MAP Growth assessment product¶

Element · All elements
Evidence · 5 claims (5 for) · 9 studies (9 associational), q1–q2 · 0 of 9 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

MAP Growth is NWEA's assessment product, listed as the product behind multiple 2026 research publications. The page describes research using "a nationwide sample of MAP Growth scores for middle schoolers" and trends drawn "from the MAP Growth National Dashboard," covering topics such as growth, informing instruction, math and STEM, and reading and language arts. It supports research on placement, recovery trends, and instructional systems.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Administration of MAP Growth assessments to generate the score data used in NWEA research briefs

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• U.S. K-12 students, including middle schoolers

Target Learning Goals¶

• Measuring academic growth and informing instruction in math, reading, and science

Claims¶

• MAP Growth data show U.S. reading improvements after a period of post-COVID stagnation, with historically underserved groups showing the largest reading gains from 2025 to 2026 [+M]
• A NWEA research brief examines whether taking Algebra in 8th grade instead of 9th grade improves student outcomes [+M]
• A NWEA brief highlights middle school reading as an urgent challenge in academic recovery, with evidence of post-COVID-19 declines among struggling adolescent readers [+W]
• Middle school reading achievement remained stagnant post-COVID, with the lowest-performing students falling further behind [+M]
• NWEA reports positive recovery trends in K-2 academic recovery following the COVID pandemic [+M]

Related Elements¶

• MAP Growth National Dashboard with user guide and technical appendix
• MAP Growth assessment data as the evidence base for district-level absenteeism and recovery analysis

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• NWEA Research. (2026). NWEA Research — Publications listing page. https://www.nwea.org/research/