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CPS seeks renewal of K–2 I‑Ready diagnostic; vendor commits to new Spanish reading assessment
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Summary
Chicago Public Schools staff asked the board to authorize a two‑year renewal with Curriculum Associates for the I‑Ready K–2 diagnostic assessment suite at a not‑to‑exceed $2,250,000.
Chicago Public Schools staff asked the board to authorize the first renewal with Curriculum Associates for the district’s K–2 I‑Ready reading and mathematics assessment suite, a student‑level licensing arrangement proposed at a not‑to‑exceed $2,250,000 for a two‑year term.
Why it matters: Screening and benchmark assessments inform early‑grade instruction and intervention. CPS staff said roughly 95% of district schools have chosen I‑Ready for K–2 screening in recent years; without contract renewal, the suite would not be available as part of schools’ balanced assessment systems.
What staff said: Peter Leonard, executive director of student assessment and MTSS, told board members the renewal covers adaptive diagnostics, supplemental screeners and growth monitoring tools and includes administration support, professional development and reporting. “The assessment suite includes an adaptive screening and benchmark assessment, which is referred to as the I Ready diagnostic,” Leonard said, and added that the vendor has worked with CPS educators to develop an authentic Spanish adaptive reading assessment that will be available this fall. “We made this our number 1 priority in vendor partnership and worked with Curriculum Associates... to provide feedback on their development of an adaptive Spanish reading assessment, which is built from the ground up, and is an authentic Spanish reading assessment called evaluation that will be available to our schools starting this fall.”
MBE/WBE and adoption context: The vendor committed to 37% MBE participation as an aspirational goal for the renewal, and staff said the district’s compliance team is assisting the vendor in certification efforts. Leonard said the renewal request includes a cushion for license costs if additional schools adopt the product during the contract term.
Next steps: Staff asked the board to place the renewal on the May 29 consent agenda so schools can continue using the K–2 assessment suite next year.
Ending: The renewal request is framed as continuity for widely adopted K–2 screening tools, with an explicit equity effort to improve Spanish‑language assessment offerings for dual‑language and transitional bilingual programs.
