Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 28 February 2003 — Page 3

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2003

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

PAGE A3

IPS ► Continued from Page 1 Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA) evaluation requirements. Student scores are immediately available once they submits their answers. “I liked the online scores because I did not have to wait or worry about my scores while they are sent away to be graded,” said School No. 91 seventh grader Amber Spradley. Amber is one of the students in 28 schools where IPS conducted trial testing in the fall. Each spring, Indiana students are required to take the Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills. Traditionally, the student will test with a booklet; two No. 2 pencils, and scratch paper, for problem solving. After the tests are completed, they are sent away to be graded. There is usually an extensive waiting period before the results are known. How do parents feel about technology replacing paper testing? Rita Spradley, Amber’s mother, said, “I think that it would be much easier for the students. They would not have to worry about shading in the boxes, and making sure that they have completely erased a mistaken answer.” On the contrary, some parents may question the failing of computers, such as computers freezing up, or “crashing.” IPS addressed that issue, and performed practice tests before testing takes place this April. “We tested 28 schools, and we did have some technical glitches in the elementary schools, but none that were not correctable,” said Rick Peters of IPS testing division. The NWEA recommends that large school districts such as IPS test their students in

computer labs or any place where there are ample numbers of computers set up. All students will take a different test, covering the academic areas of mathematics, reading, and language arts. “Once an item is given to a student, the student will never see that item again. The computer remembers the student’s identification,” said Peters. The Measures of Academic Progress test (MAP), the official name for the computerized test, is capable of testing one student up to four times a year without the student having to repeat a same question. Nonetheless, IPS will normally only test a student twice a year. The MAP test, itself, is not given online, but is a computerized test. The only items tracked online are the scores, which have to be downloaded by a teacher or appropriate administrator. MAP is also capable of allowing for teachers to find placement for a student. If a student is coming from another school district to IPS, the MAP test is capable of allowing the student to take a shortened version, of the test given in the spring, allowing teachers to place a student in the appropriate classes. MAP is also able to test on a student’s achievement level, just incase a student is behind a grade level or two academically. “If a student is in the 6 ,h grade and is reading at the 5 lh grade level, it would be useless to give that student a 6 ,h grade test, because we know that student will fail the test,” said Peters. On the day after tests are completed, teachers will be

able to download a copy of the class report. Other reports available to school districts are the individual student progress report, class reports, school reports, and district reports. “There are a lot of advantages to MAP, more based on curriculum,” said Peters. “It helps parents to know their child’s weaknesses, the test is more cost efficient, and the tests are generally shorter.”

1

Marion

County v*'. The MAP computerized testing will be administered to the following school districts in Marion County during the annual Comprehensive Tests of Basic Skills spring testing: Beech Grave Schoob CaKaiy Lutheran School Franklin Township Schools Indianapotts Public Schools MSD of Decatur Township MSD ofPeny Township

MSD of Pike Township MSD of Warren Township Southport Presbyterian Speedway Schools

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