State Board approves i‑Ready as Nevada’s Read‑by‑Grade‑3 assessment; board to fund dual assessment options
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Summary
The Nevada State Board of Education voted to approve Curriculum Associates’ i‑Ready as the state Read by Grade 3 assessment and authorized state support to fund either i‑Ready or MAP where districts choose; board members asked for contract scope details and implementation supports prior to statewide rollout.
The Nevada State Board of Education voted to approve Curriculum Associates’ i‑Ready as the state’s Read by Grade 3 assessment for kindergarten through third grade after a presentation from the Department of Education’s assessment team.
The department’s assessment lead, Mike Pacheco, told the board the RFP evaluation committee — which included representatives from seven school districts and the Nevada Association of School Superintendents — recommended i‑Ready based on the committee’s scoring and stakeholder input. Pacheco said state purchasing has already created a contract document and the department would finalize scope and implementation steps following board approval. “The recommendation we are bringing before the state board today … is Curriculum Associates i‑Ready assessment for administration to students in kindergarten through third grade,” he said.
Why it matters: Senate Bill 460 created a multi‑assessment environment for Read by Grade 3; the board must identify an assessment the state will support while allowing districts to seek alternate, approved assessments. Superintendent Wakefield said approving i‑Ready will allow the state to fund either i‑Ready or MAP for the 2026–27 school year, depending on district choice.
Board questions focused on the contract scope and instructional resources included with the vendor agreement. Member Orr noted that MAP is primarily a diagnostic tool without built‑in curriculum supports, and asked whether i‑Ready’s contract includes the curriculum and practice resources that accompany the diagnostic. The presenters said they would verify the contract scope and provide that detail to the board. Peter Zuts, from the Office of Assessment, clarified that districts may request alternate Read by Grade 3 assessments under the statute and that financial support at the state level will be available for either approved option.
Action taken: Member Hudson moved to approve i‑Ready as the state assessment for Read by Grade 3; Member Dawson Owens seconded. The board approved the motion by voice vote.
Next steps: The department will finalize contract documents with state purchasing, confirm the vendor scope (including whether practice and curriculum supports are included), and coordinate a statewide implementation and professional development timeline to ensure districts have time for training and rollout before 2026–27. Districts retain the statutory ability to request alternate, valid and reliable assessments for local use.
