Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) Names Curriculum Associates' i-Ready® Assessment a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K-3

Districts across the state can use the award-winning online program and offline literacy assessment tasks to help identify and refer students with characteristics of dyslexia

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The GaDOE recently named Curriculum Associates' i-Ready Assessment as a Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool for Grades K–3. School districts across the state can now use the program's online Diagnostic and offline literacy assessment tasks to support with the identification and referral of students who exhibit characteristics of dyslexia. Today, the i-Ready program serves more than 11.5 million students and approximately one-third of all Grades K–8 students in the United States, including approximately 485,000 students in Georgia.

"It is so important that teachers have effective tools to identify students who may be at risk for dyslexia," said Elizabeth Bassford, vice president of content and implementation at Curriculum Associates. "Now teachers across Georgia can use i-Ready's single assessment along with its offline literacy assessment tasks to complete the screening and identification process, and develop individualized, data-driven instruction to support each student who will benefit from that specificity."

All programs named to GaDOE's Qualified Dyslexia Screening Tool list undergo a comprehensive review and demonstrate that they address—and measure—specific components. These components include phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, sound symbol recognition, alphabet knowledge, decoding skills, encoding skills, rapid naming, accuracy of word reading on grade-level text, and sight word reading efficiency skills.

i-Ready supports educators in screening for potential risk factors of dyslexia. The combination of the Diagnostic with the additional assessment tasks leverages the most current research on dyslexia screening and adheres to the recommendations of the International Dyslexia Association. Districts can use the program as a screening tool to help educators determine if further assessment and specialized reading intervention may be appropriate for individual students. 

More about i-Ready
i-Ready makes the promise of differentiated instruction a practical reality for Grades K–12 teachers and students. It combines powerful assessments and rich insights with effective and engaging instruction in Reading and Mathematics to address students' individual needs.

The program's Diagnostic provides educators with actionable criterion-referenced and normative data to deliver impactful, equitable learning experiences. Teachers administer the Diagnostic at the beginning of the school year to chart a course for teacher-led instruction, set an i-Ready Personalized Instruction path individualized for each student, and identify students' differentiated growth goals for the year. A midyear and end-of-year Diagnostic help students and teachers measure growth and have data chats. Teacher-led and personalized instruction continues throughout the year to help students address their learning gaps and access grade-level learning.

All i-Ready district partners have ongoing access to Curriculum Associates' award-winning customer service. This includes dedicated support via the company's Customer Service team, professional learning experts, partner success managers, educational sales consultants, and Technical Support team, as well as access to the free customer service portal.

To learn more about i-Ready, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/i-Ready. To learn more about the recent GaDOE approval, visit GADOE.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Special-Education-Services/Pages/Dyslexia.aspx.

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.                      

SOURCE Curriculum Associates, LLC