ISR makes academic progress and introduces MAP testing

By Paul Noonan, Grade 5 Teacher and MAP testing Coordinator

 

This year saw ISR introducing a new form of standardized test which would help the school to move forward and create measurable standards set for learning on which students can be measured.

Though standard testing can’t show all important skills, within a school we can avoid gaps and help to catch cracks in the learning process if there is any. Most importantly it shows progress for each kid’s individual academical development allowing teachers to concentrate on it, as opposed to comparing them with other students.

MAP essentially is a computerized adaptive test which helps teachers, parents and administrators measure and make informed decisions to promote the academic growth of a child. At ISR all children’s progress is tracked to ensure that children’s learning is supported and extended in the safe and security of the surrounding environment. Additionally, with the test, ISR is provided with a benchmark which accurately reflects exactly where it is on a scale comparable to other international schools. The results were well received by the entire ISR community and showed how well our school performs in a global sense.

 

After a successful implementation and test period in the summer of 2018, MAP was officially launched across both campuses (Grades 2-9) in October. The decision was made to test the children at ISR in reading comprehension, language usage and mathematics starting in Grade 2 and continuing all the way to Grade 9. A second test was administered in the spring of 2019 in order to generate a student progress report, which could accurately reflect the growth of every child within that spectrum. The reports were then shared with parents and each specific part broken down for parents to discuss with class teachers. Furthermore, teachers and administrators had the opportunity to hold productive and informative discussion which will ensure that ISR will take the necessary steps to progress further next year.

ISR RESULTS COMPARED TO ALL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS (FALL 2018)

* ISR are above the average for ‘ALL’ International Schools.