Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Everett schools report above‑average I‑Ready winter growth; principals point to targeted interventions
Summary
District assessment director Michelle Waddell told the board that winter I‑Ready diagnostics show Everett students outperforming peers statewide and nationally, with notable median growth and thousands of students moving up proficiency levels; principals described data days, PLC planning and targeted interventions as drivers.
Michelle Waddell, the district———Director of Assessment and Research, told the Everett School Board on March 24 that winter I‑Ready diagnostic results show the district performing above state and national peers and registering stronger-than-expected midyear growth. "Our median for reading is 76%," Waddell said, and she described districtwide patterns with "green" (on or above grade level) at 49% in math and 56% in reading.
Why it matters: the board uses these diagnostics to guide instruction and interventions. Waddell said the data are a midyear checkpoint that districts use to identify students who need targeted support and to celebrate gains where they occur.
Waddell presented both placement and growth measures. She reported that 564 students moved from below grade level to mid or above in math and that 1,453 students moved into the "early on" grade‑level band, while roughly 2,744 students — about 23% of those assessed at both points — have already met a district-defined "stretch" growth target midyear. "We're growing at a faster rate than what's expected," she said, noting that the midpoint expectations are 50% for typical progress.
Two principals gave concrete examples of implementation. Dr. Jessica Gideon, Madison Elementary principal, said Madison centers its work on four priorities: strong use of data, collaborative teacher planning, targeted supports, and student ownership. "We began with data days where teachers analyzed I‑Ready diagnostics together to identify trends and skill gaps," she said, adding that focus students drive PLC planning and learning labs.
Bethany Stoddard, principal at Forest View Elementary, described intervention planning documents and flexible small groups informed by I‑Ready, and said the school is aligning PLC time and staffing (paras and other resources) to ensure access and inclusion for multilingual learners and students with disabilities. "The heart of this work is in our teacher teams," Stoddard said.
Board members asked about grade‑level trends and subgroup fluctuations. Waddell explained that standards grow in complexity across grades, which tends to increase lower placements in older grades, and noted that small subgroup sizes (for example, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander students) can produce larger percentage swings. She also emphasized cohort analysis to track student groups over time rather than single snapshots.
What happens next: Waddell and school leaders said the data will continue to inform PLC discussions, intervention cycles and progress monitoring. The presentation included plans for continued use of I‑Ready alongside other measures to tailor instruction and to increase the number of students meeting typical and stretch growth targets.
Ending: board members thanked presenters and emphasized communicating gains and next steps with families and staff.
