VVSD Computerized Assessments to Begin This Week

Editor's Note: The following is a release issued by Valley View School District.

is wasting no time in measuring the current abilities of most elementary and middle school students in the district.

Students at all five middle schools and eight of the 12 elementary schools this week began participating in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) program, the nationally recognized computer-based math and reading skills assessments that VVSD will utilize three times each year to calculate a student’s progress.

The results, which will be available within a matter of days after a student completes the assessment, will be used by teachers and administrators to determine a plan for growth for each student. Parents will be kept abreast of assessment results.

The assessment schedule calls for each student at , , , and middle schools as well as , , , , , ,  and elementary schools to take the MAP assessment at some point in the next three weeks.

Because their computer labs needed some significant renovation to accommodate MAP needs, assessments won’t begin until sometime in mid October at , , and elementary schools.

“The MAP assessment will allow us to efficiently obtain accurate, timely information on our students’ progress in relation to the new Common Core Standards as well as Illinois Learning Standards,” said Kelly Gilbert, VVSD director of data and assessment. “Within 24 hours of a student completing testing, classroom teachers will have the results in hand and will be able to use the information to prepare different types of instruction for each child, zeroing in on areas that may require more attention and adjusting assignments to meet the specific needs of individual students.”

The current MAP assessments will provide a baseline for each student. Progress from that baseline will be measured at all elementary and middle schools during the first three weeks following Winter Break and again in mid April and early May.

Questions about MAP should be directed to school principals or classroom teachers. Information on MAP and the Northwest Evaluation Association is available at www.NWEA.org.