NWEA Scores And What They Mean

NWEA Scores and What They Mean

By Sean Glynn

Recently, most of us at the school received the scores from our NWEA tests earlier in the fall. The tests are made to gauge where students are in their knowledge of certain subjects, and what they need to learn more about. Following this train of logic, the scores must have meaning. But what do they mean?

6th Grade:

In the 6th grade, the students take three different tests, being math, science, and reading. Each of these tests has their own specific score ranges, so let’s dive into them.

Math:

If you are a student wondering if you got a good score in math, we’re going to break it down. The average score for a 6th grader on the math test was 212, and an average student would have a score from 198 to 224. This means that if you got lower than 198, you are below average in math, and if you got above 224 you are excelling. 

Reading:

The average 6th grade score for reading was 210, with an average student having a score of between 197 and 223. This means below-average students had a score of below 197, and a student with a high score would have a score of above 223.

Science:

Last but not least for 6th grade is science. The average score for science was 209 in the 6th grade, with an average student having a score between 200 and 220. This means that a student skilled in science would have a score of above 220, and an unskilled student would have a score of below 200.

7th Grade:

7th grade also took these three sections of tests, being math, reading, and science. 

Math:

The average math score for a 7th grader on the test is 214, with an average student having a score of between 200 and 229. This means that an above-average student will have a score of above 229, and a below-average student will have a score of below 200.

Reading:

The average score for 7th grade on the reading test was 208. An average student would have a score of between 193 and 223. So if you tested well and were above average, you would have a score of above 223, and a student who tested poorly would score below 193. 

Science:

Finally, the average score on the science test was 208. This means that an average student would have a score of between 197 and 229. A below-average student would have a score of below 197, and an average student would have a score of above 229. 

8th Grade:

Finally, we get to the last section, 8th grade. 8th grade also took three tests, being math, reading, and science. 

Math:

The average math score for 8th graders was 220. This means you run-of-the-mill student would have a score between 205 and 235. If you were a below-average student, you would have a score of less than 205, and a student that might be in Algebra Class would have a score of higher than 235. 

Reading:

The reading test in 8th grade had an average score of 215. Most students scored between 200 and 230. This means that a student who tested poorly would have a score of below 200, and a student who might be in Advanced English would score above 230.

Science:

Last but not least, we have science. The average science score in 8th grade was 213. This means an average student would have a score of between 202 and 224. An above-average student would have a score of above 224, and a below-average student would have a score of below 202. 

Overall, while these test scores can help teachers determine what to teach and what class to place students in, they are still just numbers and aren’t all that a person is.