Should an instructor teach the test? Absolutely not. Should the MAP or replacement be used as a gauge at the start of the school year to see where a student is, sure. At the end of the year to see what the student has learned, sure.

The problem is that middle test is simply a waste of money and precious resources. What do you do with the students that are expected to research and write reports when they don’t have a computer at home and the computer at school is off limits due to the MAP testing?

Also understand that the MAP may test on items not covered in class. Imagine being tested on the Quadratic Equation in February when you’re not schedule to learn it until May? Is that fair to the student or the instructor?

The other thing that is very unfair that goes beyond the MAP is holding an instructor accountable for all their students for the objectives that the students should have reached, when some students have moved out of the area and some have moved into the area that are not at the level they should be. Add English Language Learner students to the mix coming in as well. Until the district can come up with a fair system to handicap the evaluations, factoring student movement and factoring the skills of the students coming into the class and afterwards, instructors that are good instructors face a tough future.

DW can you please name me another school district locally in this area or indeed, the entire state that uses MAP in this way (to assess teachers competence and admission to advanced placement when the vendor itself specifically stated those were NOT acceptable or psychometric ally/valid uses, the teachers or parents were not trained how to USE or ANALYZE the data generated, and was purchased under a glaring conlict of interest (former Supt Maria Goodloe Johnson on the board of the vendor, NOT disclosed to the SPS Board or Taxpayers/Parents and the “sweetheart contract NOT put to bid in violation of SPS policies and state law?

Can you name ANY other district that ties up its staff, limited computers, libraries like this for weeks 2 – 3 xs a year – when the test is NOT in synch w/ the learning objectives, and the error of margin is greater than the expected rate of growth?

See the so- called back pedaling from the NWEA (NW Educ. Assessment Assn. ) in the Times Op-Ed (sic) piece today published….. Hogwash – millions in direct purchase price and lost time in teaching and tying up of resources.

Would I have staged the protest this way? No. If I were union leadership or a teacher would I have been bullied into MAP inlusion as part of evaluation? Heck No. If I were an SPS Boardmember , would I have caved to the “powers that be ” pro forma renewal of this specious contract – double heck no.

But the devil is in the details and history – and very very few opportunities to learn about the details and weigh in and the arrogance of those “that know better” rule the day.

I truly hope that Supt Banda makes good on his promise to listen to those outside the insular SPS admin and takes a mtg -not some weighted hand-picked task force and LISTENS to those willing to risk the penalties of civil disobedience, before imposing draconian “insubordination” penalties.

We’ve waited for years for a community outreach plan – this might be a good time to implement it.

Lots of nice Nat’l publicity, the usual Sea Times push-back, but change is a bear.

NO, teachers aren’t saying “trust me, don’t assess my work.” They are saying MAP is a flawed assessment that doesn’t help students nor adequately assess students.

And our school systems are NOT failing; where is your proof of that?

Orca, the teachers AGREED to two assessments of their work in their contract. They would not have done that if they didn’t agree it was necessary.

In answer to the question about advanced class, yes, MAP is a gatekeeper for Advanced Learning programs but not to AP classes.

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/no-dentist.html

Would you refuse a work assignment that might cause another person harm? If you were a nurse, and a doctor ordered you to give medication to which a patient was allergic (let’s assume the doctor wasn’t paying attention to allergies at the time), would you just give the patient the medication? I sure hope not.
It’s not a question of a disagreeable assignment – it’s an assignment that causes more harm than good.
I’m a parent, not a teacher, but I’m constantly surprised at how little understanding there is of what teachers try to do with my kids every day.