Alief ISD midyear I-Ready report shows usage correlates with growth, flags middle‑school fidelity issues
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Summary
Deputy Superintendent Kathy On told the board midyear I-Ready use correlates with stronger STAR outcomes but noted grade‑level gaps, especially for seventh grade, and described steps to boost fidelity and engagement.
Alief ISD presented midyear I‑Ready diagnostic and usage data March 4, with district leaders saying higher usage and mastery in the platform correlate with improved STAR performance, and highlighting seventh grade as an area of concern.
Deputy Superintendent Kathy On described a scatterplot analysis showing campuses that combine high usage with high performance as models for district practice. "If you look at the navy blue again, it's something that we are proud of," On said, noting that kindergarten through early grades show strong placement, while several intermediate and middle grades — notably seventh grade — show hatched areas indicating concern.
On discussed two measures: typical growth (one year of expected growth) and stretch growth (growth beyond that expectation). The presentation showed students who spend more than 30 minutes per week in I‑Ready achieve higher rates of stretch growth (about 44% in math for high users; lower but meaningful gains in reading). On also described system flags that detect rushed assessments and the district's plan to use those indicators, weekly district monitoring and campus coaching to improve fidelity.
Trustees and staff discussed practical barriers in middle school — shortened RLA blocks and student disengagement — and planned responses including targeted professional development this summer, peer principal sharing of successful practices, partnerships with after‑school providers and incentives to increase usage over spring break.
Board members asked staff to continue deep-dive analyses on middle grades and to return with specific action plans and monitoring metrics. Administration said it will provide board notes and ongoing updates showing usage, stretch-growth metrics and campus-level interventions.
The midyear I‑Ready report was presented as an instructional improvement tool tied to district goals and to the teacher-incentive allotment metrics; trustees praised the presentation and asked for continued monitoring of fidelity and seventh‑grade outcomes.