Twenty Missouri K-12 school districts will use a different testing method to measure student performance. The Missouri Board of Education has approved a three-year request to excuse them from taking the state’s standardized tests, known as the Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP tests.
The districts will instead test students multiple times a year and get real-time test results, rather than waiting several months for results.
The districts getting the exemptions are Affton, Branson, Center, Confluence Academies, Fayette, Lebanon, Lee’s Summit, Lewis County, Liberty, Lindbergh, Lonedell, Mehlville, Neosho, Ozark, Parkway, Pattonville, Raymore-Peculiar, Ritenour, Shell Knob and Ste. Genevieve.
Jeremy Tucker, superintendent of Liberty School District, said the change will help students and teachers figure out where improvement is needed immediately.
“Assessment in and of itself in terms of traditional end of year assessment as compared to adaptive assessments that are leverage over the course of the year help us meet that goal of personalizing learning rather than shooting toward the middle. But then also provides visibility for students in where they’re at,” he told the Missouri Board of Education on Tuesday.
Tucker said the change is “learner centered.”
“It’s not just that academic growth,” he said. “Keep in mind a large component of this is that real world learning experience as well that comes in engagement and application, which I think is equally important.”
To stop doing the standardized tests, the districts will still need a hall pass from the federal government.
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