What is MAP
MAP is a computer adaptive test—which means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, most students will answer about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.
What is a RIT score?
A RIT is a numeric score that represents a student’s achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time. The RIT scale is a stable scale, like feet and inches, that accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level (scores can be compared from test to test and student to student regardless of grade). This numeric score is given at the end of each reading and math test. Reading and math scores can be further broken down into sub categories (for example in reading a sub category is literary text) each sub category is also given a RIT score. RIT scores answer the question “What is my child’s current achievement level?”
What is a percentile rank?
A percentile rank indicates how well a student performed in comparison to the students in the specific norm group, in our case the norm group is the same grade and subject. A student's percentile rank indicates that the student scored as well as, or better than, the percent of students in their grade. For example, a student scoring at the 65th percentile scored as well as, or better than, 65 percent of students in the grade. It also means that 35 percent of the students in the grade exceeded this score. Percentiles are norm based, meaning “average” would be in the 50th percentile. Percentiles answer the question “how is my child doing in comparison to other children?”.
What should I look for in a percentile rank?
Ideally, we want all students near the 50th percentile or higher. This would mean your child is performing as well as the average 4th grader in this subject area. However, it is important to note that MAP identifies students scoring in the 75th percentile or higher as being “on track for college success”. Students scoring below the 40th percentile are identified as being in need of increased academic attention and support.
What if the RIT score increased but percentile stayed the same or lower?
This can happen. It means your child grew and performed better on this round of testing than they did in the fall but their percentile didn’t increase because percentile is a comparison between other students. This means that while your child grew (yeah!) other students grew at a faster rate.
My child didn’t score well on this round of MAP?
This can happen too and it isn’t the end of the world. The MAP test is one test, where a student on one day answers some questions. Many factors can influence how well a child does and children sometimes don’t score as well as expected. Unless we see a trend of falling scores this is not a cause for concern.
MAP is a computer adaptive test—which means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, most students will answer about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.
What is a RIT score?
A RIT is a numeric score that represents a student’s achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time. The RIT scale is a stable scale, like feet and inches, that accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level (scores can be compared from test to test and student to student regardless of grade). This numeric score is given at the end of each reading and math test. Reading and math scores can be further broken down into sub categories (for example in reading a sub category is literary text) each sub category is also given a RIT score. RIT scores answer the question “What is my child’s current achievement level?”
What is a percentile rank?
A percentile rank indicates how well a student performed in comparison to the students in the specific norm group, in our case the norm group is the same grade and subject. A student's percentile rank indicates that the student scored as well as, or better than, the percent of students in their grade. For example, a student scoring at the 65th percentile scored as well as, or better than, 65 percent of students in the grade. It also means that 35 percent of the students in the grade exceeded this score. Percentiles are norm based, meaning “average” would be in the 50th percentile. Percentiles answer the question “how is my child doing in comparison to other children?”.
What should I look for in a percentile rank?
Ideally, we want all students near the 50th percentile or higher. This would mean your child is performing as well as the average 4th grader in this subject area. However, it is important to note that MAP identifies students scoring in the 75th percentile or higher as being “on track for college success”. Students scoring below the 40th percentile are identified as being in need of increased academic attention and support.
What if the RIT score increased but percentile stayed the same or lower?
This can happen. It means your child grew and performed better on this round of testing than they did in the fall but their percentile didn’t increase because percentile is a comparison between other students. This means that while your child grew (yeah!) other students grew at a faster rate.
My child didn’t score well on this round of MAP?
This can happen too and it isn’t the end of the world. The MAP test is one test, where a student on one day answers some questions. Many factors can influence how well a child does and children sometimes don’t score as well as expected. Unless we see a trend of falling scores this is not a cause for concern.