i-Ready Updated for Tighter Assessment of Learning Needs

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 08/24/21

Education technology company Curriculum Associates has updated its digital learning platform. The latest version of i-Ready includes updates to help teachers more closely calibrate students' instructional needs, show more diversity in lessons and support Spanish-speaking students.

i-Ready combines formative assessments with curriculum in reading and math, to support individualized instruction for learners. Although i-Ready is a digital platform, it also incorporates printed content where that's appropriate.

Among the new tools in i-Ready, some are designed to help teachers gain a more precise understanding of students' instructional needs. I-Ready placement tables are now available by learning domain; and demographic data filters have been improved to help administrators better understand the impact of potential learning loss on different student groups.

Updates to Tools for Scaffolding and the Prerequisites report include resources to help students build up to doing grade-level work in reading and math. Adaptive phonics lessons for Grades K-2 and new reading comprehension lessons for Grades 3-8 are intended to help students build their skills and engage in "productive struggle."

Content has expanded representation, so students can see people who resemble them reflected in what they're learning. Also, i-Ready includes a new way for students to engage in learning fractions with the ability for teachers and students to create their own puzzles in the program's Cloud Machine Learning Game.

The latest edition features more than 200 new literacy tasks. Among them are a set of expanded benchmark assessments and new Oral Reading Fluency progress monitoring for Grades 1-6 and new Early Reading Tasks to assess phonological awareness, phonics, and other concepts to support teaching and help address state screening requirements.

i-Ready will also include a new Spanish reading assessment for grades K-6 for students in dual-language or transitional Spanish-English bilingual programs. Authentic Spanish reading lessons for grades K-2 covering phonics, phonological awareness, and reading comprehension will help students build Spanish literacy. New Spanish versions of many mathematics Personalized Instruction lessons for grades K-6 will offer equitable learning experiences.

Additional enhancements include:

• The ability to assign Teacher Toolbox resources to Google Classroom in fewer steps;

• Batch printing capabilities;

• Targeted professional development options; and

• Updates to the Online Educator Learning platform.

"Over the last 10 years, i-Ready has supported the teaching and learning process in schools nationwide," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates, in a press release. "Throughout this time, we have continually worked to enhance the program to meet the needs of teachers and students alike. Now, at this critical time as teachers are tasked with addressing unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, these latest updates will go a long way in helping students achieve grade-level expectations and make real gains."