The Middle School MAP tests from September 16-19 have shown minor improvements from last year’s results and show a more accurate picture of the effects of the pandemic on student learning.

Math, Spanish, English Reading and Language, were administered to students in grades 6, 7, and 8. MAP tests are specific assessments that deliver data helping student learning. 

“The first day was English and the second day was language, and then Thursday and Friday were Math and Spanish,” Lina Marulanda, MS Learning Center Math Teacher, said.

Information from all four map test scores shows score increases in the subjects of Spanish, a new exam, and Math. Scores were lower in English Language and Reading.

“They lost a lot of gains in English. We saw a lot of students saying I went a year to school and I didn’t even speak English, because had their camera off and weren’t required to speak English,” William Pulgarin, Middle School Principal, said.

Sam Edelstein, Data Science Coordinator, compiled all the test results into a Google Data Base, in order to compare each year’s scores.

“We have a product called Google Data Studio which allows you to analyze data systematically. And so this right here has been pulling 10 years of every single map test that the Columbus school ever had,” Edelstein said.

Many faculty members believe tests during the pandemic cannot be fairly compared to MAP tests taken at home because of the difference in testing conditions.  

“Results during the pandemic weren’t very realistic, because their (students’) scores were very high,” Marulanda, said.

Many teachers believe that students should get an incentive to motivate them to do well on the MAP test.

“We need to give rewards to students, it can be exceptions from a final project or something else,” Marulanda, said. 

MAP test results are extremely important for the school as they help measure the learning of all students so that they can target certain subjects in which many struggle.

“MAP testing you actually can measure learning with it. How do you do it? It’s by comparing the percentile of a student when they started with the percent of a student when they ended,” Edelstein said.