Students at Charlottesville Catholic School take both the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) assessment by NWEA and the Assessment of Catholic Religious Education (ACRE) Standardized Tests in selected grades. Any standardized test is considered by the faculty and administration as one tool in the measurement of student progress. Results are reviewed by teachers annually to help determine learning goals for that year.
Each June following the testing, parents of students who were tested during the school year receive a “home report” in the mail that presents a student’s test scores and other relevant information. Each September a learning plan is developed based on areas of strengths and weaknesses. Individual performance on these tests not only help parents gauge their child’s academic achievement in comparison to similar students in the nation, but also help guide teacher instruction.
MAP Testing
The Diocese of Richmond requires the MAP by NWEA in the fall, winter, and spring in the areas of reading and math. The assessment is a computer-based adaptive measure of student skills. Immediately after a student finishes a test, the teacher has real-time information to use to determine the student’s next steps for academic growth, and to quickly adjust instruction to help each student master important skills and concepts. The assessments are norm referenced and criterion-referenced. Thus, students’ results are compared to the results of students across the country, as well as indicate how well the student is mastering the concepts and skills from the Consensus Curriculum. Data from the fall administration of the assessments are used to develop individual learning plans for each student and identify a baseline to monitor growth. A parent report is sent following the spring administration of the tests.
Assessment of Catholic Religious Education
The ACRE test is a religious education program assessment tool. It provides an overall picture of the catechetical/religious education effort at a Catholic school. With tested data, faith education leaders can explore areas of strength as well as areas that need additional attention. Using the assessment annually allows leaders to identify the trajectory of their faith education efforts and track improvements as goals and strategies are changed or refined.