What parents should know about i-Ready results
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Parents in San Diego Unified are receiving reports this school year on their elementary and middle school kids' reading and math levels that they haven't seen before.
Why it matters: The school district just switched to a new type of diagnostic testing called i-Ready that is meant to show how students are progressing and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
- The reports were released to parents in October and again in January.
How it works: These tests are given three times a year — in the fall, midway through the year and before summer break.
- Grades 3–8 take reading and grades 2–8 take math tests.
- This winter, first graders took the math test for the first time.
- Before summer break, kindergarteners will take a math test as well.
- Kindergarteners through second graders take a different reading test required by state law, Eileen Moreno, senior director for the school district, told Axios.
The tests are all done on the computer and are adaptive, meaning as a student answers questions it gets harder or easier, Moreno said.
- "It gives us much more detailed information about where the children's strengths and needs are, which is what we need, because the whole purpose is to know what to do next," she said.
Zoom in: Principals and the school district can also use the results to see strengths and weaknesses at the school and district level, Moreno said.
The reports parents received by email at the end of January show the students' reading and math levels in the fall and how much they have changed.
- They also show whether students are below, above or at grade level, and they break down results by individual skills.
Friction point: The tests are not meant to determine grades, Moreno said.
- "It is one of many items that a teacher should consider, but it most certainly should not be the only one," she said.
Yes, but: Parents are reaching out to local tutoring companies like Prep Academy Tutors after receiving the results.
- "They'll sometimes come to us and say, 'Hey, I just got these test results' and parents are quite alarmed by it," co-owner Andrea Reeves told Axios.
- Students and parents shouldn't focus on achieving specific test results, she said.
- Prep Academy Tutors doesn't teach to the test, but can help with foundational learning that will help students on tests like these, she said.
Follow the money: In July, the district extended its contract with i-Ready by $3 million, for a total not to exceed $4.1 million.
- That replaces a previous contract with a different testing company, Fast Bridge.
- The contract pays for assessments including math, reading, Spanish and other tools and learning resources, district spokesperson James Canning told Axios.
- High school students can also use i-Ready, per the contract.
The bottom line: If parents get results that aren't what they thought they would be, they should not be alarmed, Moreno said.
- But they should reach out to their kids' teachers and check in.