Dear Grade 3 to Grade 10 Parents and Guardians,

From April 12 to 26, your child will take standardized tests called Measures of Academic Progress (MAP). Each grade level will take one test a day, during one class period, on three school days (please see the testing schedule sent via email) over the course of the testing period. Each school year, students in grades 3 through 10 take the tests during both the first and second semester.

Following each testing period, you will receive a report showing your child’s level of achievement as it compares to a North American norm group of roughly 3 million students as well as students at the three Brent campuses in the Philippines. MAP is computer-based and provides timely feedback of results that help our school better determine each child’s instructional level: measuring academic growth against Brent curriculum standards during the school year, and from year to year, in the areas of Reading, Language and Mathematics.

MAP offers a number of advantages for our school. MAP is administered twice a year: at the beginning of the school year as a formative evaluation of student proficiency and near the end of the year to see progress and areas for growth.  MAP provides teachers, students and parents a clear idea of progress and where they might be able to assist or spend more time and focus towards greater achievement.  MAP tests are unique in that they adapt during the testing to be appropriate for your child’s level of learning. This means that every student will get a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions become more challenging. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions become easier. Test results help teachers identify where a student is meeting or exceeding expectations and where they might need additional support.

Students do not need to make any specific, academic preparations for the tests. Still, there are a few steps that students can take to ensure they are well-prepared: get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and stay relaxed. Encourage them to approach the tests with a positive mindset and remind them that while the test does not count towards a Brent grade, MAP results are useful to both teachers and students to measure growth and understanding.

For more information on resources for parents, you may download the Parent Toolkit through the following link: https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/.

Best regards

Todd Wyks