Your child's MAP Growth report is published in Dash, our parent portal. Here is how to access it:

You will see a set of screenshots for each subject your child was tested in, typically three pages per subject. The following steps walk you through what each section of those pages means.

The top of the report shows a colored tile for each subject your child was tested in. Each tile displays the RIT score for that subject. Click any tile to expand its detail panel.

Each score tile is color-coded by achievement quintile, so you can see at a glance where your child falls relative to national norms: Red = below 20th percentile, Orange = 21st-40th, Yellow = 41st-60th, Green = 61st-80th, Blue = 81st-99th (top quintile).

In this example, the student has scores for Mathematics (194) and Reading (179). English Language Arts and Science show "---" because this student is in Knowledge Grade 2 in those subjects. Students at Knowledge Grade 3 or above in a given subject will see a score for it.

A first-time report showing Math and Reading scores. English Language Arts and Science are not yet tested for this student.

When a subject tile is selected, a detail panel expands with additional test information. Here is what each field means:

The expanded detail panel for Reading, showing Standard Error, test date, duration, and Rapid-Guessing check.

The Comparisons panel shows the Achievement Percentile, which tells you where your child's score falls relative to all students in their grade nationwide. In this example, the student is in the 55th percentile, meaning they scored higher than 55% of same-grade students nationally.

Percentiles are not percentages. A percentile of 50 is exactly average, not a failing score.

Once your child has taken MAP Growth at least twice, the Comparisons panel shows both Growth and Achievement percentiles. These tell different stories.

Achievement is where your child is standing on the mountain. Growth is how far they have climbed since the last time we measured. Both numbers matter, and neither tells the whole story alone.

The growth percentile compares your child's progress specifically to other students who share the same birth year and who scored at a similar achievement level on the previous test. This means your child is being fairly compared only to peers who performed like them, not to the entire student population. A growth percentile of 65 means your child grew more than 65% of students who started at a similar point.

A returning student report showing 81st percentile Growth and 99th percentile Achievement: High Growth, High Achievement.

The quadrant chart plots your child on two axes: achievement (horizontal) and growth (vertical). This gives a quick visual of how your child's current level and rate of progress relate to each other. The colors below match the quadrant chart on your child's report.

This is one of the most important sections of the report. Projected Growth is the number of RIT points NWEA expected your child to grow based on national data. Observed Growth is how many points they actually grew.

Projected Growth: +7 RIT. Observed Growth: +14 RIT. This student grew at 2x the projected rate.

This chart shows your child's RIT score trajectory across multiple testing windows. It is one of the most useful views for understanding progress at a glance.

The solid black line shows actual RIT scores at each testing event. The dashed line shows where NWEA projects the score would be at typical growth rates. When the solid line is above the dashed line, your child is growing faster than projected. The gap between those lines is a visual representation of accelerated growth.

The colored background bands represent national percentile ranges: red/orange at the bottom (1st-20th percentile), blue at the top (81st-100th). As the score line moves upward through these bands, your child is climbing into higher national percentile territory.

The dotted line shows the national average RIT score for your child's grade at each point in the year.

This particular chart was chosen because it shows a complete multi-year trajectory. You can see the student's math scores progressing from 205 to 245 across testing windows, with the solid line consistently above the dashed projection line, indicating sustained accelerated growth.

In addition to an overall RIT score, MAP Growth breaks each subject into specific content areas called strands. A strand is a category of skills within a subject. For example, Mathematics is broken into strands like Number and Operations, Geometry, Algebraic Thinking, and Measurement and Data. Reading has strands for Literary Text, Informational Text, and Foundational Skills.

Each strand receives its own RIT score, giving you a more detailed picture of where your child is strongest and where there may be room for growth within a subject. Strand scores are based on fewer questions than the overall score, so they are less precise. Use them to understand relative strengths, not as standalone metrics.

Instructional areas for Math: Number and Operations (240), Geometry (245), Operations and Algebraic Thinking (247), Measurement and Data (251). The Growth Over Time chart is also visible below.

This view also includes the Growth Over Time chart at the bottom of the page. In the example above, you can see a clear upward trajectory in Math from 205 (Spring 2023) through 245 (Winter 2026), with the student's solid line consistently pulling ahead of the projected dashed line and climbing through the percentile bands.