Dear MA families,
Mattanawcook Academy will conduct NWEA testing on Tuesday, 5/21/24. The spring test is state mandated for all freshmen and sophomores in the areas of reading and math. Juniors will be taking the mandated MAP® Growth™ Science for use with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)* assessment. The NWEA assessment is a research based assessment tool that was created to measure growth and proficiency which provides insights to help tailor instruction for our students.
Maine’s New Through Year Assessment
In the 2019-2020 school year, as our community worked to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Maine Department of Education (DOE) recognized the need to provide families, students, teachers, and education leaders with timely and useful information to support student learning. To meet this goal, the Department formed a partnership with
NWEA, the creator of MAP Growth assessments. With many teachers across Maine already using NWEA’s MAP Growth assessments to measure student growth, the
Maine DOE has worked with NWEA to develop a new, innovative statewide assessment, the Maine Through Year Assessment in Reading and Mathematics. The Maine Through Year Assessment continues to provide scores as a measure of student growth throughout the year and, at the end of the year, provides performance scores based on the state standards.
Key Features of the Maine Through Year Assessment
• The assessment is computer adaptive. After a correct answer, a student may see a more difficult question. After an incorrect answer, a student may see an easier question. As a result, the assessment adapts to the learner and is unique to every student.
• The assessment is designed to be untimed. Students should be provided as much time as they need to answer all assessment questions. For the average student, the assessment will take about 60 minutes for each subject (Reading and Math).
• The assessment provides the opportunity for teachers to access and use immediate, actionable data to plan instruction. Starting in fall 2023, teachers will receive assessment data within 24 to 48 hours.
• The fall, winter, and spring assessments can be used as one way to measure student growth over time. The spring assessment can be used as one way to measure student performance according to grade-level state standards. To create a more complete understanding of what your student knows and can do, results from the Maine Through Year Assessment should be used alongside additional sources, such as school assessments and classroom learning.
• A variety of student supports and accessibility features are available to students to ensure that the assessment experience is as consistent as possible with the student’s daily instruction. These accessibility features include, but are not limited to, supports and accommodations for students with support plans, Individual Language, Acquisition Plans, 504 Plans, and IEPs.
The administration window for state assessments, such as the Maine Through Year Assessment, may bring temporary changes to a student’s schedule or routine. Families are encouraged to reach out to their school with questions and concerns, ensuring that there is understanding and collaboration around creating a positive assessment experience for every student.
For more information about the new Maine Through Year Assessment, please contact your guidance counselor or school administrator.