Using Benchmarks Charts
The benchmark numbers are generally the highest numeric score a student can get that does not meet the benchmark. For example, if the benchmark is 144 and the student score is 144, the student performed below benchmark. If the student scored 145, the student is above the benchmark.
FastBridge Benchmarks
Please use only the official FastBridge benchmarks and norms, which are located in Fastbridge > Training & Resources > Benchmarks & Norms. Benchmark documents created by a 3rd party may not be maintained and may no longer be accurate.
- Renaissance has notified the Department that benchmarks and norms for screening and progress monitoring assessments will be updated for the 2026-2027 school year. The new benchmarks and norms are set to release on July 1, 2026, and will be available in the FastBridge platform under the Training & Resources tab.
i-Ready Benchmarks for Iowa
Curriculum Associates has updated the i-Ready benchmarks for Iowa for the 2025-26 school year for Literacy and Math.
Download the 2025-26 Iowa i-Ready Benchmarks here
These benchmarks are applicable to tests administered starting in the 25-26 school year.
MAP Benchmarks for Iowa
Below are the benchmarks released in 2025 that will be used for MAP assessments in Iowa for the purpose of ELI and Healthy Indicator reports. Please note that these Iowa-specific benchmarks are only available in this document. Benchmarks and other cut points available elsewhere likely are not intended for Iowa use.
Click here for considerations regarding use of MAP below 3rd grade
NWEA produced a set of cut scores to be used in universal screening for their math and reading assessments released in March, 2021. However, the NWEA team that created the cut points included a caution that the risk predictions below 3rd grade are less accurate based on the data available to study (i.e., the farther below 3rd grade, the poorer the test’s predictive ability). The NWEA team reported “it is highly recommended for schools and educators to incorporate other factors in conjunction with student performance against the established benchmarks to identify students in need of intensive intervention…” Based on this, while the test is currently approved for this purpose for literacy screening, its use in K and 1 in particular is discouraged.
STAR benchmarks for Iowa
Below are the benchmarks provided by Renaissance. When reviewing, please note that the 40th percentile is the benchmark used by Iowa.