Photo taken by Alyssa Faubion

3rd and 4th graders attending Flight School.

Starting on May 2nd, the third and fourth graders at Fair Grove Elementary will be taking the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) Test, which is a required standardized test.

The MAP test is a state test that compares students to their current peers as well as previous testing results. It also tells the school what needs improvement and what they are doing well academically.

Mrs. Tiffany Willis, the Fair Grove elementary secretary, stated, “The third and fourth graders will be taking the MAP test from May 2nd until the last week of the school year.”

The third and fourth grade teachers have been preparing students for the MAP test in a few different ways. Erin Hart, a fourth grade teacher at Fair Grove Elementary, explained, “I prepare by talking about the MAP test to students, and we practice different types of writings.”

Hart went on, “I prepare by separating desks from each other instead of small groups a couple of weeks early so it is not a surprise. The classroom walls will then be empty from all visual aids. we review skills that have been taught throughout the year, and teach test taking skills to help them solve problems.”

Not only that, but there is also a group of teachers that have started Flight School. Flight School is essentially a study hall for third and fourth grade students. It occurs after school on the four Tuesdays before MAP testing begins.

During Flight School, teachers show students the practice version of the MAP test, play games relating to the test, and go over ways to reduce stress and calm nerves before and during testing.

Hart went over her usual MAP testing day routine, “A typical day of MAP testing is when students come in and we have something to do that is quiet and calm, such as reading a book…” 

This year, the students will attend their special classes and then begin testing at 9:00 AM, and stop until recess at 10:30.

She continued, “…They will return from recess and resume testing until lunch…There will be short 15 minute breaks throughout the day to rest the students’ minds and refuel the body with a small snack. I, as the teacher, will walk around and monitor student testing.”

The students at Fair Grove elementary will take their MAP tests this year, get their results in the next school year (2024-2025), and Fair Grove schools will use the information to improve students’ learning.