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Kingston parent academy walks families through i‑Ready reports and state tests
Summary
District leaders and teachers explained how the i‑Ready diagnostic and MyPath individualized lessons guide classroom instruction, showed parents how to read student reports on the parent portal, and described New York State assessment logistics and why participation matters.
Alyssa Alaveto, assistant superintendent for curriculum and assessment for the Kingston City School District, opened a Parent Academy to explain the district's use of the i‑Ready diagnostic, how teachers use results to set goals, and where families can access reports.
Alaveto said the i‑Ready diagnostic is administered three times a year (fall, winter and spring) in reading and math and is designed to be low stress: "It has brain breaks," she said, noting the tool measures domain skills so teachers can identify where a student needs targeted support. She added the diagnostic feeds into MyPath, an individualized learning pathway that helps teachers assign lessons and create small instructional groups.
Jess Davis, introduced by Alaveto, described how teachers conduct "data chats" with students to review results, set short‑term learning goals and track growth. Davis gave classroom examples of student language — such as "I will practice my math facts three times a week" — and said those conversations help students take ownership of learning and build confidence.
Stevie Kreft, the district's director of math, science and technology, guided parents through the layout of student reports and common metrics. Using a sample chart, he showed how a student might be "78% toward typical growth" and explained scale scores and percentiles, saying parents should use the report to note placement and progress. He also clarified the difference between "typical growth," which represents expected year‑long progress, and "stretch growth," an attainable extra gain that may take multiple years.
The district also addressed New York State assessments for grades 3–8. Alaveto said those tests (ELA and math) are given in two sessions across two days, the science test is one session for grades 5 and 8, and the state assessments are now computer‑based, untimed and "about 33% shorter" than older versions. She emphasized that scores do not affect a student's classroom grade but do help teachers and the district plan instruction and contribute to accountability measures. "Our district leadership team, our PTOs, our building principals, our teachers did an amazing job last year in increasing the participation rate by about 180 students," she said.
Parents were shown how to find reports in the parent portal: go to the Kingston City School District Facebook page, open the "For Parents" menu to reach the parent portal/eSchool, select a student, and click Student Documents to access i‑Ready and state assessment reports. Staff noted paper copies remain available from building principals on request.
Alaveto closed by urging families to ensure Chromebooks are charged and students get rest before testing days, and she invited parents to ask questions after the session. Refreshments were provided at the end of the event.
The district said the materials demonstrated at the academy are intended to help families hold productive conversations with teachers and support students between diagnostic administrations and state testing windows.
