MAP Growth tests are not gifted and talented screening tests nor are they IQ tests.
Advanced students and their teachers benefit from taking MAP Growth tests though!
MAP Growth tests measure the exact knowledge level the advanced student is learning at, independent of their current grade level, and generates reports that help plan for their future studies.
When to Transition to a Higher Level Test
In most cases, students do best by taking MAP® GrowthTM tests that correlate with their grade level.
However, there are some situations where it may be appropriate to transition a child to a higher-level test early.
When deciding whether to transition a gifted and talented student from their current level to the next higher level, it’s important to balance the testing experience against the need for a student to take a test that has a sufficient scale to provide useful results.
Here are some guidelines for making that choice.
Transitioning from K–2 to 2-5 Reading
MAP Growth K–2 is designed for kids who are reading shorter books and still receiving help from adults while reading. The K-2 test uses audio support (text-to-speech) to help your younger students complete the test independently.
The content and format in which the tests are designed are appropriate for students from kindergarten up to second grade who are not-yet independent readers.
MAP Growth K–2 Reading score report will provide useful information for building your curriculum for students up through the level of an average, end-of-year 6th grade student.
However –
Children in kindergarten and 1st grade who are reading independently and ready for the longer test may take MAP Growth Reading 2–5 in place of MAP Growth K–2 Reading.
Transitioning from K-2 to 2-5 Math
Generally, it is not recommended that kindergarteners and 1st grade students take MAP Growth 2–5 Math because MAP Growth 2-5 includes math terminology that they are not familiar with yet.
MAP Growth K–2 Mathematics provides useful information for instruction for students working up to the level of an average, end-of-year 4th grader.
However, a student may take the MAP Growth 2-5 test if:
● They have exposure to 2nd grade or higher mathematics material
● They are reading independently
● They are ready for the longer format
Transitioning from 2–5 to 6+ Math
MAP Growth Mathematics 6+ includes topics that are not part of MAP Growth 2–5 tests.
Therefore some advanced students may benefit from transitioning to the 6+ test early.
Transitioning from 2–5 to 6+ may be appropriate if:
● The student has had exposur to math content above the 5thgrade level
● The student is performing above the 90thpercentile compared to typical 5th graders at the beginning of the school year