Beginning of Year Assessments

Dear ANCS Families,

We’re preparing to begin the fall administration of the MAP Growth assessment for all students. The testing window will run from August 4th through August 15th. Students will complete two testing sessions—one for English/Language Arts and one for Mathematics. The only exception in kindergarten who only takes the math section. Classroom teachers can provide you with the specific dates that your child will test.

MAP Growth is a trusted, research-based assessment that helps us measure student progress in a standardized and adaptive way. The results provide valuable insight into each student’s current achievement level and academic growth over time. Along with classroom performance and other measures, MAP helps teachers and administrators tailor instruction to better meet individual student needs.

MAP is a computer-adaptive assessment, which means the difficulty of questions adjusts as students respond. Correct answers lead to more challenging questions, while incorrect ones result in easier items. This allows all students to engage with content that’s appropriate for their current skill level, without feeling frustrated or disengaged.

In addition to MAP, students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade will complete a dyslexia screener called Amira. This tool helps us identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. If your child is flagged by the screener, you will be notified, and we will begin targeted interventions to support their reading development.

If you have any questions about MAP, Amira, or how these assessments are used to support your child’s learning, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,

Rhiannen Laurent
Dean of Academic Growth
rlaurent@atlncs.org