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Board hears MTSS framework update and mixed early results from I-Ready pilot; parents raise data and screen-time concerns
Summary
District leaders presented a districtwide MTSS framework and results from an I-Ready diagnostic/personalized-instruction pilot that participating teachers said produced measurable winter-to-spring gains. Parents and several speakers urged caution over student data privacy, long-term costs and classroom screen time.
The Redondo Beach Unified School District presented an update on its multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and results from a district pilot of the I-Ready diagnostic and personalized-instruction platform at the June board meeting.
Dr. Alison Garland, assistant superintendent of educational services, and Mr. Roy Lopez Jr., executive director of educational services, described MTSS as a three-part effort to align assessments, interventions and a standardized Student Study Team process across school sites. They said the effort is intended to identify student needs earlier and to make sure interventions progress through built-in timelines so support does not stall.
"The SST is the engine of the MTSS system," Lopez said, describing a five-step process of review, intervention, monitoring and adjustment that includes families in each step.
District staff reported that an I-Ready pilot began in January with more than 40 teachers opting in. Presenters said winter-to-spring diagnostics from participating classes showed increases districtwide: roughly an 11.5-point gain in math (from 69% to 79% at or above grade level) and a 7.3-point gain in reading (68% to 75%) among pilot participants. Principals and classroom teachers from Burl and Bernie Elementary schools described how they used the diagnostic to form small groups and printed teacher materials to guide targeted instruction.
"I-Ready has supported our tier 2 and tier three level instruction," said a Bernie teacher who participated in the pilot, describing immediate access to diagnostic reports, groupings and printable lesson plans used during a regular intervention block.
Board members and staff stressed that the pilot did not require board approval at this meeting and that any broader purchase or long-term adoption would return for future action.
Public commenters, however, urged caution. Several speakers raised data-privacy and legal concerns because the vendor, Curriculum Associates, is involved in pending litigation related to student-data practices. "Many parents find it troubling that a company entrusted with children's information is facing allegations related to data privacy," said one member of the public. The district said its attorney had reviewed the I-Ready agreement and that a data‑use agreement with cyber‑liability and restrictions on third‑party sharing was in place.
Parents and commenters also pushed back on the instructional tradeoffs and screen-time implications of scaling the platform. One speaker summarized the worry: "Instructional time is more valuable than testing time," and urged the board to favor direct, in-person interventions and early tutoring over additional software-dependant minutes.
District staff acknowledged those concerns and described planned guardrails: limiting "myPath" individualized practice to no more than 30 minutes per subject per week, teacher opt-in for the myPath platform, and the ability to monitor student minutes centrally. Miss Garcia, who led technology/security remarks, said the district is deploying phones and access controls, and that the new security cameras and district systems improve the speed of evidence retrieval for on-campus incidents.
Administrators told the board that costs for a continued or expanded pilot would be reported to the board before any purchasing decisions. They also proposed an extended pilot that would include middle and high school teachers and involve parent, staff and student feedback similar to a curriculum adoption process.
The presentation concluded with Mr. Lopez noting next steps: buildout of the SST documentation in PowerSchool, development of a tier‑2 intervention menu across academic, behavioral and social-emotional needs, and ongoing professional learning and coaching for staff.
What's next: The board was not asked to vote on a districtwide adoption at this meeting. Staff said they will return with cost estimates, a proposed scope for an extended pilot, and community engagement materials if the district pursues wider implementation.
