All districts in Ohio are required to administer an ODE-approved Reading diagnostic test each year to students in grades K-3 and report their results to ODE. The primary purpose of Ohio's diagnostic tests is to provide a tool to check the progress of students toward meeting the standards. Diagnostic tests may also serve as tools that assess student's strengths and weaknesses to help inform instructional decisions.
The ODE-approved reading diagnostic test used by CPS is the iReady Reading assessments. At grade 3, the iReady Reading test may be used as an alternative assessment for grade promotion tied to Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee.
All grade K-3 students, with exception of students who are identified as needing the Alternate Assessment for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities in an IEP, must take the Reading Diagnostic Assessment three times a year (Fall, Winter, Spring).
More information about K-3 Reading Diagnostic Assessments can be found on the Ohio Department of Education's Third Grade Reading Guarantee Website: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Learning-in-Ohio/Literacy/Third-Grade-Reading-Guarantee
The iReady Reading test is a nationally normed and criterion referenced assessment that provides an accurate measure of student performance and progress. Each iReady assessment provides an overall Scaled score that is used to track student progress and is associated with a grade level equivalency. The iReady Reading assessment provides a percentile rank for each student an detailed data on student performance in the areas of Phonological Awareness, Phonics, High-Frequency words, Vocabulary, Comprehension: Literature, and Comprehension: Informational Text.
Required by ODE for all Grade 1-3 students and repeating Kindergarten students. ODE requires that students who transfer into the district, or to a different building within the district, must be administered the reading diagnostic assessment within thirty days after the date of transfer if the student has not received an ODE approved reading diagnostic assessment in the current school year by the student's previous District or school. First time Kindergarten students take the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA) during the first 20 days of instruction per state law. The Language & Literacy section of the KRA serves as the Reading Diagnostic Assessment.
Because the iReady Reading assessments serve as our district benchmark assessments, students will retake this assessment during the Winter and Spring testing windows to measure growth in acquisition of knowledge and skills over the school year.
The K-3 diagnostic assessments provide a scaled score on the iReady Reading assessment. This score used to determine if a student is on track or not on track for reading at their grade level. The below chart provides the current on track/not on track scores:
First time Kindergartners: 263 on the Language and Literacy component of the KRA is considered on track.
Repeat Kindergartners and students in grades 1-3:
An iReady Reading Scale Score of 524 or higher can be used as an alternative score for promotion from third grade to fourth grade during the Winter or Spring iReady windows.