RIT Scores

MAP Growth uses the RIT (Rasch Unit) scale to help you measure and compare academic achievement and growth. Specifically, the scale measures levels in academic difficulty. The RIT scale extends equally across all grades, making it possible to compare a student's score at various points throughout their education.

What does a specific RIT score mean? A RIT score represents the level where a student is just as likely to answer items at a particular RIT score incorrectly as they would answer them correctly.

Relation to Standards

In addition to RIT scores, MAP Growth provides specific learning statements showing the content associated with each RIT band. Those learning statements are directly aligned to your state standards.

As standards change, NWEA makes new alignments so that RIT scores and learning statements still maintain the same meaning in terms of academic difficulty. Those changes result in new test versions, but the new versions will not significantly impact student scores, growth measurements, nor the ranking against NWEA norms.

However, it is possible that the introduction of new standards into MAP tests impact the Instructional Areas (or "goal areas") that appear on MAP reports. For this reason, the best practice is to adopt new tests at the start of your academic year, not mid-year.

Relation to Instruction

You can use MAP Growth to inform unit planning along with high-quality formative assessment to inform daily instruction and identify the most important learning needs and maximize growth for all students. For more information, see Instructional Resources.