Research brief
Should kindergartners be redshirted? Costs likely outweigh academic benefits
March 2026
By: Megan Kuhfeld, Sofia Postell
Description
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.
See MoreTopics: Early learning, Growth
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Products: MAP Growth
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User Guide and FAQ: MAP Growth National Dashboard
This user guide explains how to navigate the MAPĀ® Growth⢠National Dashboard, understand the key metrics and terms, make appropriate comparisons of data, and communicate findings responsibly. This guide also includes a robust āFrequently Asked Questionsā section that provides in-depth answers about the dashboard and its uses.
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Technical Appendix: MAP Growth National Dashboard
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.
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Using data from the MAP Growth National Dashboard, this Trends Snapshot report focuses on academic growth trends post-COVID and points to a positive turn for U.S. reading after years of stagnation. This positive trend was also noted for historically underserved groups who showed the largest reading gains from 2025 to 2026.
By: Megan Kuhfeld, Karyn Lewis
Products: MAP Growth
Topics: COVID-19 & schools, Growth, Math & STEM, Reading & language arts
Achievement and Growth Norms for Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Foundational Skills
This technical report presents achievement and growth norms for Spanish MAP Reading Fluency Foundational Skills (grades Kā3), enabling educators to interpret student performance and progress in early literacy domains relative to national peer groups.
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This is the technical appendix to the research brief, āGetting Algebra Placement Right: Expanding Opportunity and Strengthening Preparation,ā which examines whether taking Algebra in 8th grade instead of 9th grade improves student outcomes.
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Products: MAP Growth
Topics: Empowering educators, Growth, Informing instruction, Math & STEM, Middle school