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Purpose of Universal Screener:
Purpose of Universal Screener:
Identifies where students are in relation to their peers
Used to identify students' strengths and needs for intervention, support, or enrichment
Used to inform instruction and instructional grouping
Measures student growth and attainment
Explanation:
NWEA MAP Growth assessments are unique, and it adapts to student’s responses to measure student’s skill level. If a student answers a question correctly, the next question is more challenging. If they answer incorrectly, the next one is easier. These results will provide a more complete picture of what a student knows and is ready to learn—whether it is on, above, or below their grade level. This is much different than an assessment used to determine “mastery”. Students will NOT be able to answer all of the questions correctly. In fact, because the NWEA MAP Growth assessments are adaptive, it will only be possible to answer 50% of the questions correctly by design.
MAP Growth Reading assessments provide immediate and accurate information about student’s learning, allowing teachers to identify students with similar scores that are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics, and then plan instruction accordingly. This data, along with classroom assessment data, is also utilized during building data meetings to ensure all students are receiving instructional support for their needs.
Testing Windows for NWEA MAP: 2026-2027
BOY (fall)- August 24 - September 11, 2026 (September 7-11 “Make-Up” Week)
MOY (winter) - November 30 - December 18, 2026 (December 14 - 18 “Make-Up” Week)
EOY (spring)- February 22 - March 11, 2026 (March 8-11 “Make-Up” Week)
Feedback for NWEA on Map Growth? Submit your ideas for improvement here:
DSI_MG_BasicsforTeachers_3hr_CBR .pdfAbout: NWEA MAP Growth for Reading is a universal screener designed to help you identify students who might be struggling with reading. This tool provides valuable data to pinpoint specific areas where students need extra support. By using MAP Growth, you can track student progress, make informed instructional decisions, and ensure all your students have the opportunity to succeed.
Email: mjkoncar@graniteschools.org
A note on understanding assessments that assess reading comprehension:
While many assessments claim to assess reading comprehension, it must be noted that these assessments assess different aspects of reading comprehension since it is a multifaceted, cognitively complex skill that humans do when reading text. Educators, administrators, and parents gain a surface level understanding that students who may be low in their RIT scale or percentile ranking may have issues with reading and will need further diagnostic testing to determine where gaps may be in their reading development.
Consider the following graphic that shows the simple view of reading: Students need a lot more skills than just understanding vocabulary to comprehend a text (especially complex texts that adolescent students are exposed to in their secondary content areas). So, in closing, when we assess reading comprehension, we also need to consider that all pieces of comprehension are not assessed in one assessment, nor are they meant to be when it comes to a universal screener. (*Universal screening involves assessing all students with a measure to determine whether additional support is needed to reach proficiency in that skill or subset of skills.)
GSD Assessment Calendar 2026 -2027
GSD Assessment Model
Assessment Model for Granite School District.pdfPage updated
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