North Carolina State Board of Education Names i-Ready® as the Recommended Competency-Based Assessment for Summer Learning Programs

Award-winning Diagnostic, which is already widely used across the state, provides educators with actionable criterion-referenced and normative data to deliver impactful student instruction

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Curriculum Associates, LLC

May 24, 2021, 11:39 ET

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., May 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Carolina State Board of Education recently recommended Curriculum Associates' i-Ready to be used as the competency-based assessment for schools' extension learning recovery programs. These programs will provide in-person instruction on specific subjects, as well as offer additional enrichment activities, to students in Grades K–12 to address learning losses and negative impacts students have experienced due to COVID-19 during the 2020–2021 school year. Today, the award-winning i-Ready program serves more than nine million students and 25 percent of all K–8 students in the United States, including 70 percent of North Carolina's local education agencies (LEAs) and charter schools.

"This summer will be critical as educators work with many students to get them up to grade level and prepare them for the rigor of next school year," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. "A large majority of schools throughout the state are already using i-Ready, and we are committed to supporting them—as well as schools new to i-Ready—with their assessment needs during this time."

As stated in North Carolina's recent legislation on school extension learning recovery and enrichment programs, the state Board of Education shall make available to local school administrative units a single competency-based assessment per grade and subject for students in Grades K–8 that may be taken at the beginning of the program and at the conclusion of the program. The Board recommended i-Ready as the competency-based assessment for schools to use because it has the largest footprint in the state.

i-Ready makes the promise of differentiated instruction a practical reality for 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 Diagnostic provides educators with actionable criterion-referenced and normative data to deliver impactful, equitable learning experiences. Traditionally, 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 have data chats. Teacher-led and personalized instruction continues throughout the year to help students grow and access their grade-level learning.

In August 2020, the North Carolina State Board of Education additionally selected i-Ready as an approved assessment for Read to Achieve. This multifaceted initiative is designed to help ensure all students are reading at grade level by the time they reach Grade 4 by eliminating social promotion, facilitating early-grade reading proficiency, promoting developmental screening and a kindergarten entry assessment, providing a comprehensive plan for reading achievement, supporting successful reading development for retained students, outlining notification requirements to parents and guardians, and implementing the accountability process.

To learn more about i-Ready, visit CurriculumAssociates.com/i-Ready.

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.