MAP-A Myths and Facts
MYTH: If you conduct an assessment activity in a community setting it automatically makes the activity an application activity.
FACT: An activity demonstrates application only when there is a purpose in the child’s life that naturally involves the activity. The setting is not the sole determinant in whether an activity is acquisition or application.
MYTH: If I enter my MAP-A data in Profile (the measured progress software program for MAP-A) it is automatically submitted for scoring.
FACT: The Profile software program can be used to enter the data and complete the required forms, but the forms must be printed out and a hardcopy included in the student’s MAP-A notebook, which is mailed by your district to ARC to be scored.
(Let me mention that districts attempting to use PROFILE with an operating system of 98 or less, are reporting problems with the program including missing data.)
MYTH: I cannot use games in a MAP-A activity.
FACT: Games chosen for leisure time activities can be very appropriate in demonstrating application of math and communication arts skills in an authentic life activity.
MYTH: All the data points I collect must be application.
FACT: On the Entry/Data Summary sheet, two of the data points could be acquisition in each collection period. The first column must contain an application activity, the other two data points may be either acquisition or application.
MYTH: The Y and N on the Entry/Data Summary Sheet represent that you are including the Student Work Sheet.
FACT: The Y and N are circled to represent whether a tangible work product is attached to the required student work record.
MYTH: All the data points must be in chronological order.
FACT: An application activity does not have to be assessed first; however, the data recorded in the Submitted Student Work Record columns, the first column of each Collection Period of the Entry/Data Summary Sheet, must be the one described of the Student Work Record.
MYTH: You cannot use the same activity for both data collection periods.
FACT: The same activity can be conducted and assessed in each collection period as long as the data collection dates fall within the designated collection period.
MYTH: API percentages will be figured by the scorers.
FACT: If you are using the Profile software, program those averages are automatically computed for you and you would simply print the form and enter it in the notebook. However, if you are not using Profile, then you will have to calculate them by hand. First - you will need to independently average the Accuracy and Independence percentages for each Data Point in Collection Period 1 and Collection Period 2 (including the data submitted for Submitted Student Work Record) and enter this into the row labeled Average % for Collection Period; next – average the percentage of Accuracy for Collection Period 1 and Collection Period 2 together and enter this figure into the row for Accuracy under the API Entry Average section; last - average the percentage of Independence for Collection Period 1 and Collection Period 2 together and enter it into the row for Independence under the API Entry Average section.
MYTH: I can simultaneously use the same activity for collecting data for two different APIs.
FACT: Yes, but each API must be addressed separately as it relates to the activity. The same activity description should not be used on two API Data Summary Sheets.
MYTH: I can collect data for one API more than one time per day.
FACT: You can only data from one collection per day.
MYTH: If a name is misspelled on a MAP-A binder the student will not get credit for the assessment.
FACT: The information about the student is tied to the bar code. You should go into student enrollment and change information to correct it, but you will not receive a new label.
MYTH: I should keep the student’s MAP-A data collections for five years.
FACT: Your district should have a retention policy. You should follow this policy for MAP-A.
MYTH: I have students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades. I have to select two APIs in the in Numbers and Operations, one API in Algebraic Relationships, and one API in Geometric Spatial Relationships.
FACT: MAP-A students at all tested levels should have two APIs in Numbers and Operations. However, this year, you need two APIs in Strand 2. These may be: two from Algebraic Relationships; two from Geometric Spatial Relationships; or you may choose one from each.
MYTH: If I do not put the page numbers on the MAP-A sheets, the student will not receive credit for the assessment.
FACT: The student is not penalized for not having page numbers.