i-Ready
i-Ready is a comprehensive online program for Reading and Mathematics that includes two parts: a diagnostic assessment and personalized instruction.
- The i-Ready Diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that pinpoints your child’s strengths and areas for growth. It adjusts question difficulty based on their answers, providing a more accurate picture of their skill level without the pressure of a traditional test.
- i-Ready Personalized Instruction provides students with customized online lessons tailored to their specific needs. Students engage with interactive lessons that adapt to their current skill levels, promoting engagement and skill development.
Why i-Ready?
This decision follows a comprehensive pilot program conducted during the 2024–25 school year. After reviewing results and feedback from participating educators, the majority of pilot teachers endorsed the use of i-Ready. In spring of 2025, the Board of Education approved i-Ready to replace NWEA as our MDE approved benchmark assessment. We believe that i-Ready will enhance our ability to deliver personalized instruction and facilitate effective progress monitoring for all students.
i-Ready delivers actionable data to educators by providing comprehensive reports that identify students' strengths and areas for development. Additionally, it offers recommended instructional groupings to support differentiated instruction and enhance student learning outcomes.
What Families Can Expect
- K–5 students will take the diagnostic assessment three times per year.
- 6–8 students will take the diagnostic two times per year.
- Families will receive clear reports throughout the year to track progress.
i-Ready offers a personalized instruction pathway for both math and reading. To make the most of i-Ready, students will engage in weekly personalized lessons both at school and, if needed, at home. Time on personalized instruction should not exceed 45 minutes per subject per week. Research shows that more minutes do not equal better results, so the following time targets are recommended:
- Grades K–2: 30 minutes/week in ELA and 30 minutes/week in Math
- Grades 3–5: 45 minutes/week in ELA and 45 minutes/week in Math
- Grades 6–8: 20 minutes/week in ELA and 20 minutes/week in Math
How Can You Help At Home?
There are many ways you can support learning at home. You can help your child by:
- Ensuring they get a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast before assessments.
- Encouraging them to try their best. It's normal for students to get about half the questions right on the i-Ready assessment because the questions get more challenging as they go. Please remind your child that this is a normal part of how the test works.
- Suggesting they use paper and pencil for math problems.
- Celebrating their progress and effort in i-Ready lessons.