i-Ready assessments show strong gains
- Shanda Crosby
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Students across the district are making measurable academic gains in both reading and math, according to mid-year assessment data presented to the Board of Education.
Assistant Superintendent Kelly Fithen shared results from the district’s i-Ready universal screener, highlighting consistent improvement across every grade level and subject area since the start of the school year.
Comparison data from August and December shows fewer students performing below grade level and more students moving into on- or near-grade-level performance.
“In every single grade level, every single subject, reading and math, we are closing the gap,” Ms. Fithen said.
The i-Ready assessment is administered multiple times throughout the year, allowing district leaders to track student growth over time rather than relying solely on baseline data.
Students completed the screener at the beginning of the school year in August and again in December.
“I feel like bringing this to you at this point, you can compare to see where we were and where we are now,” Ms. Fithen told board members.
The assessment places students into five performance levels, with the green categories representing on-grade-level or above performance.
“At the beginning of the school year, it is normal for students’ I-Ready data to reflect one year below as they have not yet been exposed to the current grade level standards,” Ms. Fithen explained.
Kindergarten data was presented separately, as kindergarten students complete a different assessment at the start of the year and are only assessed with i-Ready twice to avoid overtesting.
More comprehensive comparisons begin in first grade and continue through eighth grade.
Students in grades three through eight will take a third i-Ready screener before Spring Break, allowing uninterrupted instruction ahead of the Kentucky Summative Assessment in May.
Kindergarten through second grade students will complete their final screener during the final 14 days of school. Full-year growth data will be shared in early June.
Ms. Fithen also outlined instructional focus areas identified through the data. While the district has seen strong gains in foundational reading skills such as phonics, comprehension and knowledge-building skills have emerged as areas needing additional support.
“We’re seeing growth across the board in phonics, but we have noticed that our comprehension skills are lacking,” she said, adding that the district is piloting new instructional resources and providing professional development to address the gap.
Phonics has been a huge emphasis across the district over the past few years, and now, a reading comprehension focus will be emphasized.
"We have provided training for our teachers and the resources for foundations for that phonics piece and we're seeing the gains," Ms. Fithen said. "You can't do everything all at once, so we knew it would be a layered approach. We're now working on the comprehension component of reading."
In math, lower performance was noted in domains such as measurement, data, and geometry. Ms. Fithen explained that these concepts are taught later in the school year and will continue to be monitored as instruction progresses.
District instructional teams are using the i-Ready data to guide decision-making at all levels, from districtwide planning to targeted support in individual schools, grade levels, and classrooms.
“We really dive into these results,” Ms. Fithen said, noting that the ability to drill down to the classroom level allows administrators and teachers to better tailor instruction.
"This is really something to celebrate," said Superintendent Dustin Howard. "Much credit goes to Ms. Fithen and her team, along with our teachers and administrators. This has been an intentional, step-by-step process and it is paying off for our students."
