This short research brief highlights trends seen in the latest data released in the NWEA Map Growth National Dashboard. In this first edition of Trend Snapshots, key findings from Spring 2025 data highlight a modest, incremental recovery post COVID, but stalled progress in reading achievement.

This user guide explains how to navigate the MAP® Growth™ National Dashboard, understand the key metrics and terms, make appropriate comparisons of data, and communicate findings responsibly. This guide also includes a robust “Frequently Asked Questions” section that provides in-depth answers about the dashboard and its uses.

This is the accompanying technical appendix to the MAP Growth National Dashboard providing more details of the data and describing more fully the sample and methods used within the dashboard.

The report documents the process NWEA followed to determine and validate the cut scores for fall, winter, and spring that can be used to identify students in Grades K–8 who have severe learning difficulties and need intensive intervention in reading and mathematics.

An added memorandum presents the updated threshold scores by grades and terms for MAP Growth Mathematics and Reading.

The MAP Growth Goal Explorer is designed to support and simplify the goal-setting process by showing a range of possible fall-to-spring growth goals against the backdrop of important academic benchmarks.

One of the most powerful, but often overlooked, features of the 2025 MAP Growth norms is their precision around instructional time.

MAP Growth norms work best when paired with a teacher’s knowledge of individual students, available resources, and instructional priorities.