READING AND MATH: MEASURES OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Reading is the complex act of constructing meaning from print. We read in order to better understand ourselves, others, and the world around us; we use the knowledge we gain from reading to change the world in which we live. Becoming a reader begins with our first interactions with print. We grow in our ability to comprehend and interpret a wide range of reading materials by utilizing skills and strategies that develop over time. These skills include using phonemic awareness, phonics and word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension strategies.

Teaching mathematics with high expectations for all students includes mathematical reasoning where students explain their thinking and sense-making of real world experiences.   In addition to factual and procedural learning, students also need to learn to identify assumptions, develop arguments, and make connections between mathematics and other contexts and disciplines.  The big ideas in mathematics must include mathematical experiences that incorporate mathematics content in areas such as number and operations, geometry, algebraic reasoning, and measurement.

Benchmarks

Northwest Evaluation Association’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests are computerized assessments that present students with engaging, age-appropriate content in the areas of reading and math. All students take MAP in the fall and again in spring of each year. The MAP tests are adaptive tests; as a student responds to questions, the test responds to the student and adjusts up or down in difficulty. As a result, MAP results provide detailed, actionable data about where each child is on their unique learning path. Hmong College Prep Academy teachers use the MAP results to measure student proficiency and growth, create instructional groups, determine intervention needs, and extend the learning of students.