The first round results of the 2003 Missouri Assessment Program or MAP tests are in. The MAP tests grade students in four subjects: communication arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The Department of Education is pointing to 8th grade and 10th grade mathematics scores as indications that Missouri students are headed in the right direction. In particular, the number of students in the lowest of the five categories on the performance scale is on the decline, meaning the students leaving the lowest level are moving into
the “progressing,” “nearing proficient,” “proficient,” and “advanced” categories. Positive is the fact that average 10th grade math scores for Missouri put students into the 74th percentile of all students taking similar math tests, nationwide. In a nutshell, that means the average 10th grade Missouri math student is performing better than about three-quarters of 10th grade math students throughout the country. On the downside, black students are underperforming in mathematics and communication arts. While Missouri students, overall, met and surpassed state proficiency goals in those two categories, black students failed to make the grade. And, in communication arts, black students lost ground in 2003, compared to 2002. Results for individual school districts will be released September 2nd.
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