MAP Data

I decided to use the MAP data from my students in the sample size to see if there was a positive or negative relationship in student achievement. The data was used from the fall, winter and spring of their 4th grade year and the fall of their 5th grade year. I analyzed the percentiles of each of the students in the sample and noted these. After recording all of the percentiles, I then graphed the results of each student to determine if there was an overall positive gain from their 4th grade year carrying into their 5th grade year. The results helped me determine that the students from the advanced class made positive gains as they should have and the students from the struggling class made negative gains. This helped me to determine that the struggling readers are not benefiting from the way they are grouped in their class and the data proves that. I understand that there are many factors to influence this type of data such as summer break (most low readers don't read over the summer), but the numbers show that the problem is more than just not reading over summer break. The MAP data at our school is used to group our students so I am wondering why the students are continuing to be grouped in this way. Is the data not noticed? I hope to share this data with my principal and administrators and hopefully we can rethink how to group our students. The data sure shows that something is not working.