Chief academic officer explains I Ready math diagnostic and how results will guide classroom interventions

Ann Badelli, Chief Academic Officer, told the board the I Ready diagnostic is intended primarily to produce actionable instructional recommendations for teachers. She described the assessment as adaptive and administered K–8 in math, producing scale scores on a 1–800 range and four domain subscales (numbers & operations, algebra/alg. thinking, measurement & data, geometry).

Badelli distinguished 'typical' growth (what a student at a given placement would normally gain in a year) from 'stretch' growth (the higher target used for students who need to catch up). She walked the board through examples: for third grade a typical growth number cited was 21 points for students on grade level, while a student three or more years below grade level would need higher stretch growth (the presentation cited a stretch target of 55 points for such students).

Badelli also explained teacher‑facing reports: placement categories that group students into five levels, mini‑lessons and recommendations tied to each group, and how teachers can use RTI time and small‑group instruction to act on the data. She gave a specific student example: a fifth grader whose scale score rose from 459 at the beginning of year to 476 mid‑year — a 17‑point gain and one point shy of the typical growth target for that student.

Board members asked how the test relates to reading, how teachers manage heterogeneous groupings in a single 60‑minute math block plus a 30‑minute RTI period, and whether special‑education students take the diagnostic; Badelli said the test is adaptive and that integrated students do take it, with scaffolds and specially designed instruction as needed.

Next steps: Badelli said schools will receive reports that break down subdomain performance and recommended interventions; the district will use the diagnostic to inform grouping, RTI planning and professional development for teachers.