A great deal of time and effort is put into testing our
students each year. Students are
given a variety of tests across all grade levels. School testing is often a topic of discussion when it comes
to education. As the parent of a second grader, I too, feel the burden of seemingly
endless testing on my own child.
However, I understand the purpose of these tests is to measure his academic
progress. I find it helpful to
know where my son is academically in relation to his peers, in relation to
where he was last year and how he is progressing throughout the year.
Here at NSAHS we utilize several different tests to measure
the academic progress of our students. The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
and the North Dakota State Assessment (NDSA) are the two testing programs that
we receive data from.
Students in the junior class also take the Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) during the spring semester.
Beginning in the 2016-17 school year students in the senior class will
have to take a state mandated citizenship test as part of their graduation
requirements.
To help clear up any confusion or questions regarding these
tests I offer the following information:
MAP Testing
The information gained from this test is used by the school
to measure student growth, identify learning needs, and make accurate informed
decisions as to what classes students should register to take.
MAP testing is done
twice each school year at NSAHS.
One test is given in the fall, usually September or October, and the
other is given mid winter, usually January or February.
The fall test serves as both an indicator of what was
retained over the summer break and as a benchmark for the year ahead. The winter test serves as an indicator
of academic progress.
Across the world more than 7,400 schools with more than 10
million students use MAP Tests to help deliver the best educational
opportunities possible.
MAP Test Scores, for juniors, are also tied to test
exemption. Students in the junior
class must score at or above grade level to be exempt from their second
semester English, Science, and Math tests. Therefore, if no test scores exist exemptions cannot be
granted.
North Dakota State Assessment
This test is given to 8th and 11th
grade students at NSAHS. This is the
only test that is mandated by the state of North Dakota.
This test is given in two parts. The science portion is taken in the fall and the English and
math portions are taken in the spring.
The scores students receive are attached to their permanent
student file and serve as only one indicator of your child’s academic success.
As a state, North Dakota is part of the Smarter Balanced
Consortium. The Smarter Balanced
Consortium is a group of 15 states. Smarter Balanced is an on-line assessment
system aligned to the Common Core Standards.
The scores are used as a measure of student achievement and
also help the school fine tune our educational approach.
As always, I am happy to visit with parents about the
testing we do at NSAHS.
Mr. Gilbertson
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