Instructional areas are reporting categories on MAP Growth reports that are aligned to standards or benchmarks. The full-length MAP Growth tests contain about 13 questions related to each instructional area, allowing you to see how a student is performing in the instructional areas (such as algebraic thinking) as well as the overall subject (such as mathematics). Instructors can use this information to concentrate on a student's areas of relative strength and areas of concern. See Areas of relative strength and areas of relative concern for more information.
How many items are presented in each instructional area?
The number of questions in each instructional area will vary depending on the test. The minimum number of items presented per instructional area is about 6 items and the maximum is about 20.
Does each instructional area have the same number of items?
Most MAP Growth tests are not weighted, which means they will draw relatively equally from all instructional areas. This is true for Reading, Language Usage, and Science tests at all grades as well as older Math tests. As an example, for a 40-item test with 3 instructional areas, each test event will include about 13 items per instructional area (40 items / 3 instructional areas).
MAP Growth Math tests published starting in summer 2022 that use the new enhanced item-selection algorithm provide a different number of items for each instructional area depending on the focus of instruction for the grades covered in the test. For instance, many state standard sets do not emphasize the geometry domain in elementary instruction, so the newer MAP Growth Math tests will present fewer geometry items than items about measurement and data, number sense, or algebraic operations. The target number of items for each instructional area in a MAP Growth Math test is now set when a new test is released and leverages information in the standards as well as resources from state departments of education and the expertise of NWEA assessment designers.
Which reports show scores for instructional areas?
The following reports show instructional area RIT scores:
The following reports show instructional area RIT scores as ranges:
Note: Instructional area RIT ranges account for standard error, such as 153-169.
The
Class Profile report displays instructional area RIT scores as a single score, instead of a range of scores. A histogram has been added to the report and shows students grouped in 10-point RIT bands to help with forming temporary learning groups. See
About the Class Profile report and
NWEA News.Class Profile enhancements – summer 2024 for more information.
Can reports be generated from sub goal performance areas?
For example, Common Core for Mathematics 2-5 goal "Operations and Functions" is broken into 3 smaller categories:
- Add & Subtract: Represent and Solve Problems
- Multiply & Divide: Represent and Solve Problems
- Solve Problems & Analyze Patterns & Relationships
No, we do not currently offer reports on sub-goal areas due to the small number of items comprising the overall goal structure. The scores would be unreliable and would have a very high standard error of measure.
Do Screening tests provide instructional areas?
The shorter Screening tests do not give RIT ranges for instructional areas.
Are growth norms available for instructional areas?
No, we do not have growth norms for instructional areas,
Is there a list of the instructional areas available for me to view?
To see the instructional areas associated with the different test licenses available, see the following link: MAP Growth Instructional Areas
NWEA 2025 Instructional Areas can be found here: NWEA_2025.pdf
