At the International School Bangkok (ISB), the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment has become a familiar part of the school year for students from elementary to high school. Yet, for many, it remains one of the more misunderstood tests — often seen as another standardized assessment with little personal meaning. In reality, however, MAP plays a critical role in shaping ISB’s learning environment and curriculum design.
According to Ms. Feren, ISB’s Dean of Academics, “we really use MAP for three main purposes. The first is to benchmark ourselves against global norms. It’s also to identify trends so we can decide if we need to make any curricular adjustments. And then it’s also used to identify students who might need support or extension.” One of the most significant functions of MAP testing is benchmarking. ISB uses the MAP’s adaptive results to compare its student performance to both U.S. national norms and international school norms, ensuring that ISB remains aligned with high global standards. “We do benchmarking against standardized norms, which are basically U.S. norms,” Ms. Feren explained. “But we also eventually get international data and can even compare ourselves to other schools in our region, like EARCOS schools.” This allows ISB to see where its students stand relative to peers worldwide and provides valuable feedback on the effectiveness of its academic programs.
Beyond global benchmarking, MAP testing serves as an important internal tool for curriculum evaluation. ISB leadership meets regularly with subject area teams, such as English and Math, to review MAP data and discuss trends.
“I met with the English team a couple of weeks ago, and I’m meeting with the math team this week to look at whether there are any trends, any adjustments we need to make to programs,” Ms. Feren shared. “Our goal is for all students to be learning at high levels, and the MAP test is just one piece of evidence that helps us do that.”
The data doesn’t only show a score. MAP provides detailed breakdowns of strengths and weaknesses across skill areas, allowing teachers to pinpoint exactly where students may need additional support or challenge.
When it comes to decision-making, MAP scores are only one piece of the puzzle, and students should not stress over their results. They are occasionally used as a reference point for course placement or curricular adjustments, but never as a high-stakes measure for teacher evaluation or student promotion.
“It’s not really used for teacher evaluation,” Ms. Feren elaborated. “It is used to some extent for curricular placement, but only on a very minor level. Mostly, we’re using report card grades and teacher recommendations. MAP is just a data point that might lead us to ask questions – for example, if a student scores really high on MAP but isn’t performing as well in class, we might take a closer look to understand why.” This approach ensures that data is used to support students, not define them.
Despite its purpose, not every student enjoys taking the MAP test, and understandably so.
IASAS athlete and MUN participant Neil C. is already tired of MAP tests. “I feel like we take it every year and nothing changes,” he states, “Especially in subjects like English, MAP tests don’t feel modernized, and I don’t really see the point”.
Asked about the negative mindset surrounding MAP tests, Ms. Feren admitted that, “It’s not all that much fun to take a MAP test,” adding that, “And I think some students may not understand how we use the data – that it really is to support them in their learning.” When results come in, ISB staff review the data from multiple perspectives: school-wide performance, subject trends, and individual student progress. This helps the school respond to learning needs rather than simply reporting scores.
“There’s all this information in the background that helps us to know what to do next for those students,” Ms. Feren said. “Because really, our whole goal is for all students to be learning at high levels.”
MAP testing at ISB ultimately aligns with a larger educational philosophy focused on growth, reflection, and continual improvement. Rather than being a test of memory or test-taking ability, MAP is a diagnostic tool that helps teachers, administrators, and students gain a deeper understanding of learning.
By using MAP data to benchmark globally, refine curriculum, and support each learner’s needs, ISB ensures that its education remains both internationally competitive and personally responsive.
