Research brief
Hot test days, lower math scores: How heat affects student achievement
October 2025
Description
This research report examines a growing challenge for U.S. schools: keeping classrooms cool as longer, more intense heat waves disrupt learning and strain aging infrastructure. As of 2020, about half of schools required HVAC upgrades, and many now face closures or shortened days due to extreme heat. The study combines daily temperature data from various sources with MAP Growth scores for grades 3ā8 across six states. Drawing on roughly three million test events from fall 2022, 2023 and 2024, the analysis finds that higher temperatures most strongly affect math scores, with students in high-poverty schools facing the greatest impact.
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This is the technical appendix to the research, āAcademically diverse classrooms, deeper needs,ā research brief examines the academic diversity of post-COVID classrooms, including the composition and spread of academic achievement levels. Key findings highlight the challenges facing educators as more students are off-track and further behind grade-level proficiency.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction
Academically diverse classrooms, deeper needs: What teachers face after the pandemic
This research brief examines the academic diversity of post-COVID classrooms, including the composition and spread of academic achievement levels. Key findings highlight the challenges facing educators as more students are off-track and further behind grade-level proficiency.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction
A Practical Guide for Considering and Interpreting Test Score Differences Among Student SubgroupsĀ
This guide offers recommendations for how to understand what differences may exist when looking at data for student groups, and gives leaders some structure for how they might consider and interpret those differences.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Empowering educators, Equity, Growth, Guidance
Kindergarten redshirting: What families should know
This is a family facing fact sheet about the data on the practice of delaying kindergarten, known as redshirting. Schools can use this fact sheet with families considering redshirting or who just want more information.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Early learning, Growth
Technical Appendix: Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits
This is the technical appendix for the research brief titled, āShould kindergartners be redshirted?ā which examines the data on holding back five-year-olds from starting kindergarten – a practice known as redshirting.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Growth, Early learning
Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits
This research brief examines the data on holding back five-year-olds from starting kindergarten – a practice known as redshirting. Using national data from over three million kindergartners from NWEAās MAP Growth K-2 assessment, this study explores redshirting trends between fall 2017 and 2025. It also follows a kindergarten cohort (2021-22) through the third grade, examining whether there were academic advantages for redshirted students.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Early learning, Growth
Trend Snapshots: COVID-19 recovery in Kā2, positive recovery trends
This short research brief highlights trends seen in the latest data released in the NWEA Map Growth National Dashboard. In this latest edition of Trend Snapshots, key findings focus on trends in K-2 academic recovery following the COVID pandemic.
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Growth, Seasonal learning patterns & summer loss
