Questions about Changes in i-Ready Math Levels
Back in early October 2014, i-Ready made an adjustment to K-8 math grade placements levels, in order
to improve alignment. Student scale scores did not change.
What is being changed?
 Some of the students (where the i-Ready Math diagnostic placed them into the K-6 grade level)
may have shifted their reported grade levels. This is a result of i-Ready updates to grade
placement levels, norms, and growth tables that have taken place over the last few days.
 i-Ready updates to student, class, school and district reports occurred automatically.
Do I need to retest students?
No, you do not need to retest students. Student scale scores have not changed. Only some of the
translation tables for placements, norms, and growth have been updated. This all occurred
automatically.
What do I need to do?
Practically speaking, the only real impact of these changes on typical users is that you will want to rerun
any reports you are using that were run before October 19, 2014. All updates described in this memo
are live in i-Ready now and all changes were occurred automatically.
What is the expected impact of these changes?
 Nationally, the percentage of students placing on or above level will increase by 5% - 10%, but
this percentage will vary by school, district, and class.
 Overall, the change delivers higher precision in scoring and stronger alignment to expectations
for the Smarter Balanced Assessment.
Why did i-Ready do this?
At the start of the school year, some of the districts expressed concerns that the percentage of students
testing on-level in math was lower this year than in the past. At the same time, i-Ready was reviewing
the fall 2014 assessment data. After analyzing the assessment data, i-Ready concluded that some of the
math placement level cut points were too high, leading to lower placements in math than were
warranted.
How did this happen?
Last summer, i-Ready completed a new standard setting evaluation and also reviewed and made
incremental changes to the assessment scale. This regular evaluation is a best practice for assessment
providers and is especially important in because of changes in expectations and guidance from SBAC and
PARCC.
Will i-Ready reading scores also be adjusted?
No. This update does not impact Reading.
I-Ready has apologized for the inconvenience this situation has caused. They are doing everything they
can to avoid any other issues that would cause disruption this school year and beyond.