Independent School District 284 Education Services Center

Independent School District 284 Education Services Center

Office of Research & Evaluation

12925 16th Avenue N.

Plymouth, MN 55441

(763)745-5065

Fax: (763)745-5067

Stacey Lackner, Director

April 2015

Dear Parents of Elementary Students,

There has been a change in the elementary-level district assessment plan for this spring.

This spring, all districts in Minnesota must administer the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA) tests online. On the Wayzata Public Schools 2014-15 District Testing Calendar, it indicates that we were also planning to administer the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) tests, which is only available online, to all students in grades 2-5 this spring as well. Both the MCA and the MAP testing systems currently require similar computer resources for online test administration (desktop or laptop computers), and the testing window dates for both tests overlap. Due to the requirement that the MCAs must be administered online this spring, we will not be able to test all students in grades 2-5 on the MAP this spring, as previously planned.

According to state and federal law, we must administer the Reading and Math MCA tests to all students in grades 3-5 and the MCA Science test to all students in grade 5. In effort to balance the need for standardized information on student academic growth and the need for uninterrupted classroom instruction time, we will administer spring MAP tests in grades 2-5 only to students who are receiving academic intervention in reading or math, or in buildings and classrooms that have a previous written agreement with MDE or the district to measure student growth from fall to spring on the MAP test in 2014-15.

We understand the value that MAP testing brings in the measurement of student instructional level and academic growth. The Wayzata Public Schools Research and Evaluation department and Technology department are working closely together to create a solution that will allow the possibility of MAP testing on iPads in our district in the future. The Minnesota Department of Education is also working on mobile device administration for the MCA as well. We are optimistic that we will have additional delivery options for the MCA and MAP tests in future years.

If you have any questions about standardized testing plans at the elementary level for spring 2015, please contact Stacey Lackner, Director of Research and Evaluation, at (763) 745-5065 or .

Sincerely,

Stacey Lackner, Ph.D.