An Analysis of Teachers' Classroom Instructional Activities Based on NWEA 'Measures of Academic Progress' (MAP) Data

This dissertation was designed to examine and assess the effectiveness of the Measures of Academic Progress formative assessment tool on the planning, differentiation, and classroom environment at a rural elementary school in western North Carolina. The teachers had used the MAP testing data for over 5 years. The tools used for data collection revealed how the school was using the data and other formative assessment tools for lesson planning and student differentiation, and the effects on classroom environment. This case study utilized the mixed methods approach in order to successfully collect and analyze the data to develop a conclusion so others can see the importance of using formative assessment correctly. In order to give the researcher an appropriate amount of data to determine the impact of the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) on the formative assessment process, the following data collection tools were utilized: teacher surveys, student surveys, teacher focus group, student focus groups, and individual teacher interview. The results from this mixed methods case study indicate that teachers at the selected school were using the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment program as well as other methods of formative assessment to form future instruction. The teachers and students involved in the study use the MAP assessment data and formative assessment to monitor student achievement, influence lesson planning, differentiation lessons, and influence classroom environment.