Dec 19, 2018   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Ohio Department of Education Approves Curriculum Associates' i-Ready® Diagnostic to Identify Gifted Students in Grades 2-8

NORTH BILLERICA, Mass., Dec. 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) approved Curriculum Associates' i-Ready(®) Diagnostic for the identification of gifted students in Grades 2-8. The award-winning i-Ready Diagnostic is part of the i-Ready online diagnostic and instructional program, which has more than six million users nationwide.

In its request for qualifications, the ODE "sought vendors with assessment tools that can fulfill multiple purposes to assist districts in selecting tools that will maximize their use of time and resources, and provide high educational value," according to its website. Assessments had to meet the minimum criteria in the RFQ in order to be approved for use.

"Being able to quickly and effectively identify students' abilities allows teachers to individualize their instruction while having more time to teach," said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. "With this approval, Ohio teachers can confidently use i-Ready Diagnostic to understand students' strengths and needs."

In addition to being approved for Grades 2-8 in the Identification Instruments for Students Who Are Gifted category, i-Ready Diagnostic is also approved by the ODE in the following:

    --  Comparable Assessments to Ohio's Diagnostic Assessments for the Third
        Grade Reading Guarantee
    --  Teacher and Principal Evaluation: Qualifications for Student Assessments
        to be Used by Ohio Districts for a Portion of Teachers' and Principals'
        Evaluations (K-3 ELA; K-3 Math)
    --  Prescreening Instruments for Students Who Are Gifted in Specific
        Academic Ability (K-1)
    --  Alternative Standardized Assessment for Third Grade Reading

For more information from the ODE about the approved assessments, visit: http://Education.Ohio.gov/Topics/Common-Application-for-Requests-for-Qualifications.

About i-Ready
Built to address the rigor of the new standards, i-Ready's mathematics and English language arts programs help students make real gains. i-Ready collects a broad spectrum of rich data on student abilities that identifies areas where a student is struggling, measures growth across a student's career, supports teacher-led differentiated instruction, and provides a personalized instructional path within a single online solution.

i-Ready is currently being used by more than 15 percent of all K-8 students nationwide across all 50 states. To learn more about i-Ready, visit i-Ready.com/Empower.

About Curriculum Associates
Founded in 1969, Curriculum Associates, LLC designs research-based print and online instructional materials, screens and assessments, and data management tools. The company's products and outstanding customer service provide teachers and administrators with the resources necessary for teaching diverse student populations and fostering learning for all students.

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SOURCE Curriculum Associates