Agenda Item
b. Approval of the Renewal of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment Systems ( in an amount not to exceed $1,300,000.00) - (updated 07.08.2022)
Summary: Presented by: Mr. Oliver J. Lewis, III, Associate Superintendent, Office of Continuous Improvement (Accountability)
Request: In support of Board Policy II, it is requested that the Board of Education approve the renewal of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment for the 2022-2023 school year in an amount not to exceed $1,300,000.00.
The requested purchase is an assessment expenditure that does not require bid per the District’s Purchasing Board Policy (DJE).
Why: The DeKalb County School District currently utilizes Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) as a formative, interim assessment in grades K-10 in Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics, and Science. MAP also serves as the District’s universal screener to identify gifted and magnet students, as well as provides supplemental student achievement data to guide Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at the local school level.
Additionally, the District requires a tool that:
Is Diagnostic (measures student growth and identify students in need of additional support)
Provides students with an online learning path/continuum-based students’ identified need
Allows the District to compare student performance against other students to determine growth and mastery percentile gaps (this is particularly important for our at-risk subgroups)
Allows the District to determine students level of mastery based on state standards and learning criteria (i.e., success criteria and learning targets) through the use of RIT scores
Can be used as a predictor towards the GA Milestones, SAT and ACT
Provides easy to understand data district, school and individual student reports (at the demographic level)
Provides Family Reports
In preparation for the 2022-2023 school year, the requested renewal is to permit the DeKalb County School District to enter into a continued agreement with NWEA to offer district-wide licenses for MAP assessments and to provide professional learning services to ensure all staff build efficiency in the instructional application of assessment data.
The renewal of MAP reduces the number of norm-referenced assessments offered in a single school year as it replaces the following assessments: Renaissance’s STAR Early Literacy, STAR Reading, STAR Math, the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS).
Details: This proposed budget item is requesting funds not to exceed $1,300,000.00 to cover the costs associated with the District renewal of the NWEA MAP assessment system and professional learning services.
NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a suite of assessments that deliver data to make a difference in student progress. MAP Growth measures areas related to the Georgia Standards of Excellence in RIT (Rausch Unit) scores. As a result, educators can easily measure growth in learning through the school year, and from year-to-year in Reading, Math, Language Usage, and Science, which also affords educators the capability to differentiate instruction based on the tool’s functionalities. The tool is built on one of the most robust normative scales in the United States.
MAP assessments are computer-adaptive tests that increase in rigor as students answer items, correctly. When a student incorrectly answers a question, the test becomes less difficult as a means to match the next test item with the student’s academic aptitude. Therefore, a student takes an assessment created explicitly for his or her learning level. In addition, MAP Skills provides each student with his/her own specific learning path that identifies skill gaps and provides activities to help students master specific foundational skills.
The GA Department of Education is also closely determining the possibility of the NWEA MAP Assessment as a viable replacement of the year end summative assessment, currently known as the Georgia Milestones. A comprehensive pilot through the GA MAP Partnership has been underway and a stated decision is expected based on the pilot.
Financial impact: The financial impact is an amount, not to exceed, $1,300,000.00 for FY23.
The purchase amount will be paid using general funds budgeted to the Office of Continuous Improvement (Accountability), Department of Assessment Administration, charge code:
100.1000.530010.00011.7540.9990.8010.030.0000 (Other Purchased Services)
Contact: Mr. Oliver Lewis, Associate Superintendent, Office of Continuous Improvement (Accountability), 678.676.0300
Ms. Allison Q. Scott, Director of Assessment Administration, Office of Continuous Improvement (Accountability), 678.676.0300
Effective: July 2022
Status: Contract approved by General Counsel.
RE: [EXTERNAL]RE: NWEA Map Approval requested.
You replied on Thu 5/26/2022 6:44 PM
You replied on Thu 5/26/2022 6:44 PM
SS
Sonya Sallis <ssallis@gdcrlaw.com>
To: Nora Allred (Continuous Improve/Accountabil)
Cc:
• Oliver Lewis (Continuous Improve/Accountabil);
• Allison Scott (Assessment Administration);
• Jordan Dailey <jdailey@gdcrlaw.com>
+1 other
Thu 5/26/2022 5:27 PM
Good afternoon,
Thank you for the provision of additional documentation.
Legal sufficiency of this contract renewal is approved.
Best regards,
Sonya E. Sallis | Member
49 Atlanta Street | Marietta, GA 30060
678.784.3550 direct | 770.422.1776 office | 770.426.6155 facsimile
ssallis@gdcrlaw.com | www.gdcrlaw.com
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