Maine Through Year Assessment FAQ

Maine Through Year Assessment FAQ 
 
Updated August 31, 2023 
The Maine Department of Education is committed to our mission of promoting the best 
learning opportunities for all Maine students by providing information, guidance, and support 
to our schools, educators, and leaders and by providing adequate and equitable school funding 
and resources. 
New questions and answers are added as they are compiled. The most recent version of this 
document can always be found at the Maine DOE’s Math & Reading Assessments webpage: 
https://www.maine.gov/doe/Testing_Accountability/MECAS/NWEA  
 
Table of Contents 
Contact Information ...........................................................................................................................4 
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................4 
Why did we make the transition from MAP Growth to the Maine Through Year Assessment? .............. 4 
Will a through year assessment be developed for students in grades K-2, 9, or 11? .............................. 4 
Through Year Assessment Model ........................................................................................................5 
What is a flexible, through year assessment program? ............................................................................ 5 
To which standards will the Maine Through Year Assessment align? ...................................................... 5 
What does the transition to the Maine Through Year Assessment mean for my school? ....................... 5 
How will the fall and winter administrations of the Maine Through Year Assessment be different from 
the spring administration? ........................................................................................................................ 5 
What is the overall assessment design for the spring Through Year Assessment? .................................. 5 
Can you share the overall test design specifications for the summative portion of the assessment? .... 6 
Where are the questions coming from for the diagnostic and summative portions of the assessment? 
Who is developing those questions? ........................................................................................................ 6 
It seems it is the spring test that the state is truly using for assessment.  Shouldn't then the fall test be 
optional because the fall test will stand alone and not compare to anything? ....................................... 6 
Assessment Pre-Administration & Administration ..............................................................................7 
What training resources will be available? ............................................................................................... 7 
For MAP Growth, NWEA recommends, at most, a three-week test window to ensure valid 
comparisons. What about the Through Year Assessment? Should we still plan, at most, a 3-week test 
window? .................................................................................................................................................... 7 
How will students be rostered for the Maine Through Year Assessment? .............................................. 7 

Is there a reason why we shouldn't access students via the NWEA platform (MARC), go into each 
student, and then add an accommodation for the Through Year Assessment?  If we do this, do we 
have to download the registration report and then upload it to Acacia? I guess I am not seeing the 
reason for using the Acacia platform if everything is already integrated with the NWEA platform. ....... 7 
The clickable “breadcrumbs” links in the Acacia platform are not working. ............................................ 8 
I have a student stuck in "registration complete" status, whereas my other students are in “ready to 
test” status. What should I do? ................................................................................................................ 8 
Can I do bulk uploads of accommodations after the initial registration process by re-generating a new 
registration report? Will the new report maintain the changes I had made previously? ........................ 8 
How do I change user roles in the Acacia platform? ................................................................................ 8 
Can the Maine Through Year test be administered remotely? ................................................................ 8 
Can you discuss the grouping of students for administration of the assessment? Would grouping by 
homerooms or small groups be required? Or be best practice for proctoring? ...................................... 8 
Can test tickets be automatically generated by Online Testing group, rather than for all students in a 
grade level? ............................................................................................................................................... 9 
Do I need to assign proctors to Online Testing groups? ........................................................................... 9 
Can multiple proctors view the whole grade at the same time? ............................................................. 9 
If a proctor signs out, do students continue to test?................................................................................ 9 
Will practice assessments be made available for the Through Year Assessment? ................................ 10 
What will happen if a student attempts to log back in with the same test code once they've finished? 
(In other words, what will appear on the student’s screen if they attempt this?)................................. 10 
Under what circumstances can a student’s assessment be “reset”? ..................................................... 10 
Computer Adaptive Testing .............................................................................................................. 11 
I have heard that new Through Year Assessment will not be adaptive. Is this true? ............................. 11 
Will the paper-based forms and braille forms also be adaptive? ........................................................... 11 
Scoring and Reports ......................................................................................................................... 12 
What kinds of scores will be generated by the summative Maine Through Year Assessment? ............ 12 
Will students be able to see scores immediately upon completion of the Through Year Assessment as 
they could in the past with MAP Growth? .............................................................................................. 12 
What are the four Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) that describe students’ performance on the 
summative assessment? ......................................................................................................................... 12 
Will the Through Year Assessment results be connected to the Learning Continuum? ........................ 12 
Will NWEA’s Through Year Assessment reports still report RIT scores for specific instructional areas?
 ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 
Who has access to student reports in Acacia after the administration? Do individuals in the 
“Instructor” role have access? ................................................................................................................ 14 

Can NWEA MAP Growth assessment scores be compared to the Maine Through Year Assessment 
scores? .................................................................................................................................................... 14 
Will scores generated by the Maine Through Year Assessment be nationally normed? ....................... 15 
What will be the timeline for receiving scores for the Maine Through Year Assessment? For MAP 
Growth, results were available in the MARC platform within 24 hours. ................................................ 15 
Will the Through Year Assessment reports in the Acacia platform be the same as the MAP Growth 
reports that SAUs are accustomed to? ................................................................................................... 15 
I’ve heard that I will be able to see my Through Year Assessment RIT score results in MAP Growth 
reports. Can you explain more? .............................................................................................................. 15 
Does the SAU need to change the test term dates in MAP Growth to match the state assessment 
administration dates? ............................................................................................................................. 16 
How do we see previous RIT scores in NWEA from students that move into our district? ................... 16 
What percentage of the assessment does a student need to complete to receive a score? ................ 16 
How were achievement level cut scores determined for the spring 2021 and spring 2022 MAP Growth 
assessment administrations? .................................................................................................................. 16 
Will achievement level cut scores be determined in the same way for the spring 2023 administration 
of the Through Year Assessment? .......................................................................................................... 19 
What does “meets projected growth” mean when looking at a student’s RIT scores? ......................... 19 
Accessibility Features ....................................................................................................................... 21 
What accessibility features will be available on the Maine Through Year Assessment? ....................... 21 
Why are paper-based forms considered embedded accommodations if the student is not using a 
computer or other device? ..................................................................................................................... 21 
One of the possible non-embedded designated support features for both the MAP Growth 
assessment and the Maine Through Year Assessment is the use of a bilingual word-to-word glossary 
for the math assessment. Is this glossary provided by NWEA or the Department of Education? ......... 21 
Are accommodations assigned to the student or to the test? ............................................................... 21 
How do I update accessibility supports for individual students, for example small group? .................. 21 
How does the font chosen by NWEA for its online assessment platform meet accessibility guidelines?
 ................................................................................................................................................................ 22 
Continued Use of MAP Growth ......................................................................................................... 23 
If an SAU pays for a NWEA MAP Growth subscription for the 2023-24 academic year, are we able to 
continue to use this assessment? ........................................................................................................... 23 
 
 

Contact Information

Questions related to technology and the processes within the assessment platform (e.g., registration

and user roles) should be directed to NWEA Maine Partner Support at (855) 430-1777.

Questions about assessment policy, accommodations/supports, assessment coordinator responsibilities,

and assessment blueprint/design should be directed to Krista Averill, Assessment Coordinator, at

Krista.Averill@maine.gov or (207) 215-6528.

Introduction

Why did we make the transition from MAP Growth to the Maine Through Year

Assessment?

The NWEA MAP Growth assessment was adopted as an emergency measure during the pandemic to

meet schools’ needs for immediate, actionable data. MAP Growth was an interim assessment solution

while the Department of Education worked collaboratively with NWEA to develop a state assessment

that meets all federal requirements, including interpretive guidance provided as part of the federal peer

review process. The Maine Through Year Assessment will provide the opportunity for Maine educators

to continue utilizing an assessment tool that they find helpful and necessary in instructional decision

making. By maneuvering to a through year approach, students are assessed on grade-level content with

a performance level assigned and receive a RIT score which provides continuity of longitudinal data for

those Maine SAUs that have used NWEA for some time. Additionally, in order for a state assessment to

meet federal peer review requirements, it must include a criterion-referenced, summative portion that

aligns with grade-level state standards. The Maine Through Year Assessment continues to address the

need for actionable data while also meeting federal peer review requirements for a criterion-referenced

statewide assessment.

Will a through year assessment be developed for students in grades K-2, 9, or 11?

The Maine Through Year Assessment, with its grade-level specific summative portion, will only be

developed for those grades required to complete the state assessment: grades 3 through 8 and 2

year

of high school.

Through Year Assessment Model

What is a flexible, through year assessment program?

• The Through Year Assessment provides educators with information about student growth

throughout the year as well as information in the spring about student performance based on

Maine’s accountability standards, the Common Core State Standards. The assessment is

administered 2 to 3 times a year, in the fall, winter (optional), and spring.

• Assessments are computer adaptive, providing a personalized experience for each student.

• Assessments are efficient and leverage information about how students performed in previous

administrations to personalize later assessment experiences.

• Assessments provide educators with immediate data about student growth with a norm-

referenced RIT score that is provided after each administration.

• The assessment model meets federal requirements with the spring assessment administration,

producing a summative score based on grade-level state standards.

To which standards will the Maine Through Year Assessment align?

The Maine Through Year Assessment in Math and Reading will align to Maine’s state accountability

standards, the Common Core State Standards.

What does the transition to the Maine Through Year Assessment mean for my school?

We now have a Common Core aligned assessment that not only provides a norm-referenced RIT score at

multiple points through the year but also provides a measure of student performance according to

grade-level state standards. This ensures that Maine’s assessment system provides educators and

leaders with the timely data they need, limits the amount of assessment seat time, and values both

student growth and performance.

How will the fall and winter administrations of the Maine Through Year Assessment be

different from the spring administration?

In the through-year model in the fall, a student will take an adaptive test similar to MAP Growth that will

produce a RIT score. The winter session will remain optional. If taken, the winter assessment will be a

personally adaptive assessment, taking into consideration the student’s fall assessment results and

picking up from there. The optional winter assessment will also produce a RIT score. Finally, the required

spring assessment will be a personally adaptive assessment, taking into consideration the student’s

most recent assessment results and picking up from there. The spring assessment will continue to

provide a RIT score in addition to a measure of students’ on-grade performance according to state

expectations.

What is the overall assessment design for the spring Through Year Assessment?

The spring Maine Through Year Assessment is one assessment with two purposes. It will consist of both

a summative portion and a diagnostic portion, and it will produce two scores: a student performance

score according to state expectations and a RIT score.

Per federal peer review requirements, the summative portion of the assessment can adapt within one

grade level above and below the assessed grade level. The diagnostic portion of the assessment will

have the full adaptability of MAP Growth, spanning across a wide range of grade levels. The summative

portion alone will determine the student performance score that is needed for federal accountability

purposes. The entire assessment, summative and diagnostic, will be used to determine the student’s RIT

score in the spring.

Can you share the overall test design specifications for the summative portion of the

assessment?

Please review the Maine Through Year Summative Assessment Blueprint.

Where are the questions coming from for the diagnostic and summative portions of the

assessment? Who is developing those questions?

All diagnostic questions are from NWEA’s MAP Growth item (question) bank. In addition, NWEA has a

through year assessment item bank that they use in addition to the MAP Growth item bank when

necessary. Below are some differences between the two item banks.

MAP Growth Item (Question) Bank

Through Year Item (Question) Bank

All questions are worth 1 point

Reading passages are short and linked to a single

question

Used for the fall, winter (optional), and spring

assessments

All questions are written and reviewed by NWEA

Some questions are worth multiple points, and

partial credit can be earned

Reading passages may be linked to multiple

questions

Paired reading passages may be included in the

assessment

Used only for the spring assessment

All questions are written by NWEA, and some

questions are reviewed by Maine educators and

curriculum leaders

It seems it is the spring test that the state is truly using for assessment. Shouldn't then

the fall test be optional because the fall test will stand alone and not compare to

anything?

The spring assessment is used by the Department to meet necessary federal requirements and utilized

for accountability purposes. The reason the assessment is referred to as the through-year assessment is

that the required spring assessment will be a personally adaptive assessment, taking into consideration

the student’s most recent assessment results (fall or winter) and picking up from there. In other words,

the form of the assessment a student receives in the spring depends on their performance on the fall

assessment. Additionally, an indicator within the accountability model utilizes student growth, therefore

a fall and spring measure of student performance is required to calculate such growth.

Assessment Pre-Administration & Administration

What training resources will be available?

Training will be provided in webinar, virtual workshop, and pre-recorded on-demand formats. Additional

resources such as user guides and administration manuals will also be made available.

Please visit our website for updated resources.

For MAP Growth, NWEA recommends, at most, a three-week test window to ensure valid

comparisons. What about the Through Year Assessment? Should we still plan, at most, a

3-week test window?

The DOE sets the test window and is currently set to 4 weeks for the spring Through Year Assessment,

May 1 – 26. After consulting first with NWEA’s psychometrics team about validity and scoring

implications, Maine DOE has also extended all assessment windows for 2023-24 to 6 weeks. In the fall,

this will accommodate SAUs with different start dates as well as those that have time off for potato

harvest. NWEA’s psychometricians and Maine DOE strongly recommend that schools provide students

with four weeks of instruction prior to administration of the fall assessment.

How will students be rostered for the Maine Through Year Assessment?

NWEA will receive a roster file from the Maine DOE. This will allow NWEA to import all students into the

assessment platform. Class registrations (assessment groupings) will be completed at the SAU level.

Is there a reason why we shouldn't access students via the NWEA platform (MARC), go

into each student, and then add an accommodation for the Through Year Assessment? If

we do this, do we have to download the registration report and then upload it to

Acacia? I guess I am not seeing the reason for using the Acacia platform if everything is

already integrated with the NWEA platform.

Here’s some clarification of how the MAP Growth (MARC) platform and Through Year (Acacia) platform

are and are not integrated:

Are Integrated

1. Single-sign-on to access both MAP Growth and Acacia

2. User roles for teachers, administrators, and other education professionals are all set in the MAP

Growth platform and are updated into Acacia every two hours.

3. ONLY if SAUs and schools independently roster their students in MAP Growth (while the state

rosters the students in Acacia) will Through Year Assessment RIT score data be integrated into

MAP Growth reports.

Are NOT Integrated

1. MAP Growth has a separate lockdown browser than the Through Year Assessment. The Through

Year Assessment lockdown browser is called the NWEA State Solutions Secure Browser.

2. Accommodations and supports for students entered into MAP Growth do not transfer between

the two platforms. In fact, the accommodations and supports in the two platforms are not

entirely the same. (Here’s the Through Year Accessibility Guide.)

3. Not-tested codes need to be assigned (if needed) in the Acacia platform.

4. The reports that appear in the Acacia platform are different from those that appear in MAP

Growth. The Acacia reports have more limited RIT score information than MAP Growth reports.

In addition, Acacia reports include the Maine-specific four-digit scaled score and accompanying

achievement level, which are not included in MAP Growth reports.

The clickable “breadcrumbs” links in the Acacia platform are not working.

Due to the various roles and permissions that Acacia will have, breadcrumbs throughout the system are

not clickable links to return to the previous page but a visual reference of how a user navigated to

certain areas. The reason for this is because not all users will see the same pages due to their role and

permissions. The one place within Acacia that will have clickable breadcrumb links is the reporting

section (ORS) because that section does have a tree of pages that is true for every user. The platform is

functioning the way it was designed.

I have a student stuck in "registration complete" status, whereas my other students are in

“ready to test” status. What should I do?

If you click "save updates" on the student's test registration, it should push it through and update. Only

users with the District Assessment Coordinator role will have access to do that. If this does not work,

please call NWEA Maine Partner Support at (855) 430-1777.

Can I do bulk uploads of accommodations after the initial registration process by re-

generating a new registration report? Will the new report maintain the changes I had

made previously?

The new report will reflect the current changes but this will not be immediate. Currently the system is

set to produce a new report with updated information every 4 hours. So if a report is ran multiple times

within a 4 hour period, the information will not yet be updated.

How do I change user roles in the Acacia platform?

Due to the single-sign-on system, all user roles are changed in the MAP platform. These changes

automatically sync to the Through Year (Acacia) platform every two hours.

Can the Maine Through Year test be administered remotely?

We recognize the value of an assessment system that is responsive to remote learning environments.

Currently, we do not have the ability to allow students to take the Maine Through Year Assessment

remotely.

Can you discuss the grouping of students for administration of the assessment? Would

grouping by homerooms or small groups be required? Or be best practice for proctoring?

There are two types of groups that users can create: Online Testing and Reporting groups.

Online testing groups are not required in Acacia like Classes were in MAP Growth. Groups are not

needed to monitor online testing. Online Testing groups can be created based on the need of the SAU or

school. If Online Testing groups are not created, then all students in one grade level for one content

area (Reading or Math) will show up together under Manage Online Testing in Acacia. (See screenshot

below.)

Test tickets can be printed individually or by using different filters, but Online Testing groups are not

needed to print test tickets.

For more information about Reporting groups, please see the Scoring and Reporting section of this

document.

Can test tickets be automatically generated by Online Testing group, rather than for all

students in a grade level?

Test tickets can be printed by group but only within the content area selected (Reading or Math).

Do I need to assign proctors to Online Testing groups?

No, and Maine DOE does not recommend assigning proctors to specific Online Testing groups. Here’s

why:

Before users can monitor testing Acacia, they first need to be given either the district proctor or school

proctor role in the MARC (MAP Growth) platform. The System Administrator, Data Administrator, and

District Assessment Coordinator users in the MARC platform all have the capability to update user roles

for proctors in MARC.

District proctors will automatically be able to monitor all students within the SAU. School proctors will

automatically be able to monitor all students within the school.

Assigning proctors to specific Online Testing groups does not change the access pre-determined by the

district or school proctor role in MARC. No additional action is initiated within the platform if proctors

are assigned to specific Online Testing groups.

Can multiple proctors view the whole grade at the same time?

All proctors will have access to view students based on their role assigned in the MARC platform (district

proctor or school proctor) and can use the filters options to see the whole grade.

If a proctor signs out, do students continue to test?

A proctor does not need to be signed in for students to be able to take the test. As long as the student

has their test ticket, the student can log in and begin the assessment. Proctors do not start, pause, or

resume assessments.

Will practice assessments be made available for the Through Year Assessment?

There is an item type sampler for students, parents, and educators to experience the look and feel of

the assessment and platform so that they are prepared for the testing interface. The item type sampler

is available within the State Solutions Secure Browser, at this link, and paper versions are available on

ME DOE’s webpage.

What will happen if a student attempts to log back in with the same test code once

they've finished? (In other words, what will appear on the student’s screen if they

attempt this?)

Once the student completes and submits the assessment, they will not be able to get back into the

assessment with their test ticket information. They will receive a message on the login screen that tells

them that the assessment you are trying to take it not available and to contact their teacher or

assessment administrator.

Under what circumstances can a student’s assessment be “reset”?

An assessment “reset” erases all prior progress and generates a new test ticket for that student. You can

view the most up-to-date reset process flow on our website:

https://www.maine.gov/doe/Testing_Accountability/MECAS/NWEA

Computer Adaptive Testing

I have heard that new Through Year Assessment will not be adaptive. Is this true?

The Maine Through Year Assessment being developed by NWEA will continue to be computer-adaptive,

driven by the same constraint-based engine which adjusts the difficulty of the next questions based on

student’s prior performance.

The diagnostic portion of the assessment has the same adaptivity as MAP Growth, across a wide range

of grade levels. The summative portion of the assessment (in spring only) is adaptive within one grade

level above and below the student’s actual grade; this specification is part of the federal peer review

requirements for state assessments.

In spring 2023, students in grade 10 took an assessment in which the summative portion was fixed form

(not adaptive) but the diagnostic portion maintained the same adaptability as the MAP Growth

assessment. This will gradually be replaced by a fully adaptive assessment in future years as more items

are added to the question bank.

Will the paper-based forms and braille forms also be adaptive?

Paper-based and braille forms cannot be adaptive because they are not administered using computer-

adaptive software. Paper-based and braille forms will be fixed forms, unique to each grade level.

Scoring and Reports

What kinds of scores will be generated by the summative Maine Through Year

Assessment?

The spring Maine Through Year Assessment will generate two types of scores for every student, three-

digit RIT scores comparable to the RIT scores produced by the MAP Growth assessment and a four-digit

student performance score aligned to state standards. The four-digit student performance score will fall

within one of four achievement levels: Well Below, Below, At, and Above State Expectations.

Will students be able to see scores immediately upon completion of the Through Year

Assessment as they could in the past with MAP Growth?

At this time, the NWEA State Solutions Secure Browser does not have the ability to generate immediate

scores on the student’s screen.

What are the four Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs) that describe students’

performance on the summative assessment?

Will the Through Year Assessment results be connected to the Learning Continuum?

Educators will have access to a different but similar tool, the Achievement Level Explorer (https://ald-

explorer.nwea.org/), that is rooted in Maine’s range Achievement Level Descriptors (ALDs). The new tool

will help Maine educators scaffold students toward standards-based learning targets.

Will NWEA’s Through Year Assessment reports still report RIT scores for specific

instructional areas?

Yes, RIT scores for instructional areas will be available with final reporting after the spring 2023

administration and all administrations that are part of the 2023-24 and following school years.

Well-Below State

Expectations

Below State

Expectations

At State Expectations

Above State

Expectations

On this assessment,

students at this

achievement level

demonstrate limited

understanding of the

knowledge and skills

necessary at this grade

level, as specified in

the Common Core

State Standards. The

students need

substantial academic

support to be prepared

for the next grade level

and to be on track for

college and career

readiness.

On this assessment,

students at this

achievement level

demonstrate partial

understanding of the

knowledge and skills

necessary at this grade

level, as specified in

the Common Core

State Standards. The

students need

additional academic

support to be prepared

for the next grade level

and to be on track for

college and career

readiness.

On this assessment,

students at this

achievement level

demonstrate the

knowledge and skills

necessary at this grade

level, as specified in

the Common Core

State Standards. The

students are prepared

for the next grade level

and are on track for

college and career

readiness.

On this assessment,

students at this

achievement level

demonstrate advanced

understanding of the

knowledge and skills

necessary at this grade

level, as specified in

the Common Core

State Standards. The

students are well

prepared for the next

grade level and are

well prepared for

college and career

readiness.

The Instructional Areas for which students will receive RIT scores are shown in the tables below. These

RIT Instructional Areas align with the most current version of MAP Growth.

Reading RIT Score Instructional Areas (Reporting Categories)

MAP Growth: CCSS 2010 V4

Literary Text

Students read literary texts closely to determine key ideas and details,

inferences, theme, and literary elements. Students will also analyze

author’s purpose, text structure, points of view, and texts with similar

topics/themes.

Informational Text

Student read informational texts closely to determine key ideas and details,

inferences, central ideas, and to summarize main ideas. Students will also

analyze and compare how texts are structured, various representation of

ideas, claims and supporting evidence, and author’s purpose and/or point

of view.

Vocabulary

Students will focus on using context, Greek and Latin affixes, and reference

materials in order to find the meaning of words, including general academic

and domain-specific vocabulary. Students will interpret figurative language,

understand the relationship between words, and distinguish between

connotations and denotations.

Math 3-5 RIT Score Instructional Areas (Reporting Categories)

MAP Growth: CCSS 2010 V2

Operations and

Algebraic Thinking

Students represent and solve problems involving the four operations and

build skills related to patterns. Students also gain understanding of factors,

multiples, the properties of multiplication, as well as the relationship

between multiplication and division.

Numbers and

Operations

Students compare the values of numbers and build place value

understanding of whole numbers and decimals. Students also perform

operations with whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to solve real-world

and mathematical problems.

Measurement and

Data

Students represent and interpret data. Students also solve problems

involving measurement and conversion of measurements. Lastly, students

understand concepts of area, perimeter, volume, and angles.

Geometry

Students classify shapes by their properties and graph points on the

coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems.

Math Grades 6+ RIT Score Instructional Areas (Reporting Categories)

MAP Growth: CCSS 2010 V2

Operations and

Algebraic Thinking

Students solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and

algebraic expressions and equations, as well as linear and quadratic

functions.

The Real and Complex

Number Systems

Students use ratio reasoning and units to solve problems. Students also use

properties of rational and irrational numbers and reason quantitatively.

Geometry

Students solve real-world and mathematical problems involving length,

angle measure, area, surface area, and volume. Students also apply and

prove geometric theorems. Finally, students understand geometric

constructions as well as congruency and similarity transformations.

Statistics and

Probability

Students use statistical measures to summarize distributions. Students also

understand random sampling, comparative inferences, and probability

models. Lastly, students investigate patterns of association as well as

represent and interpret data and linear models.

Who has access to student reports in Acacia after the administration? Do individuals in

the “Instructor” role have access?

Due to FERPA, instructors do not have access students’ results without first being assigned to a

Reporting Group. Creating student groups for Reporting and assigning instructors is the best way to

allow them to view their classes.

When a user with the role of an Instructor in MARC clicks the “Maine Through Year” link, the user will

not see any menu options in Acacia. All they see is the homepage, yet on the homepage they will have a

shortcut to View Reports. When reports become available, this is where they can see the students

results for the students in the Reporting Group(s) they have been assigned to.

Can NWEA MAP Growth assessment scores be compared to the Maine Through Year

Assessment scores?

Yes, the Maine Through Year Assessment is designed to generate a RIT score comparable to those

provided by the NWEA MAP Growth assessment. This allows for the continued use of longitudinal RIT

score data to inform instruction. For more information, please read the following from NWEA’s

psychometrics team:

“Like validity, comparability of scores from separate test events depends upon multiple factors

and related evidence across testing events being compared. These factors include comparisons

of test purpose, administration mode, blueprints, item types, measurement properties, and

student characteristics (NAE, 2020). Even when all such factors are the same, as in there is the

same test given at different times, there is and will always some level of measurement

error. That said, we have and will continue to evaluate and collect evidence of comparability to

support the use and interpretation of RIT scores derived from different assessment events.

For example, we know the administration modes are the same, where we provide item level

adaptive assessments for both MAP Growth and other state assessments. Item types and

measurement properties are comparable, as are student characteristics. In fact, we’ve had the

rare opportunity to conduct a study with strictest comparability factor: matched students. Over

5,000 students took both MAP Growth and the Nebraska [through year] assessment in Spring of

2022. Students’ RIT scores across tests were, on average, less than 1 scale score point different.

Given the standard error of measure for the RIT is reported as 3 scale score points, the results of

the preliminary study provide great evidence for and our confidence in being able to provide

comparable RIT scores from state assessments with similar test designs, including for Maine.”

Berman, A. I., Haertel, E. H., & Pellegrino, J. W. (Eds.). (2020). Comparability of Large-Scale Educational

Assessments: Issues and Recommendations. Washington, DC: National Academy of Education.

Will scores generated by the Maine Through Year Assessment be nationally normed?

The RIT scores generated by the Maine Through Year Assessment will continue to be nationally normed.

The four-digit performance score will be criterion-referenced rather than norm-referenced and specific

to the state of Maine.

What will be the timeline for receiving scores for the Maine Through Year Assessment?

For MAP Growth, results were available in the MARC platform within 24 hours.

For Fall 2023 and all future assessment administrations, NWEA has indicated that we can expect SAUs to

receive results within 24 to 48 hours.

Will the Through Year Assessment reports in the Acacia platform be the same as the MAP

Growth reports that SAUs are accustomed to?

The reports generated by the Maine Through Year Assessment in the Acacia platform will not be

identical to those generated by the MAP Growth reports. These reports will include both summative

assessment scores and achievement levels as well as diagnostic RIT scores.

I’ve heard that I will be able to see my Through Year Assessment RIT score results in MAP

Growth reports. Can you explain more?

NWEA is integrating results from the Maine Through Year Assessment into MAP Growth reports.

Maine SAUs who wish to participate in the initiative will need to roster students in both the MAP system

and Acacia before the end of each assessment window. Participation will be optional.

Please see these resources from NWEA for more information:

• Overview

• Frequently Asked Questions

Does the SAU need to change the test term dates in MAP Growth to match the state

assessment administration dates?

The default Term and Test Window dates already encompass the Maine Through Year Administration

dates, so SAUs will not need to change the default dates. If SAUs had already gone in and edited these

default dates, however, they will need to ensure they are updated so the Maine Through Year

administration dates fall within the Test Windows chosen in MAP Growth for each term. This change can

actually be made any time, even after testing, so SAUs would be able to make this correction after the

fact if they realize they need to.

How do we see previous RIT scores in NWEA from students that move into our district?

This would need to go through the MAP Growth transfer process to move students, this information can

be found on the Maine Connections page: https://connection.nwea.org/s/article/How-to-move-

students-between-districts?language=en_US

What percentage of the assessment does a student need to complete to receive a score?

State summative assessments often have different “attemptedness rules” for generating scaled scores

and determining participation than other types of assessments.

To be considered a participant for the spring administration of the Maine Through Year Assessment, the

student must complete 25% of the operational summative items, or 7 operational summative items.

Because the spring Through Year Assessment contains a mixture of diagnostic items, operational

summative items, and field test summative items, this is not equivalent to the first 25% of the entire

assessment or to the first 7 questions of the assessment. Similarly, to receive a scaled performance

score for the summative portion of the spring assessment, a student must complete 25% of the

operational summative items.

In order for a RIT score to be valid and reliable, and in order to provide accurate scores for RIT

Instructional Areas, all operational items—both summative and diagnostic—need to be answered by the

student. Due to the random distribution of field items, this equates to completing the entire

assessment. In order to receive a RIT score for any administration (fall, winter, or spring), the student

must complete the entire assessment.

How were achievement level cut scores determined for the spring 2021 and spring 2022

MAP Growth assessment administrations?

NWEA MAP Growth is a norm-referenced assessment that allows for the comparison of a student’s

achievement and growth to the expected achievement and growth of students in the same grade level

across the nation. In order to create norms that define average student score as well as standard

deviations from that score, NWEA collects data from between 3.6 and 5.5 million test scores from

500,000 to 700,000 students attending over 24,500 public schools in 5,800 districts spread across all 50

states. NWEA’s 2020 MAP Growth Normative Data Overview is based upon data gathered from 2015 to

2018.

What are norms?

Norms allow us to compare a student's achievement to students in a large sample: a norm group.

After a test is created, it is administered to a large, diverse group of children who make up the norm

group. The children's scores are ranked from low to high performance. The scores are then statistically

manipulated to form a statistical model called a normal distribution. Test scores (along with many other

measurable attributes such as height, weight, etc.) form a normal distribution. This means that there are

more scores in the middle than at the highest and lowest ends, and the scores are not biased to the high

or low end. A normal distribution graphed visually creates the familiar "bell curve".

[Source: What are norms?]

Understanding Standard Deviation (SD)

The columns labeled “SD” in the Cut Score Tables shown below contain the standard deviations of the

means. Standard deviation is simply a measure of dispersion of scores around the mean, or average; the

smaller the SD, the more compact the scores are around the mean. For example, the standard deviation

for the grade 3 math MAP Growth assessment is 14.11 and the standard deviation for the grade 10 math

MAP Growth assessment is 21.25. This tells us that third-grade students were more likely to have similar

scores on the math assessment than tenth grade students.

For all normal distributions, approximately 68% of the observations fall within one standard deviation of

the mean (average), 95% of the observations fall within two standard deviations, and 99.7% fall within

three standard deviations.

[Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empirical_Rule.PNG]

Because NWEA MAP Growth is a norm-referenced assessment, the Department created cut scores

based on the national mean and standard deviation from NWEA’s MAP Growth Normative Data

Overview. Students whose score fell within one standard deviation of the national mean are in the “At

Expectations” category.

CUT SCORE TABLES

Reading Achievement

Reading

Spring

At Expectations

Below

Expectations

Above

Expectations

Grade

Mean

Range

197.12

16.27

180.85 - 213.39

≤180.84

≥213.40

204.83

16.31

188.52 - 221.14

≤188.51

≥221.15

210.98

15.97

195.01 - 226.95

≤195

≥226.96

215.36

16.03

199.33 - 231.39

≤199.32

≥231.40

218.36

16.38

201.98 - 234.74

≤201.97

≥234.75

221.66

16.87

204.79 - 238.53

≤204.78

≥238.54

223.51

18.2

205.31 - 241.71

≤205.30

≥241.72

224.71

18.5

206.21 - 243.21

≤206.20

≥243.22

Math Achievement

Math

Spring

At Expectations

Below

Expectations

Above

Expectations

Grade

Mean

201.08

14.11

186.97 - 215.19

≤186.96

≥215.20

210.51

15.56

194.95 - 226.07

≤194.94

≥226.08

218.75

16.7

202.05 - 235.45

≤202.04

≥235.46

222.88

17.47

205.41 - 240.35

≤205.40

≥240.36

226.73

18.6

208.13 - 245.33

≤208.12

≥245.34

230.3

19.95

210.35 - 250.25

≤210.34

≥250.25

232.42

21.25

211.17 - 253.67

≤211.16

≥253.68

234.25

21.65

212.60 - 255.90

≤212.59

≥255.90

As such, if the performance of students within a school or SAU in spring 2022 fit perfectly with the

performance of students at the same grade level in that subject across the nation from 2015-2018, we

would expect 68% of students to be within the “At Expectations” range and 84% of students to be either

“At Expectations” or “Above Expectations.”

The achievement level determinations are based on a single “snapshot” of student performance on one

spring assessment administration. Student growth is not a factor in the achievement level

determinations.

Will achievement level cut scores be determined in the same way for the spring 2023

administration of the Through Year Assessment?

No, achievement level cut scores will not be determined in the same way for the spring 2023

administration of the Maine Through Year Assessment.

For the Maine Through Year Assessment, student performance will be measured on the spring

summative portion of the assessment according to four achievement levels: Well Below, Below, At, and

Above State Expectations. This will be based on a student’s performance relative to grade-level state

expectations as defined in Maine’s accountability standards for Reading and Math, the Common Core

State Standards. For a better understanding of grade-level state expectations, the Achievement Level

Explorer Tool provides performance expectations for each grade-level standard at each of the four

achievement levels.

Each question on the summative portion of the spring Maine Through Year Assessment is aligned to one

of the standards at one of the four achievement levels. Achievement level cut scores for the summative

portion of the Maine Through Year Assessment will be determined by standard setting in summer 2023

once student results are available. Similar to the spring 2021 and 2022 achievement level

determinations, students’ scores and achievement levels are based on a single “snapshot” of student

performance on one spring administration.

What does “meets projected growth” mean when looking at a student’s RIT scores?

Just as NWEA created student achievement norms tables based on hundreds of thousands of students’

RIT scores from assessment administrations from 2015 to 2018, NWEA created growth norms based on

this same data. Student growth norms can be found in NWEA’s MAP Growth Normative Data Overview.

Student growth norms exist for fall-to-winter, winter-to-spring, and fall-to-spring.

Growth norms developed for the 2020 MAP Growth norms study reflect the common observation that

the rate of academic growth is related to the student’s starting RIT score. In the elementary grades, for

example, students starting out at a lower RIT score tend to demonstrate greater raw growth compared

to students in the upper grades. Growth norm tables show average growth when the average grade

level RIT score (i.e., 50th percentile score) is used as the starting score. In each case, the starting score is

treated as a factor when predicting growth.

A student’s projected RIT score is the predicted future score for a student who makes typical growth,

based on NWEA national growth norms. Projections take into account the student’s initial score, grade

level, and time between tests.

Projected growth is the change in RIT score that about half of US students will make over time, based on

student growth norms. The student’s initial score plus projected growth equals projected RIT score.

On the MAP Growth Achievement Status and Growth Summary report (pages 55-57 of the NWEA MAP

Growth Reports Portfolio), met projected growth indicates Yes if the student’s term-to-term growth

equaled or exceeded the growth projection and No if growth was less than projected.

The percentage of students who met growth projection is the percentage of students whose end-term

RIT scores met or exceeded their individual growth projections. Nationally, about 50% of students will

meet or exceed their projected RIT.

Accessibility Features

What accessibility features will be available on the Maine Through Year Assessment?

Accessibility features on the Maine Through Year Assessment are grouped into three overarching

categories: Universal Tools, Designated Supports, and Accommodations. Within each category, there are

embedded features which are part of the assessment platform and non-embedded features which are

provided locally by the assessment administrator or proctor.

• Universal Tools: Available to all students

• Designated Supports: Designated supports must be consistent with the student’s normal

routine during instruction. Utilization and implementation of supports and features is

determined by an educational team, for example but not limited to part of a multi-tiered system

of support (MTSS), Individual Language Acquisition Plan, and/or Student Assistance Team.

• Accommodations: Require an IEP or 504 plan

Please visit our Accessibility Guide, found on the NWEA Maine Connections page, for more information.

Why are paper-based forms considered embedded accommodations if the student is not

using a computer or other device?

Paper-based forms (standard print, large print, and braille) are all considered embedded

accommodations because an assessment proctor enters the student’s responses into an online, fixed-

form version of the assessment and submits the completed assessment through the testing platform.

Paper-based forms are then destroyed on-site rather than being returned to NWEA.

One of the possible non-embedded designated support features for both the MAP

Growth assessment and the Maine Through Year Assessment is the use of a bilingual

word-to-word glossary for the math assessment. Is this glossary provided by NWEA or the

Department of Education?

NWEA does not provide bilingual word-to-word glossaries for their assessments, and currently the

Department of Education also does not provide bilingual word-to-word glossaries. The supports used

during the Maine Through Year Assessment should mirror those used in regular classroom instruction

and assessments.

Are accommodations assigned to the student or to the test?

Accommodations are assigned to the test, which is associated with each student – one for Math and one

for Reading. Any accommodations would need to be added to each subject, either within the

registration report or manually in Management System.

How do I update accessibility supports for individual students, for example small group?

Once supports are added/updated for the individual student by clicking the boxes, you need to click on

the next tab over TESTS (manage test registrations). Once you click there you will see the supports have

been added. In this screenshot below, you can see the support SG (small group) added for each

assessment.

How does the font chosen by NWEA for its online assessment platform meet accessibility

guidelines?

The style guideline (direction) is that fonts must be sans serif and not italic, oblique, script, highly

decorative, or otherwise unusual. Sans serif fonts are as plain and straight as possible, increasing the

ease of readability.

Continued Use of MAP Growth

If an SAU pays for a NWEA MAP Growth subscription for the 2023-24 academic year, are

we able to continue to use this assessment?

Yes, SAUs may choose to continue to use to NWEA MAP Growth as their district-level interim

assessment after the implementation of the Maine Through Year Assessment.