No, MAP Growth is not a standardized test because it doesn’t give all students the same, standard set of questions every time it’s administered. Instead, it adapts based on a student’s answer, asking a more difficult question when they answer correctly and an easier question when they don’t. Students are expected to answer questions correctly only about 50% of the time.

MAP Growth is also an interim assessment, that is, it is given periodically during the school year, so that educators and families can see a student’s growth over time. (We recommend testing three times a year: in early fall, in winter, and in the spring.)

When we talk about high-stakes tests, we are usually talking about a test designed to measure what students already know, based on what is expected at their grade level. High-stakes tests are also often used as a way to measure grade-level proficiency. MAP Growth is designed to measure student achievement in the moment and growth over time, regardless of grade level, so it is quite different.

By the end of the test, most students will have answered about half the questions correctly, as is common on adaptive tests. The purpose of MAP Growth is to determine what the student knows and is ready to learn next.

Another difference is the timeliness of the results. While states often return information in the fall after the state summative test is taken, MAP Growth gives quick feedback to teachers, administrators, students, and families. Teachers receive immediate results with MAP Growth that show how each student is performing and where there might be common learning opportunities for the class. One similarity is that MAP Growth aligns to the same standards in a given state as the state test, so both measure similar content.