Request your student's MAP scores

I concur 100% with concerns about drawing too many conclusions from WASL results. The 10th grade WASL is (was) actually 7th grade content bundled into poorly worded and obtuse problems and sold to the public as "higher order thinking". Further, making any meaningful student-focused improvements based on WASL scores is impossible, because by the time scores are tabulated, guess what? It's next year and we're in the next grade. Movin' on....

Enter MAP. Measures of Academic Progress. North Beach was among a subset of schools that piloted this assessment last year. This year, it is being rolled out across the entire district. It is given 3 times per year, and our students are just finishing the first test cycle about now (depending on your classroom). For more information on the test, you can read over the NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Assosication) website on MAP at:
http://www.nwea.org/products-services/computer-based-adaptive-assessments/map

MAP includes built-in reporting tools, that make it as easy as a few clicks to generate detailed reports for each student. However, Seattle as a district is still working out how to release this information, how to train staff to interpret it, etc. Some parents have seen their students' scores, and others have met with resistance when they requested them. I would strongly encourage all parents to ask for their students' results following each assessment cycle. The test is administered by computer, so they are scored instantly once the test is complete.

There is a great post on the SaveSeattleSchools blog about MAP, including links to district resources describing the assessment rollout. One important point of information included inthe district powerpoint slides is that they intend to offer training for teachers to allow discussion of MAP results at parent/teacher conferences in November. See it here: http://saveseattleschools.blogspot.com/2009/08/map-101.html

In the event that you experience some resistance from at the school or district level, be aware of your rights as a parent. The law is on your side regarding release of student records to parents. Don't hesitate to reference RCW 28A.605.030 (Student education records — Parental review — Release of records — Procedure). The full text is at http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=28A.605.030. The first line of the RCW states the guidelines clearly:

"The parent or guardian of a student who is or has been in attendance at a school has the right to review all education records of the student. "

In a future post, we'll demystify the MAP scoring results for parents.

-Rick