Reading your child's score report
What is a good MAP score for 6th grade? 2025 averages, ranges and the proficiency bar
The average 6th grader scores 210 in math and 209 in reading on MAP Growth in the fall. Here is what every part of the range means, where the proficiency bar sits, and how much a 6th grader usually grows by spring.
Average MAP scores for 6th grade
| Season | Math average | Reading average |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | 210 | 209 |
| Winter | 216 | 211 |
| Spring | 220 | 212 |
These are the 50th percentile scores in NWEA's 2025 norms. Half of 6th graders nationally score above them and half below. Scores climb through the year, so a fall score is always read against fall norms.
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See where they stand →What each part of the 6th grade range means
MAP reports put every score, and every instructional area, into one of five bands. These are the RIT ranges behind them for 6th grade, read from NWEA's 2025 percentile tables.
Math
| NWEA label | Percentile | Fall RIT | Winter RIT | Spring RIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | below the 21st | 197 or below | 201 or below | 205 or below |
| LoAvg | 21st to 40th | 198 to 206 | 202 to 212 | 206 to 216 |
| Avg | 41st to 60th | 207 to 214 | 213 to 220 | 217 to 225 |
| HiAvg | 61st to 80th | 215 to 224 | 221 to 231 | 226 to 236 |
| High | above the 80th | 225 or above | 232 or above | 237 or above |
Reading
| NWEA label | Percentile | Fall RIT | Winter RIT | Spring RIT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | below the 21st | 195 or below | 197 or below | 198 or below |
| LoAvg | 21st to 40th | 196 to 205 | 198 to 206 | 199 to 208 |
| Avg | 41st to 60th | 206 to 213 | 207 to 215 | 209 to 216 |
| HiAvg | 61st to 80th | 214 to 223 | 216 to 225 | 217 to 226 |
| High | above the 80th | 224 or above | 226 or above | 227 or above |
Ranges are read from NWEA tables published in 5-percentile steps, so a score right on a boundary can fall either side by a point.
The 6th grade proficiency bar
NWEA's 2025 default cut scores put 6th grade Proficient at 230 in math (the 70th percentile) and 217 in reading (the 62nd percentile), and Advanced at 244 and 230. These are spring scores. A 6th grader at the national average in spring, 220 in math and 212 in reading, is below the bar. That reflects where NWEA set it in 2025, not a problem with the child.
How much does a 6th grader grow in a year?
From fall to spring the average 6th grader gains 10 RIT points in math and 3 in reading. The spread is wide: the standard deviation is 8 points in math and 8 in reading, so a gain a few points either side of the average is ordinary and a single season's change is often noise. Reading growth slows sharply in the middle-school grades, so a small gain is normal here.
From a school score to a plan
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Get the test and workbook →What to do with the result
- Find the percentile, then the instructional areas. An area marked Low or LoAvg is the most useful line on the report.
- Ask the teacher what is planned for those areas, and whether the school uses MAP Accelerator, the Khan Academy practice tool linked to MAP results. Families get it through the school, not directly.
- Practise the named area. Khan Academy is free once you know the topic.
- If the report says LoAvg in an area but not which skills inside it, Point of Progress is an independent at-home adaptive test in the style of MAP Growth for grades 3 to 10. It names each skill and can build a workbook from your child's own answers. It is not MAP Growth and is not affiliated with NWEA.
Questions parents ask
Is 220 a good MAP math score for 6th grade?
It depends on the season. A math RIT of 220 is about the 75th percentile in the fall, about the 60th percentile in the winter and about the 50th percentile in the spring, because the averages rise through the year. Against the spring proficiency bar of 230, it is 10 points short.
My 6th grader's percentile went down but the RIT went up. Why?
The percentile compares your child with other children, who also grew. A rising RIT with a slightly lower percentile usually means your child grew a little less than the national average that term, which on its own is not a cause for concern.
Does the report use the 2020 or the 2025 norms?
It depends on the school. The 2025 norms replaced the 2020 set, and the same RIT often maps to a higher percentile under 2025. The report's small print says which set it uses; compare like with like.
Other grades
Sources and dates
NWEA, 2025 MAP Growth Norms Quick Reference, October 2025: student achievement and growth norms, from 116 million scores of 13.8 million students in 30,000 schools, fall 2022 to spring 2024.
NWEA, 2025 MAP Growth Norms Technical Manual, Appendix B, student achievement percentile tables for mathematics and reading.
NWEA, Default Cut Scores for MAP Growth Mathematics and Reading Assessments, August 2025: spring cuts, grades 3 to 8, from 36 linking studies across 41 states.
NWEA, Student Progress Report quick reference: the Low, LoAvg, Avg, HiAvg and High descriptors.
MAP Growth and NWEA are registered trademarks of NWEA. This page is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NWEA. Last reviewed October 2026.
Where does your child actually stand?
Point of Progress is an independent at-home adaptive test for grades 3 to 10. One purchase covers math and reading & writing, and the report comes the same day: the level, what the child can already do, and the specific skills to practise next. It is not an official assessment and no school accepts the result - it is for you.
Test your child, $9.99 →or with the ten-week workbook, $19.99