Riverside, Calif. (PRWEB) March 09, 2017 -- The Riverside Unified School District (RUSD) has selected the Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®) growth assessments for use throughout their 14 traditional middle and high schools, serving nearly 13,000 students. MAP, from the not-for-profit education services organization NWEA™, is the leading assessment of student academic growth. It provides real-time, actionable results reflecting what each student is ready to learn that educators can use to inform differentiated instruction and personalized learning. A three-year contract was signed.
“Our district chose MAP as a curriculum-based measure because of the depth and range of information it provides to more succinctly and clearly identify students’ learning needs,” said Keyisha Holmes, Ed.D., assistant director of Targeted Support and Engagement at RUSD. “MAP, along with other district measures, aids RUSD staff in pinpointing students’ ability levels in order to provide curriculum and instruction that is tailored towards individual student needs.”
Several RUSD schools have been using MAP growth assessments as part of the NextGen Systems Initiative, a grant-funded program from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. These pilot schools have implemented a personalized learning approach focused on the needs and interests of each student. The positive experiences of teachers and impact on student academic growth compelled the principals to advocate for MAP growth assessment adoption by the district.
“Actionable data is what we need, and our common assessments combined with MAP growth assessments provide clear, usable information that increases learning,” said Coleman Kells, principal of University Heights Middle School. “MAP is a good partner to our district and school goals of using data through the cycle of inquiry. Teachers use the MAP results to set goals with students and find gaps in learning.”
“MAP growth assessments are ideal for differentiated instruction and personalized learning because they provide precise, valid, and reliable data about what each student knows and is ready to learn, regardless of a student’s grade level,” said Matt Chapman, CEO of NWEA. “This data allows educators and parents to see a student’s academic growth over time, and to adjust instruction as needed so that students can reach their maximum potential. We couldn’t be happier about our expanded relationship with Riverside educators.”
About Riverside Unified School District
Riverside Unified School District is the 15th largest school district in California, serving nearly 42,000 students in 48 schools in Riverside, California. The district serves a large portion of the City of Riverside as well as unincorporated areas of Highgrove and Woodcrest in Riverside County. The district is governed by a publicly elected Board of Education consisting of five members who serve five different trustee areas. The district is led by Superintendent Dr. David Hansen.
About NWEA
NWEA is a global not-for-profit educational services organization with nearly 40 years of expertise in providing innovative assessment solutions, including our flagship interim growth assessment, Measures of Academic Progress (MAP); our progress monitoring and skills mastery tool, Skills Navigator; and the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA). More than 8,500 schools, school districts, and education agencies in the US and abroad trust us to offer pre-K – 12 assessments that accurately measure student growth and inform instruction; professional development that fosters educators’ ability to accelerate student learning; and research that supports assessment validity and data interpretation. Educators currently use NWEA assessments with over nine million students worldwide. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn.
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Jessica Schwartz Hahn, NWEA, http://www.nwea.org/, +1 (202) 266-4706, [email protected]
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