The Enlarged City School District of Middletown, a National Race to the Top District (RTTT-D) in Middletown, NY, reports improved student outcomes since its use of Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready®Diagnostic & Instruction. During the first year of its blended learning initiative in 2013–14, the district implemented the online program, which is built for the Common Core State Standards, in 33 elementary classrooms. Middletown chose i-Ready to meet its academic needs based on a collaborative design and content selection process that involved district leaders, teachers, and its partner, Education Elements, which helps design and implement personalized learning plans for districts.
Teachers in the district have used data from the adaptive diagnostic to personalize instruction, helping to make a shift toward prescriptive instruction for students that includes the use of online instruction. More than 70% of students using i-Ready progressed more than one grade level in one year in reading, and more than 50% of students progressed more than one grade level in math.
“Instructional environments have to provide students with a personalized experience and i-Ready helps us to do this,” said Amy Creeden, Principal of the Race to the Top Grant at Enlarged City School District of Middletown.
i-Ready combines an adaptive diagnostic with personalized student online instruction and teacher-led instruction. The adaptive diagnostic pinpoints student needs down to the sub-skill level and generates rigorous online instruction and downloadable teacher-led lessons that are unique to each student’s diagnostic result, in addition to providing targeted skill practice through mobile apps.
“Middletown exemplifies how the program, when used with fidelity by an individual student or in small or large groups as part of a blended learning environment, can truly drive student achievement and positively impact teaching and learning,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates.
Education Elements worked with Middletown to help the district select the best digital content for its students and selected i-Ready as part of that process. Students access i-Ready content and teachers access i-Ready data through Highlight, Education Elements' personalized learning platform.
