Grades 2-12 iReady Diagnostic 3
2022-2023
Ready, Set, Go!
Preparing students for the diagnostic test is important every time we give it. Most of our students now know what to expect, but will still need a lot of encouragement, motivation, and accountability to assure we are getting the very best efforts from them. Getting good data will depend on the reminders we give students, accountability, goal setting and celebrations. This guide contains lots of resources to help you do exactly that!
👉 NOTE... the final diagnostic of each school year provides some of our most relied-upon data. We use it to determine placements for the next school year, whether or not we are meeting school improvement goals, etc. Getting accurate data is vitally important!
Scheduling
Diagnostic Window: March 28 - April 19
Our end of school survey indicated that majority of teachers do want to continue the practice of diagnostic testing before ILEARN. This should be used to practice and prepare students for the big test, alongside other review activities. If you teach an ILEARN-tested grade level, please see the ILEARN Prep Guide for recommended materials and suggestions for how to juggle it all! The iReady testing window must be the same for all grade levels.
- All teachers must submit their launch date by Google Form (emailed and linked below).
- Students will not be able to complete iReady My Path lessons or Standards Mastery tests in that subject once when they have an active diagnostic test.
- 👉 PLEASE NOTE... diagnostics are restricted to M-F from 8 AM to 3 PM. Students will not see their test until 8 AM! Please email Rachel if accommodations need to be made after 3 PM for homebound students.
- Each diagnostic test will take students 45-90 minutes to complete depending on grade level and ability. It is best if this is given in small pieces. Determine the best amount of time for your students to work without shutting down and spread your test out. No matter when they exit, it will start them where they left off on their next login. It is ok if your testing takes several days.
💡 One recommendation is to have students stop for the day when they reach a "brain break" game. These happen when the assessment switches between domains. Using these points as your stop points will result in students testing 15-20 minutes per day for about 4 days (varies somewhat between subject and student placement.) - If you have any questions or problems, email Rachel.
Test Prep
Supplies
- Students will need:
- scratch paper... even for reading!
- pencils
- headphones
- score tracking sheets
Modifications
- Students will automatically receive audio support on iReady math diagnostic questions at the primary levels and for all 2nd-grade students (per district decision).
- Audio support for math diagnostics can be turned on for older students who have an IEP modification that allows them to have ILEARN testing read to them by going to the "Roster" tab and editing student settings. Contact Rachel Porter if you need help!
Test Launching
Student Videos & Testing Slides
The buttons below will take you to a presentation that includes a short video to show immediately before your students take their test and a slide with reminders to keep up as they work.
Add Your Own Motivation
In addition to Mrs. Porter's video, add your own encouragement, review of expectations, goals, etc. to motivate students to give the test their very best effort.
During Testing
Actively Proctor
- Provide encouragement (but not help) during the test.
- Watch for students who may be rushing or don't appear to be putting forth good focus or effort.
Monitor Alerts & Re-testing
Students who complete the diagnostic too quickly will be flagged with a yellow or red rush alert. You'll find these right on your teacher dashboard during the testing window like this:
There are other situations that should be considered for retesting. As the classroom teacher who knows the student well, it is ultimately your call as to whether or not a student who falls into these categories should be retested. Sometimes there are factors beyond the data that mean a retake would not be worthwhile. However, please be intentional about this. We are setting precedents for how students will view these assessments in the future and we need the most accurate data possible to drive our instruction moving forward.
👉 Please carefully consider retesting students who:
- receive a yellow rush alert
- received a score lower than their previous diagnostic
See Reports > Diagnostic Growth to compare scores
- other circumstances that cause you to believe their test result is invalid
- students who request a chance to try to improve their score
🤔 Not sure if a student should retest? Email Rachel for a deeper look and recommendation.
After Testing
Track & Growth
As directed by the student video, students should record their new scores on their tracking sheets as they complete the test. They should also determine if their score has increased or decreased, and whether or not they met their personal growth goal.
Southwest Parke Community Schools