How to calculate Instructional Weeks:
1. Identify your first day of school
Example: Tuesday, September 2, 2025
2. Locate the midpoint of your testing window
Example: Test window is from Monday, September 22 through Friday, October 3, 2025; so the midpoint is Tuesday, September 29, 2025
3. Count the complete weeks from the first day of school to the midpoint of testing
- Weeks start on Monday and end on Sunday.
- The first day of school is always in the first week, even if the first day is a Friday.
- Do not exclude holidays or breaks.
- Use the same method to calculate instructional weeks for Fall, Winter, and Spring testing windows.
4. Record this number as your instructional weeks total
Example: First day of school (September 2) to test window midpoint (September 29) = 4 complete weeks
Note:
Each testing season has defined instructional week boundaries:
- Fall = Weeks 0–15
- Winter = Weeks 16–25
- Spring = Weeks 26–42
If your calculated instructional week falls outside the allowable range for the selected season, select the nearest available week within that season's range.
Example: If your calculation yields 44 weeks in your Spring testing window, enter Week 42 (the last valid week for Spring). If your school's actual number of instructional weeks before testing is different by 1 or 2 weeks, the effects on percentiles and growth projections are small. If the difference will be larger than 2 weeks, you should interpret your students' growth projections accordingly.
For more information on how to calculate instructional weeks before MAP Growth testing so your data stays accurate and aligned with your schedule, please see the video below:
How to Modify your weeks of instruction
For instructions on configuring these dates in your MAP Suite, see: Date Setup Before Testing.
Can we set different instructional weeks for schools that test at different times?
Yes. You can adjust these weeks at the school level or the district level, just as you can adjust testing windows. See Set School-Specific Test Dates section in the MAP Help Center.
When can I update instructional weeks? Can I update instructional weeks for previous academic years?
You can update the instructional weeks at any time, for any term, even if the test window is complete.
Required Roles
In order to modify instructional weeks, users must have either the System Administrator or District Assessment Coordinator role assigned in MAP Growth.
See also:
