Plain Local School District Improves Student Outcomes Using Curriculum Associates' i-Ready and Ready Programs

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Using Curriculum Associates' i-Ready® Diagnostic & Instruction and Ready® programs, Plain Local School District in Canton, OH has successfully streamlined its assessment process, personalized its instruction, and improved learning outcomes for students in grades K-8. By implementing a single online assessment program aligned to a robust set of instructional materials, the district has freed up valuable instructional time for its teachers and provided them with meaningful data that pinpoints students' strengths, as well as areas in need of improvement.

"We previously had an abundant amount of assessments in place in order to obtain the student data needed for both state and federal requirements. This proved to be very timely for both our teachers and students," said Cassandra Sponseller, director of teaching and learning and director of gifted programs at Plain Local School District. "We needed to find a way to streamline this process and free up more time for teaching and learning to take place, and i-Ready provided us with that solution. Through using the program, we've been able to eliminate 102 different assessments across K-8 while still being able to collect the robust data needed to meet our requirements and effectively inform our instruction."

Built for the Common Core, i-Ready combines a valid and reliable measure and personalized instruction in a single online product. The adaptive diagnostic pinpoints student needs down to the sub-skill level and generates a combination of online instruction and downloadable teacher-led lessons that are unique to each student's diagnostic result. These individualized instructional plans are easy to understand, differentiate instruction, and support a blended learning solution.

In addition to using i-Ready, teachers use Ready to provide guided reading and math instruction and to provide students with additional opportunities to practice key skills. "While it was originally intended to be supplemental, Ready has really become a core part of our instruction," said Sponseller.

As a result, in part, of its use of i-Ready and Ready, students in the district have advanced six percentage points on Ohio's Fall Reading Assessment for the Third Grade Reading Guarantee, while districts in the county declined an average of eight percentage points. Additionally, 434 of the district's 435 third grade students demonstrated the reading proficiency needed to be promoted to fourth grade under the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirements.  

To learn more about i-Ready and Ready, visit www.curriculumassociates.com.  

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, privately owned 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