New NWEA Study Finds Low-Income Students Underrepresented Among High Achievers and More Likely to Lose Ground

Despite making up more than half of the U.S. student population, lower-income students account for just 20% of top math achievers

BOSTON, Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, released today a new study examining the representation of low-income students among high achievers compared to their higher-income peers. The study also looked at low-income students who entered elementary school as high achievers to see if they remain high-achieving as they progress through school.

Using MAP Growth math test scores from nearly one million U.S. students between 2021 and 2025, the study found:

• Lower-income students make up more than half of the U.S. student population but account for only 20% of high achievers (e.g., students scoring at or above the 95^th percentile).
• Lower-income elementary students were also more likely to lose their high achiever status as they moved across grade levels. Among initially high-achieving kindergarteners, only 26% of lower-income students were still high-achieving by 4^th grade, compared to 41% of higher-income students.
• Lower-income students who dropped out of the high-achieving group remained in the top 20% of the score distribution, but tended to fall a little bit farther than their higher-income peers. 

The findings highlight an often-overlooked dimension of educational equity: ensuring that academically advanced students from lower-income backgrounds are identified, challenged and supported so they can continue to excel.

"Our findings highlight that there are many lower-income students with the potential to score at the very top of the distribution in math," said Dr. Megan Kuhfeld, Director of Growth Modeling and Data Analytics at NWEA. "However, the challenge is whether we identify their ability early and then consistently provide the opportunities and support they need to sustain it."

The study recommends treating advanced achievement as an equity issue, and encourages schools and districts to respond by:

1. Expanding their advanced math learning identification systems that recognize high achievement within school contexts.
2. More closely monitoring access to advanced opportunities across the span of a student's academic journey rather than a one-time chance to be classified as high-achieving.
3. Ensuring consistent access to challenging math opportunities for lower-income students

Read the full research brief: https://www.nwea.org/research/publication/missing-at-the-top-lower-income-students-underrepresented-among-high-achievers/ 

About NWEA

NWEA®, a division of HMH, supports educators worldwide by providing responsive, evidence-based assessment solutions that illuminate learning needs and fuel student growth. For more than 40 years, NWEA has developed innovative pre-K–12 assessments, including its flagship assessment – MAP Growth – and professional learning that helps educators strengthen their practice and improve student outcomes. As part of its commitment to bring valuable insights to the education community, NWEA engages in research that examines issues that shed light on inequities and other barriers to academic opportunities. Visit NWEA.org to find out how NWEA partners to help all kids learn.

Contact: Simona Beattie, Communications Director, [email protected] or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA