By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis – Missouri Assessment Program, or MAP, testing began Monday.
Students across the state are required to take the MAP to gauge proficiency in communication arts and math.
Bridget Cochren is the district test coordinator for University City. She said prior to 2005 students were tested sporadically and on a cumulative basis.
"In the past we had grade span tests, say for instance a third grade student would be tested on standards that should have been mastered between kindergarten and third grade," Cochren said. "With the grade level assessment we will be able to follow that same student on an annual basis."
Under new testing guidelines, students take the MAP test in third grade through eighth grade and then again in tenth and eleventh.
Prior to last year students only took the communication arts MAP test in third grade, seventh and eleventh.
Poor performance on high-school MAP tests was one of the reasons for the St. Louis Public Schools' loss of accreditation.