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Cut Scores Approved for Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) Tests
JACKSON, Miss. – The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) today approved the cut scores for the Mississippi Assessment Program (MAP) tests, which students took for the first time during the 2015-16 school year. MAP measures student progress in grades 3 through 8 with annual tests in English Language Arts and Mathematics and in high school Algebra I and English II.
A cut score is the minimum score a student must achieve on an assessment in order to be placed in a certain performance level. MAP tests have five levels: Minimal, Basic, Passing, Proficient and Advanced. The top two achievement levels indicate a student has a strong understanding of grade-level standards and is ready for the next level in their education.
A panel of Mississippi educators and content area experts met in July to determine the cut scores a student must earn on each assessment in order to reach each performance level. This process is called academic achievement standard setting and it is typically conducted after the first administration of a new assessment. The process includes an external review by a policy advisory committee made up of assessment experts.
District- and school-level MAP results will be presented to the SBE on August. 18. Individual Student Score Reports reports will be sent to districts after August 30.
The 2015-16 MAP results will be used to help calculate accountability grades for the 2015-16 school year. Accountability grades will be released in the fall.
MAP replaces the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test. MAP was specifically developed for Mississippi because the state ended its membership in the PARCC testing consortium and new tests were needed to measure student mastery of the Mississippi College and Career Ready Standards.
Like PARCC, MAP tests are more demanding than previous state tests and set a higher bar for student achievement. MAP results are expected to be more in line with Mississippi’s results from PARCC and National Assessment of Educational Progress, which provide a more transparent picture of student achievement.
“MAP assessments are designed to let parents know how their child is progressing, and to give teachers more information to guide instruction,” said Dr. Carey Wright, state superintendent of education. “The assessments are a valuable tool to monitor student learning to ensure students develop the knowledge and skills they need to graduate prepared for college or careers.”
View the MAP cut scores and impact data here.
Learn more about setting achievement standards here.
