Michigan Students Excel on NWEA MAP and the M-STEP by Using Core5

When Michigan school leaders needed a way to monitor student literacy growth throughout the year, and act before standardized test results arrived, they turned to Lexia® Core5® Reading. Built on the science of reading, Core5 equips educators with real-time performance data, targeted skill practice, and the ability to accelerate literacy learning for all students, pre-K–5.

Two recent studies from Michigan charter schools demonstrate the program’s impact:

In a study of 1,734 students in grades K–5, those working at higher Core5 levels scored higher on their end-of-year NWEA MAP assessments, with 66% of the variance in MAP RIT scores explained by Core5 levels completed. The correlation between Core5 usage and MAP performance was a remarkable 0.81.

In a separate study of 238 students in grades 3-5, 60% of students who were On Target in Core5 by midyear scored proficient on the M-STEP, and 61% of those who reached benchmark in Core5 were also proficient on M-STEP.

These results show Core5 not only supports year-round literacy growth but also serves as a strong predictor of standardized test success. For administrators seeking to close opportunity gaps and ensure every student meets grade-level benchmarks, Core5 offers research-proven tools to drive measurable gains—and the data to prove it.