District scales back preACT and i‑Ready lesson pathway to rein in costs

District administrators told the board they are making targeted cuts to non‑state assessments and adaptive lesson licensing to preserve instructional capacity in the classroom.

Dylan (assessment lead) said the preACT — a non‑state practice test that costs about $3,900 to $4,000 — will not be administered next fall for budgetary reasons; the district plans to provide district‑developed practice questions and cross‑curricular practice instead. "To do one test for the cost of a program, I didn't feel was appropriate," he said.

The district will also scale back i‑Ready spending. Dylan said i‑Ready historically cost the district approximately $36,000 per year; with the proposed reductions the line will be reduced to about $10,000. The change eliminates the i‑Ready personalized lesson pathway (the automated, individualized lessons that follow diagnostics) but preserves diagnostic use where it meets state requirements (Act 20) and keeps teacher‑driven small‑group interventions in place.

Dylan and other administrators emphasized that the cuts are strategic rather than wholesale: teachers and administrators have developed alternative, teacher‑led interventions and data‑collaboration structures to replace some of the automated lessons. The district stressed that sufficient screening and intervention data will remain in place so students who fall behind continue to be identified and supported.

What’s next: administration said it will communicate changes to families before September, publish guidance on alternative practice resources, and continue to use required screeners to meet state reporting obligations.