In 2026, we spoke with teachers as well as school and district leaders from across Texas about why they trust MAP Growth to place students for instruction and intervention, powering greater growth in their classrooms.

MTSS is a framework for helping educators meet the diverse needs of learners. It relies heavily on assessment, a critical piece in the puzzle of understanding where kids are in their learning. In this collection of posts from our blog, Teach. Learn. Grow., you can learn more about how to use MTSS effectively in your school or district.

Today, Jacob is joined by an Alaskan and a Texan: Moon McCarley, Principal at Nondalton School and District Testing Coordinator for The Lake and Peninsula School District, located on the Alaska Peninsula; and Ashley Cruz, State Professional Learning Consultant at NWEA. They discuss how NWEA partners with districts across Alaska to create high-impact professional learning opportunities to expand assessment literacy. Along the way, Moon shares her experience as a Certified Facilitator and talks about how it helped her grow as a leader.

NWEA senior research scientist Scott Peters offers a thoughtful approach to using MAP Growth data to identify advanced learning opportunities for students that helps educators balance access, sensitivity, alignment, and cost in making these key placement decisions.

Kailey & Jacob are joined by two educators and NWEA content specialists who have thought a lot about how to improves student experiences in science. Kim Baker has been at NWEA for 13 years, and Megan Kuehl has been here for eight. We discuss challenging assumptions about the science classroom and unpack the notion that science is inherently impartial.

This document offers guidance on how NWEA® MAP Growth can help educators decide which students are ready for or would benefit from advanced learning opportunities, such as gifted and talented programs.

Kailey chats with actor, comedian, and NWEA professional learning lead consultant Nicholas Joe about how, why, and when teachers get laughs in their classroom. Along the way they discuss strategies like how to pivot in the classroom with a “Yes, and…” mindset and how to utilize comedy in your lesson planning. And yes, Nick gets Kailey to do improv!