RIT Scores (Rasch Unit)

  • Student MAP® testing results are reported in RIT scores (short for Rasch Unit). A RIT score is an estimation of a student’s instructional level and also measures student progress or growth in school.  You may have a chart in your home on which you mark your child’s height at certain times, such as his or her birthday.  This is a growth chart to show how much your child has grown from one year to the next. MAP® assessments do the same sort of thing, except they measure growth in mathematics, reading and language usage.  
     
    The RIT scale is an equal-interval scale much like feet and inches on a yardstick.  It is used to chart your child’s academic growth from year to year.  This type of score increases the value of the tests as a tool to improve student learning because it enables teachers to pinpoint what students have learned and what students are ready to learn.

Understanding the RIT Score

  • These charts show NATIONAL median RIT scores for grades Kdg -11 in a typical school district.  You may use these charts to help determine if your student is preforming at, above, or below grade level compared to students across the nation.
     
    It is important to understand that the MAP® test is one test at one point in time.  It does not measure intelligence or a student’s capacity for learning.  When making important decisions about students, school staff will consider the MAP® test results along with other data such as classroom performance, other test scores, and input from parents and teachers.
     
    These charts show the NATIONAL grade level scores for Kdg - 11th graders who tested in the Fall and Spring. This shows the yearly growth that is typical for each grade level. When you review your child's scores, you can check to see if his/her growth is above, at, or below average compared to other students in the same grade level. 

Growth Guideline Charts

  • READING Year’s
    Growth
    GR Fall Spring
    K 142 158 16
    1 160 173 13
    2 179 190 11
    3 192 200 8
    4 201 207 6
    5 208 212 4
    6 213 216 3
    7 217 219 2
    8 219 222 3
    9 221 223 2
    10 223 224 1
    11 223 224 1
    		   
    MATH Year’s
    Growth
    GR Fall Spring
    K 144 159 15
    1 164 178 14
    2 179 191 12
    3 192 203 11
    4 203 211 8
    5 212 220 8
    6 219 225 6
    7 225 230 5
    8 230 234 4
    9 234 236 2
    10 234 237 3
    11 236 238 2

Growth Over Time

  • We expect RIT scores to increase over time. Typically, younger students show more growth in one year than older students. Students who test above grade level often show less growth. Sometimes RIT scores may decline from one test to the next. One low test score is not cause for immediate concern. Like adults, students have good and bad days and their test results do not always indicate what they know.
     
    Students’ attitudes toward the test can also affect their score. Therefore, growth over time is a better measure of student learning. Parents and guardians should become comfortable with the understanding that individuals will grow at different rates. Anticipated growth rates for each student are based on national norms and should be viewed as “typical” growth and not expected growth. Teachers and principals have participated in training to learn what the MAP test results mean and how to best utilize the results. Our goal is for teachers to use the data to differentiate and adjust instruction so that all students grow at levels appropriate for each individual.