As of the 2024-2025 school year, Summit K2 is bringing back Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing to all freshmen and sophomore students, with the first test in late September.
MAP tests were implemented in Summit K2 in the years before 2020, but were removed during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
Now, this type of testing is set to happen 3 times this academic year (2024-2025), once in September, a second time in January, and a third in May. The test itself consists of a Math and English section with about 40 questions in each section. Students are given a set 1:30 minutes for the test, but are provided additional time if needed.
The main focus of these tests is to allow underclassmen to practice and prepare for standardized College Board tests such as AP tests and the SAT/ACT. The current Summit model does not have very much opportunity for high-stakes testing. Although some courses like Math and Spanish utilize testing, it is not standardized nor does it have the same environment as College Board tests.
Summit K2 Executive Director Megan Lee stated the importance of providing tests like this, stating, “The only thing that is going to determine how students perform on high-stakes tests in a silent environment is taking high-stakes tests in a silent environment.”
Lee also shared the short-term benefits of MAP testing, stating that they “Give our Teachers a more universal view of what our students need to learn.” This is because the tests show areas where Summit students are struggling, so the teachers can target those areas and make rounded and capable test takers for other standardized tests.
When asked about grading Lee also shared that the MAP scores will factor into students’ class grades. She also made it clear that test scores will hold a large weight into the grades when they are decided. However, it is not yet decided how they will work into the overall grade and what exact portion they will be worth.
Students have mixed feelings about the tests, sharing that they find them useful but also difficult and stressful. Summit K2 sophomore Estrella O. shared in an interview before her first MAP test in October that “We just found out about the test this week . . . there was barely any time for teachers to go over the stuff in the test.”
The dates for testing are available in the K2 HS Calendar (tinyurl.com/K2eventsSY25) and other school wide resources, but this was unknown to many students who do not check them regularly or missed their annoucment. This way, some students did not have a large amount of time between being told about the test and taking it to prepare.
However, some students also found the test not as difficult as it seemed. Following her test Estrella O. also shared that “It was easier than I expected . . . They put too much stress on the test before we took it.”
Other students disagreed and found it hard and stressful. Another 10th grade student Ashwini P. shared after her test “It was hard, but I mostly didn’t like the pressure . . . just sitting there in the dark in the quiet.”
The testing environment mentioned can be a very stressful environment, but as Executive Director Lee stated, this may help prepare them for future testing.
Overall the future of the three tests may change depending on the teaching outcomes and future grade balancing following the next two MAP tests, one of which is upcoming on January 20.
(Cover Photo Credit: Ozzie de Guzman)
