Testing

After each MAP Growth test, parents will receive a Student Progress Report results in the form of a RIT score that reflects the student’s academic knowledge, skills, and abilities. Think of this score like marking height on a growth chart. You can tell how tall your child is at various points in time and how much they have grown between one stage and another.

The RIT (Rasch Unit) scale is a stable, equal-interval scale. Equal interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale. A RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. You can compare scores over time to tell how much growth a student has made.

We use MAP results to help make informed decisions to promote academic growth. Results help us guide classroom instruction by identifying areas of academic strength in addition to areas that may need attention. MAP is one assessment tool we use to track students' progress, identifying where more teaching assistance is required, and ensuring that each individual student receives the academic attention they need to succeed.

Your child’s teacher will administer a practice test the week before to explain the test format and ensure there are no technology glitches to the students prior to test day. On test day, make sure your child brings a water bottle, is well rested and eats a well-balanced breakfast. Please see that your child comes to school on time, and refrain from making appointments during the day during our testing window. Please contact your child's teacher if you have questions about missed testing days.

For parents, these scores are mainly informational.  Look at the growth from previous tests and where your child is compared to the benchmark.  If the phonemic test scores are low, your child needs more practice with letter and sound recognition.  If your child’s reading fluency is low, make sure to have your child practice reading out loud to you, not just reading in their heads.

We use all DIBELs scores to track progress.  We are able to track across grade levels to see growth.  We use the scores to identify students who need more support or to make decisions for reading groups.  Nonsense words tell us if there are holes in their phonemic awareness and guide our instruction.  We aim for growth for all students, even those who are already above the benchmark.   

By pinpointing exactly what your child knows, teachers can personalize your child’s practice to keep them growing. Plus, short test times ensure your child spends more time learning and less time testing (testing times vary between 16 and 30 minutes).

Star Assessments’ Reports 

Here is a sample of the report we send home. The colored bar at the top shows where your child is performing compared to the benchmark for their grade level.  The beginning of the green is the benchmark for the student below.  Look for your child’s grade equivalent to find the current reading level.  

On the second page, it lists the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development).  This is the reading level range that this student should be reading.  If you look up books on arbookfind.com, it will tell you the book level.  You ideally want to look for books in your child’s ZPD.   

The domain scores give you scores for the different comprehension strategies.  If you ask questions as you are reading with your child, this gives your ideas for the areas where your child could improve.   

Your teacher also uses this score to measure growth.  We can compare this score with previous results to ensure that your child is continuing to strengthen his/her reading skills, regardless of where they are on be benchmark continuum.   

The test duration is listed at the bottom of the first page.  There are 34 questions.  It should take at least 16 minutes if they do not rush.   

By pinpointing exactly what your child knows, teachers can personalize your child’s practice to keep them growing. Plus, short test times ensure your child spends more time learning and less time testing (testing times vary between 16 and 30 minutes).

Star Assessments’ Reports 

Here is a sample of the report we send home. The colored bar at the top shows where your child is performing compared to the benchmark for their grade level.  The beginning of the green is the benchmark for the student below.  Look for your child’s grade equivalent to find the current reading level.  

On the second page, it lists the ZPD (Zone of Proximal Development).  This is the reading level range that this student should be reading.  If you look up books on arbookfind.com, it will tell you the book level.  You ideally want to look for books in your child’s ZPD.   

The domain scores give you scores for the different comprehension strategies.  If you ask questions as you are reading with your child, this gives your ideas for the areas where your child could improve.   

Your teacher also uses this score to measure growth.  We can compare this score with previous results to ensure that your child is continuing to strengthen his/her reading skills, regardless of where they are on be benchmark continuum.   

The test duration is listed at the bottom of the first page.  There are 34 questions.  It should take at least 16 minutes if they do not rush.