New Norms for Widely Used Iowa Assessments™ Provide Fresh Insights Into Post-Pandemic Student Achievement

Trusted by educators for nearly 90 years, the Iowa Assessments provide the most current and nationally representative normative comparison for measuring student achievement. 

August 25, 2025 – Itasca, IL — Riverside Insights, developer of the most widely used K-12 assessments, including CogAT®, Woodcock-Johnson V® (WJ V™), and DESSA®, today announced the release of new post-pandemic norms for the Iowa Assessments™, the gold standard for achievement testing, offering one of the largest and most current perspectives on student learning recovery since the pandemic.  

Built from a nationally representative sample of 4.6 million student records from public and private schools across the United States and guided by NCES Common Core of Data demographics, the updated norms reveal both encouraging progress and persistent challenges in classrooms across the nation. 

“This data tells an important story,” said Dr. Stephen Dunbar, author of the Iowa Assessments and professor of educational measurement and statistics at the University of Iowa. “The updated norms allow districts to differentiate instruction, track recovery, and plan resources more effectively. By providing a clear picture of where students stand today, the Iowa Assessments help educators respond with precision and urgency.”

Key Findings from the Norming Process   

• Student achievement is showing positive signs of recovery, though not yet at pre-pandemic levels. 

• High-performing students have rebounded more quickly than their lower-performing peers, who still need targeted support. 

• Grades 1–3 show the largest performance gaps compared with pre-pandemic benchmarks. 

• Findings align with recent NAEP trends in reading and math, offering an independent confirmation of national patterns. 

“As schools and districts continue to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, they need current benchmarks to understand progress and address persistent gaps,” said Jim Bowler, general manager, Classroom Assessments for Riverside Insights. “This update will ensure that educators have the most accurate and actionable data to guide instruction, inform accountability, and support student growth. Most importantly, it gives every community an accurate point of comparison.” 

Learn more: www.riversideinsights.com/the_iowa_assessments  

About Riverside Insights 

For nearly a century, Riverside Insights has created research-backed assessments that empower educators with the insights needed to understand each student’s strengths and challenges. From identifying overlooked needs to navigating complex learner profiles, our best-in-class assessments—including the Woodcock-Johnson V® (WJ V™) and Cognitive Abilities Test™ (CogAT®)—deliver actionable data that help educators transform student trajectories and meet the evolving needs of today’s learners.