Round Lake board hears K–8 i‑Ready results showing kindergarten gains, outlines curriculum and intervention shifts

At its June 1, 2026 regular meeting, the Round Lake Area Board of Education received a presentation of K–8 student‑achievement results based on the district’s i‑Ready assessments, with district leaders highlighting substantial kindergarten gains and broad math improvements across several buildings.

The presentation, led by district staff and Dr. Stefan, emphasized three i‑Ready measures: placement (the percent of students at mid‑or‑above grade level), annual typical growth (median progress) and stretch growth (a higher target for students below grade level). "We really think [these efforts] made this huge shift in student achievement and increase in student learning at kindergarten," Dr. Stefan said, summarizing the district’s review of the data.

District kindergarten results shown to the board included reading placement increases at individual schools: Beach from 22% to 29% (+7 points), Ellis from 13% to 24% (+11), and Murphy from 23% to 33% (+10). Districtwide, kindergarten reading placement moved from 20% to 33%, and kindergarten math placement rose districtwide from about 29% to 41%. District leaders and principals attributed gains to concentrated teacher professional development, coaching, and consistent use of personalized i‑Ready pathways.

Elementary principals described school‑level strategies they said contributed to gains: classroom organization and developmentally appropriate play in kindergarten supported by an ISBY coach (Peggy Maguire); increased teacher familiarity with new core math and reading programs; small‑group instruction aligned to standards; and incentives and goal‑setting that engaged students and families. "We had students pass over 62,000 i‑Ready lessons this year," one elementary presenter said, noting that lesson completion and time-on-task were tracked and celebrated at multiple schools.

Principals also reported that, in several buildings, students with disabilities met or exceeded typical growth at higher rates than their non‑disabled peers — a point district staff flagged as a notable positive outcome and an area for continued study.

Middle‑school leaders told the board that while placement charts still show many students multiple grade levels behind, targeted PLC work, revised schedules to increase inclusion of students with disabilities, and expanded time on personalized pathways produced measurable growth from fall to spring. District leaders said middle‑school reading growth trailed math in some buildings and noted an upcoming middle‑school ELA curriculum adoption on the agenda to address that gap.

Looking ahead, district staff said they will continue to: align interventions to grade‑level standards, expand PLC data conversations and goal‑setting with students, refine interpretation of i‑Ready reports (particularly Spanish reporting, which the presenters said is newly adaptive but with reporting differences), and present state results and a fuller analysis in the fall. Dr. Mendoza noted that preliminary state assessment results are embargoed but that a fuller report will be provided when allowed.

The board asked specific questions about cohort tracking, curriculum alignment, and whether school‑by‑school coaching supports (such as visits by the ISBY coach) could be extended; district staff said they would explore broader coaching access and report back.

The presentation closed with district leaders and principals saying the next steps are focused, measurable adjustments to instruction and scheduling to build on the gains reported and address remaining middle‑grade challenges.