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Long Hill reports districtwide gains after third year of I-Ready and MTSS rollout
Summary
District administrators told the board that I-Ready diagnostic data and the first full year of MTSS cycles produced measurable gains in reading and math across all three schools, though some middle-school subgroups flagged for further attention. Board members asked about response rates and state benchmarking.
Administrators presented year-end I-Ready diagnostic results and a first-year implementation review of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), saying the district saw broad improvements in on-grade-level performance while identifying grade bands that need further focus.
Dr. Jones, who led the presentation, said the diagnostics are given three times a year and that results inform targeted MyPath lessons and MTSS interventions. "The purpose of the I-Ready diagnostic is to really test students in the beginning, middle and end of the year so we can inform instruction," she said. She explained the district's color-coded placement system (green = on/above grade level; yellow = one grade level below; red = two or more grade levels below) and emphasized that device access affects administration timelines.
School-level summaries showed gains in both reading and math. At Gillette School, reading green placements rose to 86% and math green placements to 69% by the end of the year; Millington and Central also recorded year-over-year increases. The districtwide summary for grades K—8 moved reading on/above grade level from 47% to 74% and math from 34% to 69%, with decreases in the proportion of students in the lowest (red) categories in most schools. Administrators cautioned that small roster changes (a student moving in or out) can affect percentages in published slides.
Presenters also walked the board through domain-level needs analyses for the subset of students in yellow and red placements. Those breakdowns highlight phonological awareness and high-frequency word skills at the youngest grades and vocabulary and comprehension at older grades; in math, gaps in number sense and algebraic readiness were noted as drivers of geometry struggles. "We looked at domain performance so teachers can use the data to plan Tier 1 instruction and Tier 2 interventions," an administrator said.
Board members asked whether the diagnostic timeline would change with improved device availability. Dr. Jones said 1:1 iPads will help speed administration and that the district will compare tentative NJSLA results to I-Ready in August in-service data meetings to validate early indicators. Members also raised survey-response and benchmarking questions; administrators said the NJSEI climate and response-rate data will be examined further and that they will report back with comparators and plans to boost stakeholder participation.
Next steps include continuing monthly data-team meetings, targeted professional development, refining MTSS Tier 2 supports, and using the domain-level needs analysis to set cycle goals. Administrators said they will present follow-up analysis next school year after full review of NJSLA and diagnostic correlations.
