Agenda Item
b. Renewal of Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment Systems for 2026-2027 (Not to Exceed $2,500,000)
Summary: Presented by: Dr. Candace Alexander, Chief of Accountability and Research, Division of Accountability and Research
Request: It is requested that the DeKalb County Board of Education approve the renewal of the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment for the 2026-2027 school year in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000.
The requested purchase is an assessment expenditure that does not require bid per the District’s Purchasing Board Policy (DJE). It is aligned with Strategic Goal Area 1: Student Success with Equity and Access.
Why: The DeKalb County School District currently utilizes Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) as a formative, interim assessment in grades K-12 in Reading, Language Usage, Mathematics, and Science. MAP also serves as the District’s universal screener to identify gifted and magnet students, as well as provides supplemental student achievement data to guide Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) at the local school level.
Additionally, the District requires a tool that:
• Is Diagnostic (measures student growth and identify students in need of additional support)
• Provides students with an online learning path/continuum-based students’ identified need
• Allows the District to compare student performance against other students to determine growth and mastery percentile gaps (this is particularly important for our at-risk subgroups)
• Allows the District to determine students level of mastery based on state standards and learning criteria (i.e., success criteria and learning targets) using RIT scores
• Can be used as a predictor towards the GA Milestones, SAT and ACT
• Provides easy to understand data district, school and individual student reports (at the demographic level)
• Provides Family Reports
In preparation for the 2026-2027 school year, the requested renewal is to permit the DeKalb County School District to enter into a continued agreement with NWEA to offer district-wide licenses for MAP assessments and to provide professional learning services to ensure all staff build efficiency in the instructional application of assessment data.
Details: This proposed budget item is requesting funds not to exceed $2,500,000 to cover the costs associated with the District renewal of the NWEA MAP assessment system and professional learning services.
NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) is a suite of assessments that deliver data to make a difference in student progress. MAP Growth measures areas related to the Georgia Standards of Excellence in RIT (Rausch Unit) scores. As a result, educators can easily measure growth in learning through the school year, and from year-to-year in Reading, Math, Language Usage, and Science, which also affords educators the capability to differentiate instruction based on the tool’s functionalities. The tool is built on one of the most robust normative scales in the United States.
MAP assessments are computer-adaptive tests that increase in rigor as students answer items, correctly. When a student incorrectly answers a question, the test becomes less difficult to match the next test item with the student’s academic aptitude. Therefore, a student takes an assessment created explicitly for his or her learning level. In addition, MAP Skills provides each student with his/her own specific learning path that identifies skill gaps and provides activities to help students master specific foundational skills.
Financial impact: The financial impact is an amount, not to exceed $2,500,000 for FY27. The purchase amount will be paid using general funds budgeted to the Division of Accountability and Research’s Department of Assessment Administration GL code:100.1000.530010.00011.7540.9990.8010.030.0000 and
the Division of Student Services GL code: 404.2213.530000.05021.7340.2824.8010.094.2026
Contact: Dr. Candace Alexander, Chief of Accountability and Research, Division of Accountability and Research, 678.676.0300
Mrs. Kiana King, Interim Chief of Student Services, Division of Student Services, 678.676.0418
Effective: August 2026
Status: Approved by the Office of Legal Affairs
A family guide to MAP Growth
You see a bright future for your child. So do we. It’s why our assessments measure what students
know and how they are growing academically— to help teachers maximize every learner’s potential.
MAP Growth is trusted by thousands of schools and districts to support 13+ million students across the
United States and around the world.
How it works
The computer-adaptive MAP Growth assessment responds to every student individually. If a student answers a test
question correctly, a harder question is provided. If a student answers a test question incorrectly, an easier test question
is provided. Students demonstrate what they know, and teachers see specifc areas where their individual classes may
need more support.
What it measures
MAP Growth uses a Rasch unit (RIT) scale to accurately measure what students know, regardless of their grade level.
It also measures growth over time, allowing you to track your child’s progress throughout the school year and across
multiple years. Once your child completes a MAP Growth test, they receive a RIT score.
“MAP Growth is important because it allows my teacher and me to see how
much I know and my percentile growth. In math, my score used to be 227 (72nd
percentile), but it is now 240 (90th percentile). I didn’t know I was capable of so
much growth, but in the end I was.”
Kayla, 6th grade
Santa Ana, CA
What to do next
We recommend requesting a copy of the Family Report. As
you review the MAP Growth results together, here are sample
questions to ask your child’s teacher: Does my child need
extra help in any specifc areas? How does my child compare
with the national average? How is my child progressing toward
grade-level expectations? How can I help my child’s academic
growth from home?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do schools Teachers can use the scores to identify learning areas that their class should focus on, as
and teachers well as monitor the growth of individual students. Principals and administrators can use
the scores to see the performance and progress of a grade level, school, or the entire
use MAP Growth
district.
scores?
Can MAP Growth Yes, but please note that MAP Growth scores are just one data point that teachers use
tell me if my child to determine how a student is performing. Please discuss any questions that you have
about your child’s performance with their teacher.
is working at grade
level?
How often will my Most schools give MAP Growth tests to students at the beginning, middle, and end of
child take MAP the school year (in the fall, winter, and spring). Some schools choose to administer tests
only twice a year.
Growth tests?
What are norms? NWEA provides schools with norms by utilizing anonymous data from more than 13+
million students around the US. Knowing the top, middle, and bottom scores of all these
students combined allows teachers to compare where your child is to other students and
help them grow. In addition, NWEA provides comparison data for private, accredited,
English-based, international schools using MAP Growth outside the US.
Is MAP Growth a MAP Growth is administered periodically during the school year. Instead of asking all
standardized test? students the same questions, it adjusts to each child’s performance—giving a more
accurate measure of what they know. Teachers also receive results right away, which
enables them to react more quickly.
What types of The MAP Growth tests include multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and other types of
questions are on questions. For sample tests, visit Warmup.NWEA.org.
MAP Growth tests?
Find more family resources at nwea.org/familytoolkit
©2025 HMH Education Company. NWEA® and MAP are registered trademarks, and MAP Growth is a trademark, of HMH Education Company in
the US and in other countries. All rights reserved.
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