Academically diverse classrooms, deeper needs: What teachers face after the pandemic - Technical appendix

Oct 15, 2026

Technical appendix supporting the research brief “Academically diverse classrooms, deeper needs: What teachers face after the pandemic,” published April 2026 by NWEA authors Megan Kuhfeld, Emily Morton, Karyn Lewis, and Scott Peters. The appendix details the study’s anonymized NWEA MAP Growth longitudinal dataset, the selection of third- to fifth-grade fall cohorts pre- and post-COVID, the achievement measurement approach using RIT scores, and the classroom assignment and proficiency measurement methods used to analyze shifts and required growth.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

1. Introduction

2. Data

Sample

Measure of achievement

Classroom assignments

Measuring grade-level proficiency

3. Method

4. Supplemental Analyses

TECHNICAL BRIEF Technical appendix for: "Academically diverse classrooms,deeper needs:What teachers face after the pandemic” April 2026 Megan Kuhfeld,Emily Morton,Karyn Lewis,Scott Peters NWEA,a division of HMH,supports students and educators worldwide by providing assessmentsolutions,insightful reports,professional learning offerings,and research services.VisitNWEA.org to find out how NWEA can partner with you to help all kids learn. ◎2026 NWEA.NWEA and MAP are registered trademarks,and MAP Growth is a trademark,ofNWEA in the US and in other countries.All rights reserved.No part of this document may bemodified or further distributed without written permission from NWEA. Suggested citation:Kuhfeld,M.,Morton,E.,Lewis,K.,&Peters,S.(2026).Technical appendix for:Academically diverse classrooms,deeper needs:What teachers face after the pandemic. Table of Contents 1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 2.Data………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2 3.Method. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………3 4.Supplemental Analyses……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4 List of Tables Table 1. Description of the pre-COVID and COVID student samples …………………………………………………5 Table 2. Proficiency cut scores……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………6 Table 3. Percentage of students on and off track for grade-level proficiency by subject/grade/year…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7 Table 4.Growth to reach proficiency for off-track students in 2019 and 2024…………………………………8 List of Figures Figure A1.Percentage of students who are off and on track for proficiency by grade/subjectyear …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Figure A2. Range of achievement in a typical classroom between 2019 and 2024…………………………9 # 1.Introduction The purpose of this technical appendix is to share detailed results and to more fully describe thesample and methods used in the research included in the brief,Academically diverseclassrooms,deeper needs:What teachers face after the pandemic.We investigated threemain research questions in this brief: 1.Within the typical elementary classroom in 2019,what percentage of students were offtrack for grade-level proficiency,on track for grade-level proficiency,or on track foradvanced? 2.Did the percentage of students who were on and off track for grade-level proficiencywithin a classroom shift substantially between 2019 and 2024? 3.How much growth is needed for off track students to reach grade-level proficiency withineach year? # 2.Data Sample The data for this study are from the NWEA anonymized longitudinal student achievementdatabase.School districts use NWEA®MAPR GrowthTM assessments to monitor elementaryand secondary students'reading and math achievement and gains,with assessments typicallyadministered in the fall(usually between August and November),winter (usually December toMarch),and spring (late March through June). In this study,we examined the test scores of third-to fifth-grade students in fall 2019(pre-COVID)and fall 2024(post-COVID).We focused on fall test scores in each year because wewanted to understand the academic diversity that teachers face when students enter theirclassrooms each year.Additionally,we focused on these specific elementary grades for tworeasons.First,we were interested in general classrooms where students are not sorted byachievement levels(e.g.,tracking),which occurs more frequently in elementary classroomsthan middle school classrooms.Second,we were interested in grade-level proficiency cutscores,which are available starting in third grade. We restricted the sample to public schools that tested in the same grade/subject across bothyears.In total,our sample included two million students from 33,000 classrooms.Table 1presents the demographic characteristics of the sample.Approximately half of the students insamp

FAQs

What is the purpose of this technical appendix?

It provides detailed results and describes the sample and methods used in the research brief on academically diverse classrooms after the pandemic.

Which data and grades are analyzed in the study?

The study uses NWEA anonymized longitudinal achievement data and examines third- to fifth-grade students’ fall test scores in 2019 (pre-COVID) and 2024 (post-COVID).

How are achievement and grade-level proficiency measured?

Student achievement uses NWEA MAP Growth reading and math RIT scores. Grade-level proficiency is defined by state standards and summative test cut scores, linked to MAP Growth proficiency using NWEA linking studies.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Quinn Holloway