As a testing procedure designed to link instruction and testing in a helping relationship, Monitoring Achievement in Pittsburgh (MAP) is based on four assumptions: (1) classroom teachers are the primary untapped resource in schools and should be called upon for all their professional experience and talents; (2) all testing evidence about student learning, including the monitoring component of MAP, should be recognized as imperfect measures that are no replacement for professional judgement; (3) teacher attempts to focus their instruction and improve their teaching skills must be encouraged and supported; and (4) the principal must be regarded as the instructional leader of her or his school, intimately involved with the curriculum. Beyond these assumptions, MAP consists of five key components: (1) to foster student learning of specific skills, MAP first delineates skill expectations on which instruction is to focus; (2) MAP emphasizes identification of a manageable set of skills for classroom instruction; (3) MAP calls for periodic feedback to students and teachers on student skill achievement as a tool for improving instructional focus; finally (4 and 5), MAP encourages administrators to take an active role in identifying and developing instructional strategies and materials, and in providing teacher support services that foster continuous professional growth. (JBM)