Cabell County students show midyear gains on i‑Ready; projections place year‑end proficiency near recent averages

Cabell County Schools presented midyear i‑Ready diagnostic results showing measurable improvements in reading and math and projected year‑end performance that officials said is likely to land near recent General Summative Assessment outcomes.

The district’s interim assessment presentation, led by a classroom assessment presenter and followed by projection analysis from Jay Mann, reported that the district reduced the share of students in the highest‑needs category in math by about 9 percentage points and increased students in the highest proficiency band by roughly 14 points between the beginning of year and midyear diagnostics. Reading showed a 6‑point drop in the highest‑needs band and a 12‑point increase in the highest proficiency band, presenters said.

The midyear report disaggregated math performance by domain: number and operations (34% proficient), algebra (38%), measurement and data (39%) and geometry (32%). Reading domain results listed phonemic awareness (89% proficient), phonics (70%), high‑frequency words (79%), vocabulary (44%), literary text comprehension (40%) and informational text comprehension (40%). Presenters highlighted double‑digit midyear gains in phonics (13%) and comprehension (12%).

The district uses i‑Ready results to produce two projection scenarios for the year‑end General Summative Assessment (GSA). Mr. Mann said the assessment vendor generates a “typical growth” projection and a higher “stretch growth” projection; the district generally lands between those two tracks. For middle school only, the vendor projects year‑end proficiency at roughly 31% in math and 47% in reading under typical growth assumptions, Mr. Mann said. He noted the district has outperformed the vendor’s typical growth prediction in most recent years.

Presenters explained that elementary grades take i‑Ready four times a year (including November and February) while middle schools take it three times a year (including December), and that the different cadence can affect measured growth between the beginning‑ and midyear snapshots. The district also retains school‑level access to item‑level reports and individual student deficit reports to inform instruction, the presenters said.

District staff framed the diagnostics as a tool to adjust instructional paths during the school year rather than to rely only on the beginning‑of‑year baseline. They encouraged principals and PLCs to use the projections to decide whether to intensify interventions or continue current practices.

Officials closed the presentation by noting long‑term trend lines: district GSA performance over the past four years has risen from 26% to 33% in math and from 42% to 47% in reading, figures district staff used to contextualize the projections.

The presentation ended with no formal action; staff said principals will use the diagnostic and projection reports in meetings with teachers and PLCs to align instruction and targets for the remainder of the year.