i-Ready Frequently Asked Questions

  • Frequently Asked Teacher Questions about the i-Ready Diagnostic:

    New FAQs will be added to the top of this list.
      
    Why am I not seeing all my students in my roster? How can I get them added?
    i-Ready pulls all student, teacher, and class rostering information from SIS. We have no way to manually manipulate the rosters. If you have students in your class that are not in your math roster, for example, it is likely because they are assigned to another teacher for HiCap math services. If this is not the case, contact your registrar to make sure your student's enrollments and teacher assignment are correct in Skyward.
     
    How do I reset or reassign the Diagnostic?
    If a student's diagnostic is still in progress and you need them to start over (i.e., they rushed), click here for directions on how to Reset a Diagnostic.
    If a student has completed the diagnostic but needs to take it again, click here for directions on how to Reassign a Diagnostic.
     
    How do I check the status of my students when taking the Diagnostic?
    Click here for directions on how to view Diagnostic Assessment Status.
     
    I can only see Math (or Reading) results. How can I see both?
    Check your profile. Once logged in, click on your name in blue in the upper right corner. Click on "My Profile". Click on "Edit Profile." Make sure both Reading and Math boxes are checked for the appropriate grades.
     
    Do I need to assign the Diagnostic?
    The first Diagnostic is automatically assigned. You only need to assign all subsequent diagnostics. But, if you need to re-assign a Diagnostic because a student rushed or needs to take it again, here is how.
     
    Where can families find resources for completing the Diagnostic at home?
    i-Ready has put together an i-Ready At-Home Learning Partner Site for Pacific Northwest Families with a complete series of resources to support Diagnostic tetsing from home.
     
    Where can teachers find resources for completing the Diagnostic at home?
    i-Ready Central has a website with resources for teachers and school leaders to support at-home assessment.
     
    How long do students have to complete the Diagnostic?
    Students have 21 calendar days from the day they start to complete the Diagnostic before it expires. If a student's Diagnostic expires, he or she will need to start again from the beginning.
      
    How do I print reports with a custom date range?
    Click here for a visual on how to run a report for any date range, including students who completed the test outside the diagnostic window.
     
    Are there resources available to help communicate with families about i-Ready?
    Yes. Click here for an i-Ready Family Communication Template.
     
    How do I set a lower (developmental) grade level for a student?
    Some students who are below grade level expectations may benefit from starting the test with questions at a lower level. The test will still adapt to their responses, but the first questions they see will be easier.

    Click here for directions on setting the developmental level in i-Ready. 

    Is there a quick i-Ready guide for teachers?
    Yes. You can download it here or find it on i-Readycentral.com. 
     
    How do I create a report group?
    Click here for directions on creating a report group in i-Ready. 
     
    Can I print more than one family report at a time?
    Yes. Use the Batch function to print up to 35 reports. Directions are HERE.
     
    Which report should I run - Standard View, Beginning of Year View, or End of Year View?
    Click here for a description of the different reports.
    Click here for guidance on which report will best suit your needs.
     
    Can I monitor my students' progress between diagnostic assessments?
    Yes. You can assign a Growth Monitoring assessment. These are shorter reading and math tests which could be used to check on the impact of interventions or get a quicker status check on a student or a class.
    Information can be found on i-Ready Central at Growth Monitoring.
     
    Here's how to assign a Growth Monitoring Assessment to a class or individual student. Click HERE.
     
    Can students be tested in i-Ready outside of the district diagnostic window?
    Yes. The window closing does not affect student access to the tests. Students who are in progress when the window closes or even students who start testing after the window closes will still be able to take the diagnostic. Common reasons for students testing outside the diagnostic window are new students who enroll between windows, or students who were absent during the window. Those students will be able to take the diagnostic and you don't need to make any special adjutments or assign the test - it will be automatic. Just be aware of the time before the next window so they aren't testing again too soon. Ideally there are 12-18 weeks of instruction between diagnostics.
     
    When teachers run reports and have studens who have tested outside the window, they must select a custom date range to include those students.
      
    What can I do to prepare my students to take the Diagnostic?
    Check out this presentation to share with your students. It lets them know what to expect when taking the Diagnostic.
     
    Can I have my students retake a Diagnostic?
    If you think a student rushed through the assessment, or if you realized after the fact that the student was ill and therefore the Diagnostic results do not match their current abilities, you may have the student take the Diagnostic again. Click here for directions on how to reassign the Diagnostic. 
     
    Why is the test taking such a long time for my students?
    The Diagnostic is adaptive and is designed to ask a wide range of questions to determine the student's achievement level. Students will see questions that seem very simple and others that are more difficult until it finds questions that are “just right”. Students should be reminded before taking the Diagnostic to not spend too much time trying to answer questions they have not learned yet. 
     
    Why are some questions so hard?
    To enable a precise assessment, the Diagnostic is adaptive and is designed to ask a wide range of questions to determine the student's achievement level. That’s why it will challenge them with a more difficult question after each correct answer. Thus, high-performing students who are accustomed to scoring well on tests may feel particularly challenged. 
     
    Can students skip questions?
    No, students are not able to skip questions. It is critical that students answer every question so that the test can respond with an easier or more difficult question. The test needs to be able to see what students know and don’t know to accurately pinpoint their unique needs.
     
    How do I test my "Walk to Math"/Hi-Cap students?
    "Walk to Math" and hi-cap students (math and reading) will test at their regular grade level. The Diagnostic is adaptive and will assess students in standards outside of their grade level. If their results are on, below, or above grade level, those placements will show on their reports. Don’t worry about the Diagnostic limiting students to their grade level in the test items or in the resulting reports and resources. Instructional recommendations are not based on a student’s chronological grade – just the placement from the test. The i-Ready Math Diagnostic should be administered by the teacher from whom the student receives their math instruction.
     
    How can I use this test with my special education/Title/LAP students?
    You may set the Diagnostic to start at a lower grade level for students who are performing significantly below grade level due to academic or developmental delays. Click here to learn more.
     
    Why are my students' scores lower than expected at the start of the year?
    Most students take the Diagnostic at the beginning of the school year, when “last year’s content” is the latest they’ve received. For example, if a new fourth grader scores at a third-grade level, this is likely because he has not yet been exposed to fourth-grade content.
     
    Why are my students seeing content that they haven't learned yet?
    The Diagnostic Assessment adapts based upon what students should know according to the Common Core State Standards for the beginning, middle, and end of their grade level.
     
    What kind of accommodations can students use for i-Ready?
    In general, they can use the same non-embedded accommodations that are used for state testing. i-Ready provides audio support for test items at certain grade levels. These features are available to any student regardless of assigned grade level when they are at the grade 1 – 5 level of the test for math, and grade 1 – 2 level for reading. Math tools such as online calculators and spreadsheets are embedded for some of the math items. There is no paper/printed version of this assessment.
     
    Can ELL students be tested in their home language in i-Ready?
    The i-Ready Math diagnostic assessment is available in Spanish. Teachers should consult with the ELL teacher to determine which students should utilize the Spanish version.
     
    What does Tested Out mean on the score report?
    Tested out means that the student’s performance indicates that they likely already know the lower-level skills and thus they didn’t need to answer questions from those foundational domains. Thus, they did not see any items in that domain.
     
    What does Max Score mean on the score report?
    Max Score means that a student did see items in that domain, they just got to the highest level possible in that domain.