The Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment is a norm-referenced, computer adaptive assessment aligned to the TEKS standards and constructed to measure student achievement. In short, MAP Growth helps determine what your child knows and is ready to learn next.

Developed by NWEA, the MAP Growth test establishes norms for student achievement and growth based on the performance of millions of other students around the U.S. This provides teachers and parents with a more objective measure of academic growth which can be used not only to support student learning today, but to determine readiness for success on the STAAR, SAT, or ACT tests. In addition, NWEA offers a College Explorer tool which allows students to see which colleges and universities they are already on track to enter, based on their current MAP Growth performance.

Unlike a paper test which presents each child with the same set of questions, MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive test, selecting each new question based on your child’s response to the previous one. A correct answer will generate a slightly more difficult question, while an incorrect answer will scale down the difficulty level. By adjusting the content of the test based on individual performance, MAP Growth can determine the “just right” level of learning for each student, regardless of the grade level in which they are enrolled.

RIT Score: Your child’s RIT score reflects the level of academic difficulty most appropriate for their learning, also known as the Zone of Proximal Development. The range of possible RIT scores extends across all grade levels, making it possible to compare achievement from one year to the next. Just as a child’s height can be marked on the wall to track their physical growth over time, the RIT score serves as a stable measure of their academic growth.

Achievement Percentile: Where a child’s RIT score falls in comparison to the scores of their peers is reflected in the achievement percentile. As an example, a RIT score at the 62nd percentile is higher than 62% of student scores, but lower than 38%. The 50th percentile is considered average and represents the point where 50% of students are scoring above that RIT score and 50% are scoring below. To calculate this measure, only the scores of students in the same grade level who tested at approximately the same point in the school year are considered.

Growth Percentile: Similar to the achievement percentile, a growth percentile considers how much a student has grown since their last assessment in relation to the growth of their peers. A percentile of 50 means that a student grew exactly as much as would be expected for someone in their grade level with the same previous RIT score. A percentile higher than 50 reflects a higher than average level of growth, while a percentile lower than 50 indicates a rate of growth lower than expected. Specifically, a percentile of 58 indicates that a student showed more growth than 58% of their peers nationwide from the same grade level, with the same starting RIT score, as measured over the same period of time.

The MAP Growth Student Progress Report provides summary data on your child’s performance through the lens of both achievement and growth. Our legend below explains each of the components in more detail.

You can easily access this report through the Skyward Family Portal. Upon logging in, click on the Portfolio tab on the left hand side of your screen to see a list of reports available for download. 

Teachers review MAP scores along with information from other types of assessments to better understand each child’s ongoing academic needs. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your student’s teacher.

You can help your child know what to expect on testing day by reviewing these age-appropriate Student Resources together. The videos explain the purpose of the test and how it works from a student perspective, while also providing answers to some frequently asked questions.

Given the adaptive nature of MAP Growth, it’s important for students to understand that they won’t know how to respond to every question on the test. As the test hones in on their “just right” level of learning, they will likely see some questions on unfamiliar content. When that happens, they should simply choose the answer they think might be correct and move on, knowing that they’ve done their best. Considering that the purpose of the test is to determine what your child is ready to learn, every incorrect answer is just as valuable to a teacher as a correct one.

A Practice Test is provided for each subject and grade level, allowing students to experience the types of questions they’ll be asked to answer, while also learning to use the online tools available. MAP Growth, like most online assessment platforms, offers all students the use of accessibility features such as a highlighter, notepad, or answer eliminator. The more familiar a student is with these tools, the more likely it is that they’ll be able to use them successfully on testing day.

          Practice Test Username: grow

          Practice Test Password: grow

As always, students should arrive at school well-rested, having eaten a nutritious breakfast, and armed with a water bottle to stay hydrated throughout the day.

Digital resources curated by Spring Branch ISD can be found on our MAP Support website, designed to support your child’s learning in the classroom by providing additional opportunities for exploration and practice at home.

NWEA also offers a wealth of resources for parents on their Family Toolkit site, including Common Questions for Families, Tips on Preparing for MAP Growth, as well as a quick reference Family Guide, available in multiple languages.