Every school year, students take assessments designed to help teachers better understand what kids know and are ready to learn next. MAP® Growth™, our assessment for children in kindergarten through twelfth grade, is usually given every fall, winter, and spring.
After testing, teachers use the results to plan instruction. They should also communicate results to students and their families. MAP Growth reports student results using several key terms, including “RIT score,” “achievement percentile,” “growth percentile,” and “academic standards.”
If you’re struggling to make sense of all the testing terminology, here are some definitions that can help.
RIT (Rasch UnIT)
When you receive MAP Growth results, one term often stands out: “RIT score.” Common questions about RIT include the following:
- What is a RIT score?
- What does RIT stand for in MAP testing?
- What is a Rasch UnIT scale?
- What is the district grade-level mean RIT?
- What is the norm grade-level mean RIT?
What is a RIT score?
A RIT score is the numerical score a student receives on a MAP Growth assessment. It reflects a student’s current academic level and is used to measure achievement and growth over time.
What does RIT stand for in MAP testing?
“RIT” stands for “Rasch UnIT.” It is the measurement scale used in MAP Growth assessments to report student achievement and growth over time.
The term comes from the Rasch model, a statistical measurement model named after Danish mathematician Georg Rasch. This model ensures that MAP Growth scores are consistent and comparable across grade levels and testing terms.
In simple terms, a RIT score measures a student’s academic level independent of age or grade. As students learn and grow, their RIT score increases, allowing educators to track progress over time.
What is a Rasch UnIT scale?
A Rasch UnIT is the equal-interval measurement scale used in MAP Growth to report student achievement and growth over time. Like feet and inches on a ruler, the RIT scale is equal-interval, meaning score differences are consistent across the scale.
What is the district grade-level mean RIT?
The district grade-level mean RIT is the average RIT score for all students in the same grade within a school district who took the same test during the same testing term. This number allows educators to compare a student’s performance to peers in the same district.
What is the norm grade-level mean RIT?
The norm grade-level mean RIT is the average RIT score for a nationwide sample of same-grade students who took the same test in the same term, based on the most recent MAP Growth norms. This provides educators a national comparison point.
Other MAP Growth terms to know
Here are three more MAP Growth terms it can be useful to know, whether you’re a school or district administrator, teacher, or parent or guardian of a student assessed with MAP Growth:
- Achievement percentile. An achievement percentile indicates the percentage of students in the NWEA norm group for a test and grade that a student’s RIT score equaled or exceeded. It is a normative statistic that indicates how well a student performed compared to similar students in the norm group. For example, a student with a percentile rank of 72 scored as well as or better than 72% of comparable students in the norm group.
- Growth percentile. A growth percentile indicates the percentage of students in the NWEA norm group for a test and grade that a student’s growth equaled or exceeded. It is a normative statistic that indicates how much a student grew in comparison to similar students in the norm group. For example, a student with a growth percentile of 60 grew as much as or more than 60% of comparable students in the norm group. Growth percentiles are calculated only when a student has completed two or more MAP Growth tests and are most often used to measure growth from fall to winter or fall to spring.
- Academic standards. Standards are statements, developed by states or districts, of what students should know and be able to do in specific academic areas. In some states, educators refer to the Common Core State Standards. Other states have developed their own academic standards and districts may provide additional guidance aligned to those expectations. If you are interested in the standards used by your state, you can find more information on your state department of education’s website.
Learn more about MAP Growth
Understanding MAP Growth terminology helps educators, families, and students have clearer, more productive conversations about learning. When everyone shares a baseline understanding of terms like “RIT score,” “achievement percentile,” “growth percentile,” and “academic standards,” assessment results become more meaningful and actionable.
To learn more about MAP Growth, see our Family Toolkit, watch our video “What is MAP Growth?” and read “12 common questions parents ask about MAP Growth.”
