Dist. 211 looks to 'map' progress

Educators in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 are hoping a new tool will help turn a failing trend around.

District 211 has started using the Measures of Academic Progress, or MAP, tests to get a better gauge of where students stand throughout the year.

On state report cards released today, all five schools in District 211 did not meet state standards as required under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

But District 211 started using MAP this year to get a better picture of where each student stands, said Assistant Superintendent Jeff Butzen.

Taken on computers, the MAP tests can be given several times a year to gauge student progress in reading and mathematics.

Each student sees different test questions, adjusted to his or her performance. As the student answers correctly, questions become harder. Incorrect answers mean the next questions get easier.

"This should give us a better glimpse toward how students are progressing toward the (Prairie State Achievement Exam)," Butzen said. "It gives us a photograph of where students are."

According to Northwest Evaluation Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to helping schools improve student assessment, students flourish on state tests when schools have detailed and timely information on where pupils are on a regular basis.

In a 2004 study, NEA concluded that computer adaptive testing, like MAP, inaccurately measured student ability only 1 percent of the time -- compared with regular, fixed-form tests that failed 6 percent of the time.

Meanwhile, at Lake Park High School, which has failed to meet NCLB for five consecutive years, changes could be in store.

Lake Park is targeting its coursework, starting with next year's freshman class.

"These are deep curriculum reforms," said Lynne Panega, Lake Park assistant superintendent for curriculum.

District 108 plans to increase graduation requirements starting with incoming freshmen, to focus more on college readiness, she said.

"Lake Park is choosing to look at it from a big picture," Panega said. "We were moving in this direction -- but the forced timeline isn't necessarily of our choosing."

The scary part is not knowing exactly how far the federal sanctions will really be applied by the state.

"We definitely feel threatened by it, because we feel we could eventually lose autonomy," Panega said. "Lake Park feels we know our students best; give us a chance to work on this."