New i-Ready® Updates Help Teachers Support All Students in Reaching Ambitious Goals

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Aug. 17, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Curriculum Associates has updated its award-winning i-Ready program to help educators address unfinished learning and continue to deliver engaging instruction as students work to meet ambitious goals this upcoming school year. The updates are designed to provide educators with deeper insights into students' learning, engage students in grade-level work, motivate students with new instruction, ensure students are on track for reading success, support Spanish-speaking students, and more.

"Over the last 10 years, i-Ready has supported the teaching and learning process in schools nationwide," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. "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."

A number of the new i-Ready tools were designed to provide teachers with a more precise understanding of students' instructional needs. These include teacher-assigned Standards Mastery which allows teachers to measure students' understanding of grade-level standards and get instructional supports to address next steps. The addition of 5-Level Placements by domain allows educators to better understand the level of support students need in a specific domain and more easily see progress throughout the year. Improved demographic data filters help administrators better understand the impact of unfinished learning on different student groups.

Teachers will have resources to prepare students for grade-level work in reading and mathematics with enhancements to Tools for Scaffolding and the Prerequisites report. Adaptive phonics lessons for Grades K–2 and new reading comprehension lessons for Grades 3–8 were also added to help students build their skills and engage in productive struggle. All these materials are built with equity in mind and feature expanded representation so students see themselves reflected in what they're learning. Additionally, i-Ready offers a new way for students to engage in learning fractions with the ability for teachers and students to create their own puzzles in the popular Cloud Machine Learning Game.

More than 200 new literacy tasks will help teachers measure student progress toward reaching grade-level expectations and meeting state screening requirements. This includes expanded benchmark assessments and new Oral Reading Fluency progress monitoring for Grades 1–6, as well as new Early Reading Tasks to assess phonological awareness, phonics, and other concepts to support teaching and help address state screening requirements.

To support Spanish-speaking students in dual-language or transitional-bilingual programs, i-Ready will feature a new Spanish reading assessment for Grades K–6 that connects to high-quality instructional resources. 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.

A number of new functionalities—including the ability to assign Teacher Toolbox resources to Google Classroom in fewer steps, the ability for teachers to batch print reports for all students, and more—will save time for teachers. Targeted professional development options and updates to the Online Educator Learning platform will additionally help teachers address unfinished learning and get the most out of i-Ready.

More about i-Ready
i-Ready, which was recently named a 2021 SIIA CODiE Awards finalist in the Best Formative Assessment Solution category, makes the promise of differentiated instruction a practical reality for 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 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 their instruction and to personalize i-Ready instructional paths. A midyear and end-of-year Diagnostic helps students and teachers measure growth and engage students in data chats. Teacher-led and personalized instruction continues throughout the year to help students grow and access their grade-level learning.

Today, i-Ready serves more than 9.5 million students nationwide and is currently being used by 25 percent of all K–8 students across all 50 states.

To learn more about i-Ready and its new updates, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/Products/i-Ready/Whats-New.

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.

Contact:
Kati Elliott
KEH Communications 
(410) 975-9638 
 Kati@kehcomm.com
Charlotte Fixler
Curriculum Associates 
(978) 901-6066 
CFixler@cainc.com

SOURCE Curriculum Associates, LLC