Predicting Proficiency on STAAR from MAP Growth Scores

This technical report outlines a linking study conducted by NWEA to connect MAP Growth Rasch Unit (RIT) scores with the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) performance levels. The study aims to provide educators with RIT cut scores that correspond to STAAR performance levels for mathematics and English language arts (ELA) in grades 3-8, and for science in grades 5 and 8. The report details the methodology used, including data collection and statistical analyses that resulted in the identification of cut scores for fall, winter, and spring MAP Growth assessments. It presents findings from a sample of 47,303 students across 278 schools in Texas, demonstrating a high positive correlation between MAP Growth scores and STAAR test scores, indicating that MAP Growth can effectively predict student proficiency on state assessments. The report also includes classification accuracy statistics, showing how well the RIT scores predict student achievement on STAAR, thus providing valuable information for educators to identify students at risk of not meeting proficiency standards.