Statewide final exams to replace MAP tests 

High school students have a new test to take in replacement of the Missouri Assessment Program. The State Board of Education approved a proposal to replace high school MAP tests with end of the course exams by the 2008-2009 school year. The scores on the exams could effect a student's overall grade in a course.

 Student will be required to take four end-of-course exams in English, Algebra I, government and biology. Several other states already require statewide end of the course exams, and the exams would meet state and federal accountability requirements.

Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, states and school districts must create an annual "report card" that describes a school's performance and progress. Schools that fail to make progress must offer services like after school programs and free tutoring.

Members of the Education Board said the decision to replace the MAP test with a statewide final exam was based on the fact that because the MAP test scores had no bearing on student's final grades they were not taking the tests seriously. Currently student's scores on MAP do not effect their grades and in many school districts the scores  have remained flat.

Last year a state task force recommended that the MAP test be replaced by a standardize tests like the ACT or SAT, but the state board did not adopt the plan.

The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education estimate the cost of constructing the new tests to be around $1.5 million than the state currently spend on on MAP tests.  

Students in grades 3 through 8 would still have to take MAP exams.

Make the story your own:

• Get student reaction-this could be a big change in how their grades will be determined, do they like the idea? Do they think it will make them better prepared for college, or standardized tests like the SAT or ACT?
• Talk to the principal and department heads about the changes

Helpful Resources

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/assess/State_MAP.pdf  MAP state wide test results for 2006

http://www.dese.mo.gov/divimprove/sia/dar/APR_District_Building_Results.html MAP results for 2006 broken down into districts

http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/curriculum/unitindex.html  Missouri Department of Education Web site with information on achievements and standardized tests