures offering, the upgraded primary grades product give teachers better tools for identifying student abilities and placing students in appropriate curricula for very young students at the K-2 level.

"The new survey with goals tests adapt to the individual student’s achievement level, giving teachers highly accurate information about what each student has learned and is ready to learn next, " said Raymond Yeagley, vice president of product and business development at NWEA, in a prepared statement. "Additionally, MAP for Primary Grades includes diagnostic tests that provide a quick reference for gauging student readiness for reading and mathematical instruction. Teachers can target instruction without spending hours conducting one-on-one testing.”

MAP for Primary Grades includes various reporting options such as teacher reports, student progress reports, and administrative-level reports. It also includes reports for diagnostic tests, including data for specific content objectives to help teachers group students for instruction, plan curriculum, and communicate student achievement to parents and school administrators.

Other new features include:

• Teachers can access instructional data linked to student performance. A collection of instructional data statements can translate test scores into skills and concepts that students are ready to learn, and helps guide instruction during the first three years of school.
• New teacher and sub-skill performance reports help teachers better understand overall class performance on specific skills or concepts, while sub-skill reports highlight students' individual instructional levels.
• At-a-glance student reports chart performance over time, and highlight understanding within goal and sub-goal areas.
• The all-test report displays class performance in diagnostic tests given to the students to provide fast, visual assessment of overall class understanding in the specific test areas.
  

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