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Understanding Child's Test Scores for Parents

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Understanding Child's Test Scores for Parents

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Understanding Your Child's Test Scores - Percentiles 2021

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Explaining Test Scores (percentile included)

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Explaining Test Scores (percentile included)

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Initial signs of academic rebounding were evident in 2021–22, with reading and math achievement gains paralleling pre-pandemic trends in many grades; rebounding appeared stronger in math and among younger students.

Despite some signs of rebounding, student achievement at the end of the 2021–22 school year remains lower than in a typical year, with larger declines in math (5 to 10 percentile points) than reading (2 to 4 percentile points). Modest improvements are evident among elementary students. Middle school achievement declines appear to be mostly unchanged.

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https://dpdol.nwea.org/public/growth/18/AR_Primary_Workbook.pdf

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Student Achievement and Growth Norms (in table format)

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Student Achievement and Growth Norms (in table format)

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The tables on page 3-4 have norms for student achievement and growth for comparison. Page 5 has norms for school growth to utilize for comparison.

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"Stakeholders and educators need to stop overemphasizing these less actionable metrics and be more intentional about using more effective and equitable ones such as student growth percentile." (Shared by Todd Nelson)

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Data in Education

For years in education, we have been data rich but information poor. As educators, we assess, collect data, and assess some more. This data cycle has not allowed us to impact student outcomes-it simply measures them. This is in part because it is cumbersome and difficult to analyze, interpret, and respond due to looking at insufficient data metrics. With one small shift, we are able to turn the mountains of data we have into information to more equitably impact student achievement.

When we look at metrics such as benchmark, proficiency, or percentile, we are less able to act on the data and more likely to simply measure students. We may see a student who did not meet a benchmark, one that is at the 98th percentile, or one who is considered proficient. Other than patting ourselves on the back or flagging the student as at-risk, we are often unable to effectively act on this data. With newer, complex data metrics available and easily accessible to all, it is time we shifted what piece of data we look at. Stakeholders and educators need to stop overemphasizing these less actionable metrics and be more intentional about using more effective and equitable ones such as student growth percentile.

Student Growth Percentiles

Why is this such a game changer? With big data in education, we are much more able to quantitatively analyze the cause and effects of our instruction on student learning while also being able to more equitably look at data for students who arrive at different levels.

Not all data metrics are created equal. Student Growth Percentiles, or SGP, remove some of the variance that makes it difficult to interpret results. A SGP will measure a student's growth relative to his or her academic peers on a spectrum. For instance, if Daniela got a scale score of 200 at the start of the year, her mid-year score will be compared with a large number of other students, her academic peers, also with a starting score of 200. If Daniela gets a Student Growth Percentile of 50, we know that her growth was at the 50th percentile and that half of her academic peers grew more than her and half less. If she earned a SGP of 90, then we know that Daniela made more growth than 90 percent of her academic peers.

As educators and stakeholders looking at data, we need to shift our question from: "Did the student make the benchmark?" to "What was the student's growth rate relative to their academic peers?"

When benchmarks are the most commonly used metric, schools are compelled to focus the most on those students who are close to the cut off. This is an inequitable practice that needs to stop. In contrast, when SGPs are used, we can more equitably look at all students to analyze their rates of growth and begin asking questions in search for the causes. A student with a low score on an assessment can still demonstrate a high SGP, which would indicate they grew at a high rate of growth compared to their academic peers. Using SGP makes it easier to analyze data for all of our students instead of those who are close to a benchmark.

Comparing a student's growth to their academic peers takes out some of the variance and allows us the opportunity to also ask the question: "How is this student responding to this instruction?" We are able to classify that student's growth as flat, modest, typical, or aggressive. This change in metric now allows us to be able to analyze the data at a macro level by looking at a group of students with a high SGP and wondering what common trends were present with their instruction. Having data measures such as the SGP allows us to ask many more questions about how students are learning and responding to instruction.

Data Analysis and Goal Setting

Like other industries, we manage what we measure. The next time a goal needs to be set or data needs to be analyzed, the following guiding questions can be used to ensure your team is creating productive goals that measure what is intended and also increase the likelihood of having efficient and effective data analysis.

1. Metric

Is your team selecting the most effective metric? As we often manage what we measure, is the selected data metric one that will help guide your team to get your students where they need to be? Rather than writing a goal around proficiency data, would it be more appropriate to use Student Growth Percentiles?

2. Questions

During discussions around data we often hear a piece of data end in a statement: "He got a score of 85." or "She did not meet the benchmark." Rather than our data being the conclusion of a discussion, it should be just the beginning. When we notice a student earning a SGP of 95, we can't afford to just pat ourselves on the back and move on to the next pieces of data. We need to begin asking questions of ourselves and of our system to determine what the catalyst was for that growth percentile. Data is not the answer to the question-it is just the genesis of asking questions. We also need to ensure we are asking the most effective questions around data. As an alternative to asking: "Did the student meet a benchmark?'" teams could ask: "What conditions did we create for this student that allowed them to receive a SGP of x?" This allows teams to analyze the cause and effect of our instruction and environment that allowed the student to respond the way they did.

3. Mindset

In the past, accountability measures have often had the intended consequence of focusing on students who are near the benchmark or on the bubble. This practice is inequitable and needs to stop. We cannot discount serving the child who is at the 10th percentile and likely unable to meet a benchmark yet, or the child who is already performing well above peers and likely to remain above the benchmark. Making one small change in selecting more equitable and actionable data metrics such as Student Growth Percentile can promote looking at growth for all of our students.

One Small Shift

Recently in education, we have been data rich, but we have not had the time or training to analyze, interpret, and act upon this data. With sophisticated data metrics available, it's time we shift our practice to use these new measures such as Student Growth Percentiles to better support us educators in the process of turning data into information and this information into student achievement.

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Using Data to Impact Student Achievement - Peers and Pedagogy

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Data in Education For years in education, we have been data rich but information poor. As educators, we assess, collect data, and assess some more. This data cycle has not allowed us to impact student outcomes-it simply measures them. This is in part because it is cumbersome and difficult to analyze, interpret, and respond due [...]

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To ensure equity among all students, you can use the MAP ® Spanish tests for students who either speak Spanish as their first language or receive instruction in Spanish.

On this page:

For a list of tests available, see Test Descriptions Summary.

Determining Student Needs

Deciding if Spanish tests are appropriate will depend on each student's unique circumstances. Here are some general considerations:

If your program goal is English proficiency:

Students with low instructional time in English are good candidates for Spanish tests. After one or two testing terms, consider switching to the English test if the student has shown positive growth.

Students with more instructional time in English might benefit from the Spanish test, although they could probably transition to English soon.

If your program goal is biliteracy or dual-language immersion:

For reading, consider testing students in both Spanish and English to understand their different reading abilities.

For math, choose either Spanish or English, depending on student abilities. Unlike reading, a student can have only one math score counted toward growth each term.

Spanish math is available for grades K-12 and Spanish reading is available for grades K-8.

Videos for MAP Growth Spanish

Introduction

Summarizes the purpose, options, and suggested use for MAP ® Growth™ Spanish tests

Spanish and English Language Development and Instruction

Compares how students develop language skills in English versus Spanish and the potential impacts on instruction

How to Use Spanish MAP Growth Reports and Data

Explains actionable insights you can gain about the learning needs of Spanish-speaking students

Quick Tips for MAP Growth Spanish

Test Administration:

When assigning a test to students, look for the word "Spanish" in the test name (such as "Growth: Spanish Reading 2-5").

To help students with sign-in, tell them to turn on the "mostrar instrucciones en español" option.

Spanish Reading Results:

RIT scores are:

based on a separate scale from English Reading, and appear separate from English results.

comparable to English (for example, a 210 in Spanish matches the difficulty of 210 in English).

Some data is not available, including projected proficiency and Lexile® measure. For an example report, see MAP Growth Spanish Reading Results .

Spanish Math Results:

RIT scores are based on the same scale as English Math, and appear in the same area as English results.

Note: If a student took both Spanish and English in the same term (not recommended), then one score would appear, whichever has the lowest standard error.

Norms are based on the same national norms as English Math.

MAP Reading Fluency Spanish

Videos

Introduction

Summarizes the purpose, options, and suggested use for MAP ® Reading Fluency™ Spanish tests

Spanish and English Language Development and Instruction

Compares how students develop language skills in English versus Spanish and the potential impacts on instruction

How to Use Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Reports and Data

Explains actionable insights you can gain about the learning needs of grade K-3 Spanish-speaking students

Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Content Guide

For test design and specifications for the Spanish assessment, please download the Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Content Guide.

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About the Spanish tests for math and reading, including videos describing how best to use the test results

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The RIT score represents a student’s achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time. The RIT scale is a stable scale, like feet and inches, that accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level. Like marking height on a growth chart, and being able to see how tall your child is at various points in time, you can also see how much they have grown between tests.

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At NWEA, we work with thousands of schools and districts across the US and in more than 145 countries around the world. Since we reach millions of students each year, there's a pretty good chance that a child will take a MAP® Growth™ assessment some time in their school career. It's natural for families to have questions about MAP Growth: what it is, how it works, and why their child is taking it.

To help you in your conversations about MAP Growth, we've gathered the top 12 questions families ask us regarding the test.

1. What is MAP Growth and what does it measure?

Unlike paper-and-pencil tests, where all students are asked the same questions and spend a fixed amount of time taking the test, MAP Growth is a computer-adaptive test. That means every student gets a unique set of test questions based on responses to previous questions. As the student answers correctly, questions get harder. If the student answers incorrectly, the questions get easier. By the end of the test, most students will have answered about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what the student knows and how they are growing academically.

MAP Growth is designed to measure student achievement in the moment and growth over time.

MAP Growth tracks students' individual growth over time, wherever they are starting from and regardless of the grade they are in. For instance, if a third-grader is actually reading like a fifth-grader, MAP Growth will be able to identify that. Or, if a fifth-grader is doing math like a third-grader, MAP Growth will identify that, too. Both things are incredibly important for a teacher to know so that they can plan instruction efficiently.

2. What is a RIT score?

When students finish their MAP Growth test, they receive a number called a RIT score for each subject they are tested in: reading, language usage, math, or science. This score represents a student's achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time. The RIT scale is a stable scale, like feet and inches, that accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level. Like marking height on a growth chart and being able to see how tall a child is at various points in time, you can also see how much they have grown between tests.

3. How often will my child take MAP Growth?

Most schools give MAP Growth tests to students at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. Some schools may include a summer testing session as well.

4. How long is MAP Growth?

Most students take around 45 to 55 minutes to complete a MAP Growth test. However, MAP Growth is not timed, and students may take as much time as they need to complete it.

5. Is MAP Growth a standardized test? How is it different from "high-stakes" tests?

Yes, MAP Growth is a standardized test, but unlike most standardized tests, MAP Growth is an interim assessment, that is, it is administered periodically during the school year, so that educators and families can see a student's growth over time. (We recommend testing three times a year: in early fall, in winter, and in the spring.) MAP Growth also adjusts to each student's performance, rather than asking all students the same questions.

When we talk about high-stakes tests, we are usually talking about a test designed to measure what students already know, based on what is expected at their grade level. High-stakes tests are also often used as a way to measure grade-level proficiency. MAP Growth is designed to measure student achievement in the moment and growth over time, regardless of grade level, so it is quite different.

By the end of the test, most students will have answered about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.

Another difference is the timeliness of the results. While states often return information in the fall after the test is taken, MAP Growth gives quick feedback to teachers, administrators, students, and families. Teachers receive immediate results with MAP Growth that show what students know and where there might be common learning opportunities in the class. One similarity is that MAP Growth aligns to the same standards in a given state as the state test, so both measure similar content.

6. What information will I receive from my child's school?
7. How do schools and teachers use MAP Growth scores?
Most schools will provide you with the MAP Growth Family Report. This report contains information and scores from a student's most recent MAP Growth assessments. It's a good idea to discuss results with teachers for a full understanding of what the information means and how they can use their child's reading and math scores to identify resources that can support home learning.

NWEA provides many different reports to help schools and teachers use MAP Growth information. Teachers can see the progress of individual students and of their classes as a whole. Teachers use RIT scores combined with formative assessment to develop classroom-level strategies for equitable instruction that help maximize every student's learning potential. MAP Growth also provides data around the typical growth for students who are in the same grade, are testing in the same subject, and have the same starting achievement level. This data is often used to help students set goals and understand how much they need to learn to achieve their goals. Principals and administrators can use the scores to see the performance and progress of a grade level, school, or entire district.

8. Can MAP Growth tell me if my child is working at grade level?

Just as a doctor has a chart indicating the most common heights and weights of people at certain ages, NWEA has put together charts showing the mean RIT scores for students at various grade levels. NWEA researchers examined the scores of millions of students to find the average scores for students in various grades.

9. What subjects are available with MAP Growth?

MAP Growth in English covers the following:

Reading: Grades K-12

Language Usage: Grades 2-12

Math: Grades K-12

Science: Grades 2-12

MAP Growth in Spanish covers:

Math: Grades K-12

Reading: Grades K-8

Note that the reading and math tests for grades K-2 are referred to as MAP Growth K-2. These child-friendly tests for young learners offer students the ability to wear headphones, since many questions include audio to assist students still learning to read.

10. What types of questions are on the MAP Growth tests? Are there sample tests?

The MAP Growth tests include multiple choice, drag and drop, and other types of questions. You can access some short sample tests to get an idea of what MAP Growth questions look like.

11. How can I help my child prepare for MAP Growth?

Your child's teacher will help with any pre-test instructions to explain the test to the students. Just like on any school day, make sure your child is well-rested and fed. Encourage them to do their best.

12. What does NWEA do with my child's information? Is it secure?

NWEA uses technological and operational measures to ensure security and privacy. A few of these include regular security audits and monitoring, technological controls, physical access controls, and privacy training for employees.

MAP Growth tracks students' individual growth over time, wherever they are starting from and regardless of the grade they are in.

NWEA does not use any child's personally identifiable information (PII) for any purpose other than to provide services to the child's school. Combined information that has been stripped of PII-and, therefore, is not traceable to any individual student-is used for research and development so we can continuously improve our products and accelerate learning for all students.

We do not sell PII. Data sharing (if any) is completely at the control of the educational institutions that purchase our products.

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12 common questions parents ask about MAP Growth

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Families want to understand MAP Growth: what it is, how it works, and why their child is taking it. Here are answers to 12 common questions.

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MAP Data Analysis Quadrant Report Reflection

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MAP Data Analysis Quadrant Report Reflection

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Created by RDNG  on Teachers Pay Teachers. Downloadable for free.

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YouTube: Planning for Instruction using MAP Data

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YouTube: Planning for Instruction using MAP Data

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Maria Stratton, Jr High Vice Principal for Academics and Coaching at Loma Linda Academy walks teachers through how to use MAP data to plan for instruction.

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Julie Morgan, M.ED FWISD data specialist walks through how to use data from MAP testing.

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Login to MAP Growth

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Sample Lesson Plans using Data (4th Grade ELA)

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Sample Lesson Plans using Data (4th Grade ELA)

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Use this workbook after an administration of MAP Growth to analyze the data and set instructional goals for the campus, classroom, small groups and individual students.

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Reports, possible order of usage and purpose

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Reports, possible order of usage and purpose

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List of NWEA tests including Growth, Screeners and Skills Checklists.

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YouTube QR Codes for MAP Training Videos

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YouTube QR Codes for MAP Training Videos

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These videos are also available on Vector.

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K-2 RIT translated to Concept and Vocabulary

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K-2 RIT translated to Concept and Vocabulary

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Use the following word lists as you teach the concepts that students are ready to learn. For students who scored within a given range, you can enhance their instruction by reinforcing these words. If you use Test View within the Learning Continuum report, you'll find learning statements that can better suggest when a topic might be a focus for instruction.

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If your school has chosen to implement the tests for early learning grades, you can select from three types:

MAP Growth K‑2

Adaptive test to assess growth from one term to the next and obtain learning statements to identify what the student is ready to learn.

Spanish math tests are available.

Practice tests are also available to help K‑2 students prepare-see Administering Tests for Early Learners

Get baseline information for a new student who is in the earliest stages of learning, particularly a kindergarten or pre-K student (not recommended beyond kindergarten).

Skills Checklist:

Assess knowledge of a specific skill before or after teaching it.
There are 38 skills to choose from in mathematics and reading; scored as percent correct.

Selecting Which Test to Use

The best test to use changes over time:

New Kindergartner

Repeated Testing Over Time

Transition to 2-5

Used early to mid-K to assess foundational skills.

Used from K-2, while audio support is needed. Use Skills Checklists at any time, and use MAP Growth K‑2 once each term.

Begin between grade 2 fall and grade 3 fall.

Choosing a Screening Test

The Screening tests for early learners can replace many one-on-one manual assessment sessions. There are two choices:

Screening: Mathematics Early Numeracy, with 35 questions

Screening: Reading Early Literacy, with 33 questions

Both tests adapt after an initial set of questions to determine the level of difficulty for the next set of questions. For details, see Screening Test Structure for Early Learners .

Choosing a Skills Checklist Test

The Skills Checklists follow an overall sequence of academic progression so you can use the assessment most appropriate to each student's abilities. This progression is outlined in the following lists:

Relation to Common Core-If your state standards are related to Common Core, you can see correlations to those standards in the Skills Checklist Selection Guide.

Choosing a MAP Growth K-2 Test

For a broader assessment each term, turn to the MAP Growth K‑2 tests. These tests are also aligned to state standards, where available.

Criteria for Transitioning from K‑2 to 2‑5 Tests

Beyond grade 2, the K-2 test content is no longer appropriate, and students should transition to the 2-5 tests by at least the fall of grade 3. However, you can consider making the transition sooner, based on the following considerations:

1. Can the student interact well with MAP Growth questions?

You can observe this when the student takes the MAP test warm-up, available from the Join Session page.

2. Can the student read independently?

During testing, students must read connected text without assistance. Questions on reading and language tests may include passages up to 100 words in length.

3. Has the student been exposed to grade 2 content?

The test questions assume students have been exposed to some grade 2 content.

4. For details about the MAP Growth test structure, see:

cdn.nwea.org/state-information/index.html

Administering Tests for Early Learners

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If your school has chosen to implement the tests for early learning grades, you can select from three types: MAP Growth K‑2 Adaptive test to assess growth from one term to the next and obtain learning statements to identify what the student is ready to learn. Spanish math tests are available.

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0:00 / 2:09•Watch full video

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Screening Test Structure for Early Learners

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This screening test adapts after the initial sub-skill section and presents a set of either more or less difficult questions, based on the student's performance to that point:

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Choosing a Skills Checklist Test for K-2 

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Choosing a Skills Checklist Test for K-2 

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SWITCH BETWEEN SUBJECTS:

Name of Test

Questions

Content

Reading Consonant Blends-Digraphs

1 familiarization question

47 test questions

1 reward item

Initial Blends and Clusters

Final Blends

Initial and Final Digraphs

Reading Decoding Multi-Syllable Words

1 familiarization question

30 test questions

1 reward item

Inflectional Endings

Prefixes and Suffixes

Open and Closed/C+le Syllables

Reading Decoding Patterns-Word Families

1 familiarization question

18 test questions

Words with Common Spelling Patterns

Reading Letter Identification

1 familiarization question

52 test questions

1 reward item

Upper Case

Lower Case

Reading Manipulation of Sounds

1 familiarization question

35 test questions

1 reward item

Blending of Sounds

Substitution of Sounds: Beginning, Middle, and End

Deletion of Sounds

Reading Matching Letters to Sounds

1 familiarization question

31 test questions

1 reward item

Consonants

Vowels

Reading Phoneme Identification

1 familiarization question

44 test questions

1 reward item

Initial Consonant Sounds

Final Consonant Sounds

Middle Vowel Sounds

Reading Phonological Awareness

1 familiarization question

35 test questions

1 reward item

Rhyming

Identifying Number of Syllables (one, two, and three)

Blending

Reading Syllable Types- CVC-CVCe-R-Controlled

1 familiarization question

14 test questions

1 reward item

CVC

CVCe

R-Controlled

Reading Vowel-Digraphs-Diphthongs

1 familiarization question

21 test questions

1 reward item

Digraphs

Diphthongs

back to top >>

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Reading Skills Checklists Math Skills Checklists

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To see the kinds of questions students may encounter, use either the RIT Common Core State Standards Reference charts.

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Test Description: Type, Purpose, duration

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Test Description: Type, Purpose, duration

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Depending on your school's selections, you could have any of the following tests from MAP ® Growth™, MAP ® Reading Fluency™, or MAP ® Skills™.