My child failed a test we thought they'd ace

I had an interesting conversation with a parent the other day. Their first grader was doing well in school all year, no signs for concern. Two weeks ago, they took their NWEA/ MAPs test and BOMBED IT.

My child failed a test we thought they'd ace
Photo by Thomas Park / Unsplash
"And if at first you don't succeed, Then dust yourself off and try again"

Try Again by Aaliyah

I had an interesting conversation with a parent the other day. Their first grader was doing well in school all year, no signs for concern.

Two weeks ago, they took their NWEA/ MAPs test and BOMBED IT.

Now the parents are stressed. Is there child actually ready for second grade? How can an average student perform so poorly on a test?

This happens all the time. And unfortunately, takes away credibility of teachers and tests everywhere.

Upon further investigation, here's what we learned

  • Yes, the child has a few weak spots in math. Nothing some review can't fix
  • No, the child is not failing first grade math. We looked back on report cards, other tests, and sent an email to the teacher to confirm this.
  • Their child can't use a computer. We found out the test was given on a laptop, and the child had to use a track pad for the first time. He explained how frustrating the test was because he couldn't figure out how to move the mouse and click to tiny multiple choice buttons. It seems he clicked a ton of wrong answers out of frustration. He asked the teacher for help, but she isn't allowed to put in the answers.

You're about to get a ton of data back about your child from standardized tests, report cards, and conferences. As you analyze it, try to look at the big picture and be very suspicious of any "extreme" scores you weren't expecting.

Would you like a 1:1 call to go over your child's test scores or prepare for next year? email Hello@primaryfocus.tv to get started

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