Charter Schools employees earn testing certification

Two employees in Grand Valley's Charter Schools Office, Lissa Brunan and Alissa Thelen, have become the first certified independent facilitators in the state for the national MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test. 

Brunan and Thelen train teachers in charter, public and private schools on how to administer the MAP test, plan for the test with students, and enhance instruction based on accurate interpretations of post-test data.

Both facilitators have been certified by the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA), which administers the test nationwide. They are the first non-NWEA personnel to earn the certification.

The MAP test is taken by about 700,000 students in Michigan; several million students nationwide take the test. 

Thelen and Brunan have been training teachers for three and five years, respectively. Both are frequently asked to share their expertise at national NWEA conferences.