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Subject: MAP-A Training
Source: Heidi Atkins Lieberman, Assistant Commissioner
Intended Audience: Special Education Administrators and Superintendents
Date: September 10, 2007
Please do whatever you can to facilitate your teachers attending upcoming
MAP-A training through the Regional Professional Development Centers
(RPDCs). Keep in mind that the performance of the students taking the MAP-A
can lead to a higher number of students in your district identified in the
"proficient" category. The results of this test are heavily dependent on the
expertise of the teachers administering it.
Attending MAP-A training is important for the following reasons:
* Science is added to the assessment for the first time this year. This
portion is structured differently from the Mathematics and Communication
Arts sections.
* Teachers who participated in the MAP-A Science Pilot reported a level of
discomfort with science content. The training offers specific guidance and
examples of MAP-A science activities.
* The training describes new rules for interpreting Mathematics and
Communication Arts APIs. Failure to follow these rules will cause MAP-A
entries to be unscoreable.
* New guidelines for selecting APIs have been established for the MAP-A.
* New forms have been added this year and some MAP-A forms have changed.
* New samples, developed from 2006-2007 operational MAP-A submissions, are
available.
* Every teacher who attends a training session receives a copy of the
2007-2008 Instructor's Guide & Implementation Manual.
* Teachers who attend have an opportunity to work with colleagues to develop
assessment activities for their own students.
* MAP-A assessment is not self-explanatory. It is a complex process.
Finally, keep in mind that administering the MAP-A does take time; support
your teachers whenever possible with use of substitutes to free up some time
for their MAP-A work. |
