Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced on February 21, 2020 that due to a performance review conducted by the CPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) which cited a few potential testing concerns, CPS will be providing more oversight for CPS staff who are administering the NWEA MAP tests. CPS contends, “While the OIG did not substantiate any systemic misconduct at the school or district level, the review highlights a need for additional guidance and training for staff on NWEA's unique, untimed testing format.”
In addition, CPS noted that these findings don’t challenge the lofty improvements or accomplishments CPS students have achieved in the past, but rather will help to encourage a plan of action to ensure each school is clear on testing protocol. Thus, the District Testing Action Plan (DTAP) was born and will be implemented for this Spring’s NWEA MAP testing window (May 9th- June 12th). CPS’s summarized DTAP is below.
Hiring a Test Security Expert: The district has hired a national test security company that will help provide expertise and guidance as we work to improve NWEA test administration and security procedures.
Strengthened Testing Policies and Guidelines on Duration and Pauses: CPS updated testing guidance for duration and pauses, which will be included in the administrator, test coordinator, and proctor test guidance documents and training for Spring 2020.
Improved Training: CPS updated our mandatory training module for test coordinators and proctors that specifically addresses testing duration, pauses, and other important testing guidelines.
Enhanced Monitoring and Auditing Processes: The district will also conduct targeted school audits during testing, analyze daily reports to identify unusual test times, and provide additional guidance and support to schools as needed.
CPS also maintains that they’ll continue to strive to make the NWEA MAP, and all testing, more efficient and effective in order to ensure “educators and parents have access to actionable academic data to support [their] students.” To find out more about CPS’s new plan, visit their website at cps.edu/testingactionplan.
Lauren Lynch, Tutoring Coordinator
lauren@testprepchicago.com
(312) 848-1266