This page is created to help answer some questions you might have about trends in education, things you might hear about from your students that you might be confused about, and other news you can use.
What is MAPs testing? |
MAPs, or Measures of Academic Progress, is a individualized test that students take three times a year. The tests allows for teachers and administrators to monitor progress of each student's knowledge level and improvement in the areas of mathematics, language arts, and reading. The test is designed to adjust difficulty as the student completes each question. The test is used to improve student learning, allows adjustment for curriculum planning, differentiated instruction in the classroom, and assist in any questions about remediation.
For more information on the specifics of the program, go to the NWEA website. |
What is the Smarter Balance test? |
The Smarter Balance test is the replacement for the WKCE testing, state mandated testing done yearly. Smarter Balanced is an online test that is aligned with the Common Core State Standards in the areas of English/language arts and mathematics. The test is to be taken in grades 3-8 and 11. The test will provide parents, students, teachers and administrators data on if students are on track for career and college readiness by the time they graduate high school. The test will be fully implemented in 2014-2015. The other difference between WKCE and Smarter Balance is the timing of the test. Smarter Balanced will be conducted in the spring rather than the fall.
For more information on the specifics of Smarter Balanced, go to the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium website. |
What is Common Core? |
Common Core are educational standards that are set up as learning goals for what students should know and be able to demonstrate at the end of each grade level. Educational standards help educators make sure students have the skills needed to be successful, while also helping parents understand what is expected for their child to be successful. At least 45 states have voluntarily adopted the state standards.
If you would like to know more about the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), please go to the Common Core website. Make sure to check out the brief video at the top of the page to start. |
Describe Educator Effectiveness |
Educator Effectiveness is a system used to improve student learning through continuous improvement of educator practice through a performance-based evaluation. Starting in 2014-2015 all professional educators, teachers and administrators, will be evaluated through this process. Teachers and administrators need to develop two student/school learning outcome goals that are student centered objectives, and they will also need to develop one personal planning goal that will aid in their professional development that should in turn benefit the student's learning. The teachers and administrators are evaluated on the Danielson Framework model.
For more information on the teacher and administrator evaluation system, go to the DPI's Educator Effectiveness website. |
What is the Next Generation Science Standards? |
The Next Generation standards are best understood as the Common Core State Standards of science. These standards are an update of the old standards known as the National Benchmarks for Science Literacy. The standards look at all disciplines of science (earth, life, physical, and environmental science). The standards start out with an essential question that is to be posed to the students and from there teachers are able to develop their lessons to be taught to the students.
For more information on the Next Generation Science Standards go to their website. |
What is APTT (Academic Parent Teacher Teams) |
APTTs are a classroom-based, teacher-led, data-driven family engagement mode that re-purpose traditional parent-teacher conferences. The teams align family engagement with school improvement goals and gives families information, skills, and confidence to support student learning at home. At the same time, APTTs build educators' and families' capacity to work together to drive student achievement while creating a school culture of mutual support and shared responsibility. For more information, check out the WI DPI site on APTT.
|