Assessment data shows Katy ISD elementary students are doing better than the national average in reading and math.
In a nutshell
At a March 30 meeting, Katy ISD officials shared an update on the first-year rollout for the Northwest Evaluation Association for measures of academic progress, or NWEA MAP, assessments.
The assessments do not replace any other form of testing already in place, such as KLAs or State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness; instead, it aims to obtain immediate results that target student performance, said Natalie Martinez, executive director of school improvement for Katy ISD.
The test is given during the beginning, middle and end of the school year, which the state will begin in 2027-2028, Martinez said. The final evaluation will be given at the end of the year.
How it works
Martinez said the roughly 40-question test is “adaptive,” with students receiving more difficult questions until one is answered incorrectly, which identifies the “just-right level” for the student based on their results. The inverse is also used if a student gets the first question wrong.
“MAP helps us understand where students are ready to learn, how much they are growing and how we can better support teachers with data-driven instruction,” Martinez said.
The data can be viewed at the district, school, class and student level with goals to identify areas of strength and opportunities for growth during the school year.
By the numbers
Median percentiles from achievement results show Katy ISD kindergarten through fifth-grade students collectively did better than the nationwide average of 50% in reading and math during 2025 assessments.
Going forward
Kindergarten students will start taking the beginning-of-year assessments next year, although specific collaborations are still underway with teachers, Martinez said.
Additionally, the district will be pushing for all schools this fall to send student reports directly to parents.
