NWEA Assessments Clear First Step of Approval in the New Statewide Assessment System in Texas

Provisional approval of MAP® Growth™ and MAP® Reading Fluency™ gives Texas districts greater flexibility to measure student progress and support instructional decisions

BOSTON, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- NWEA, a K-12 assessment and research organization, announced today that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) provisionally approved MAP® Growth™ for use by Texas school districts under House Bill 8, which establishes a new statewide assessment system beginning in the 2027-28 school year, and MAP® Reading Fluency™ and MAP Growth under House Bill 2, which provides more funding and resources to Texas schools, especially in support of K-3 foundational literacy and numeracy. These provisional approvals give districts greater flexibility to select trusted, research-backed assessments that provide timely insights into student academic growth and help educators make informed instructional decisions.

House Bill 8 is particularly significant because it replaces the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) program with the new Student Success Tool, shifting the state toward a through-year assessment approach designed to better monitor student progress. Under the new law, districts can select TEA-approved alternative assessments for beginning-of-year and middle-of-year testing, allowing schools to choose tools that best support their instructional needs.

After a rigorous review process, MAP Growth, NWEA's flagship assessment used by thousands of districts nationwide, and MAP Reading Fluency, an early literacy assessment for students in grades K-3, were provisionally approved for use in the 2027-28 school year. The review under HB 8 and HB 2 followed their own specific criteria and considered a multitude of requirements for each assessment, including alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), early literacy and dyslexia requirements, as well as Spanish-language availability, among others.

"Texas is taking an important step toward making assessment more meaningful and timely for educators, and we're proud that NWEA will continue to be part of that effort," said Sabine Wallis, General Manager of NWEA. "For years, we've been a trusted partner to Texas school districts in providing reliable insights into student achievement and growth. This provisional approval gives educators the flexibility to continue using our trusted assessments to understand where students are in their learning, identify what they need next, and make informed decisions that support every student's success."

The provisional approval covers the 2027–28 and 2028–29 school years, subject to TEA's requirements for continued approval.

More details on the TEA-approved NWEA assessments:

Under HB 8 — Alternative BOY/MOY Assessments

• MAP Growth Math: Grades 3–5 (English and Spanish), grades 6–8, and Algebra I
• MAP Growth RLA: Grades 3–8 and English I
• MAP Growth Spanish RLA: Grades 3–5
• MAP Growth Science: Elementary Science, Middle School Science, and Biology

Under HB 2: K–3 Foundational Literacy and Numeracy — RFLNI

• Foundational Literacy: MAP Reading Fluency, grades K–3, English only
• Foundational Numeracy: MAP Growth Math, grades K–3, English and Spanish

Learn more about how NWEA supports Texas educators and students: https://www.nwea.org/state-solutions/texas

About MAP Growth
MAP Growth is NWEA's flagship assessment, used by thousands of school districts nationwide to measure student achievement and academic growth in reading, math, language usage, and science. The computer-adaptive assessment adjusts to each student's learning level, providing trusted longitudinal growth data and TEKS-aligned insights to identify learning needs, inform instruction, and monitor progress over time. MAP Growth also connects assessment insights to instructional resources and personalized learning pathways, while helping educators predict performance on state summative assessments.

About MAP Reading Fluency
MAP Reading Fluency is NWEA's early literacy assessment designed to measure foundational reading skills for students in pre-K through grade five. Using speech recognition technology, the assessment measures oral reading fluency, decoding, and other essential literacy skills, allowing educators to assess an entire class simultaneously, significantly reducing time spent on one-on-one testing. The assessment helps identify students who need additional support, inform reading instruction, and monitor progress, giving teachers more time to focus on high-quality instruction.

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, simona.beattie@nwea.org or 971.361.9526

SOURCE NWEA