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Teacher raises testing concern; district says IReady will be used for K–3 literacy screening
Summary
A Bayonne High School teacher asked if new literacy-screening language would add tests; district staff said the IReady assessment will replace DRA for screenings and will be used for progress monitoring during existing intervention periods, not as an extra test.
At the Bayonne Board of Education meeting April 29, teacher and BEA leader Stephanie Woods asked whether proposed literacy-screening language (agenda item A7) would add another assessment to already busy elementary schedules.
Woods said educators and parents worry about “over assessed” students and asked who would implement screenings given staff reductions. "I don't have a problem with kids being screened… but it kind of appears that the students are being over assessed," she said.
A staff member replied that the district will use the IReady assessment for the required literacy screening and will not add a separate test such as LinkIt or continue DRA. "We're shifting toward IReady for next year. So no DRA," the staff member said, adding that IReady data will be used for progress monitoring and to group students for targeted instruction during existing "win" periods.
The exchange clarified how the district plans to meet the screening requirement and signaled that the change is a shift in tools rather than an added testing burden. The board proceeded to approve the superintendent’s report, which included the agenda items under discussion.
What’s next: staff indicated the IReady Literacy Screener will be the district’s screening tool for 2025–26; implementation details and any staff training were not specified in the meeting transcript.
