Meet the Extraordinary Educators™!

Congratulations to These Extraordinary Educators!

Join us in celebrating these Extraordinary Educators! Check out the information below to learn about these inspiring teachers and how they drive student growth and learning.

Class of 2023

Amanda Price.

Amanda Price, Teacher

Taylor Elementary School, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Challenging, Safe

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.

Data is the road map to successful instruction in my classroom. I use data to ensure that while I am meeting the needs of all students, I am also challenging the students who have already demonstrated mastery. I also encourage students to familiarize themselves with their data. Teacher/student data conferences are utilized as a way for students to set goals for themselves (e.g., benchmarks, growth monitoring).

Amanda Staton.

Amanda Staton, Reading Interventionalist

Dixon Elementary, MO

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Accepting, Exciting

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.

Data-driven instruction will drastically improve a student's success and achievement throughout their educational career. By guiding instruction and intervention around data collected, students will continue to grow and be successful.

Anna Katherine Adams, Teacher—Grade 5 English Language Arts

Singing River Academy, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Innovative, Inclusive, Magical

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data must always drive instruction. i-Ready does an outstanding job of letting the data speak for itself. I make most of my data a competition between the classes. If one class is below another on one specific standard in our percentages, you bet they will make it their mission to master that skill just to show that other class who is boss!

INSTAGRAM

Anthony Hamorsky, Teacher—Grade 5 Mathematics

Hawkins Elementary School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Accountable, Supportive, Driven

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
The data the students and I gain from i-Ready sets the pace at which we grow. It drives our instruction, small groups, and remediation.

INSTAGRAM

Cassie Kelcher, Teacher—Grade 4

Riverbend Prep, AZ

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Collaborative, Student Centered

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe data-driven instruction is a valuable tool for learning, but not the end-all-be-all. Data is useful when used along with standards, curriculum, and student interests. Data-driven instruction is used in my classroom daily along with those previously mentioned. i-Ready has been a huge resource in my classroom, especially when pulling small groups.

INSTAGRAM

Charles Giannone.

Charles Giannone, Teacher—Grade 2

Riley Avenue School, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Respectful, Responsible

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Captain America once said, "I can do this all day!" Data collected from i-Ready Diagnostic can be used to responsively teach across the curriculum throughout the day.

Courtney Linker.

Courtney Linker, Teacher

Melba Jr./Sr. High School, ID

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respectful, Growth Minded, Safe

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
The data should drive the instruction!  Although various factors may impact student performance, the data collected from comprehension checks, i-Ready Diagnostics, and other assessments will allow for more effective and efficient planning, as it provides specific feedback.

Cynthia Stevens, Teacher and Instructional Coach—Grade 4 Mathematics

Mifflin Park, PA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Engaging, Loving

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction comes from one of my favorite quotes . . . "Children are not things to be molded, but rather people to be unfolded." Data-driven instruction is important because children need different things, and data will show us what their needs are.

TWITTER

Emily Kahler, Teacher—Grade 4

Red Clay, DE

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Inclusive, Supportive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Testing is coming" is a phrase I use with my students on a daily basis. I use this to motivate my students to focus on our end goal as I examine student exit tickets from i-Ready to check for standard alignment and mastery on a daily basis for my weekly data meetings.

INSTAGRAM

Felecia Young.

Felecia Young, Teacher

Knox Middle School, NC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Intentional, Authentic Learning

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the GPS for each child’s educational journey. It provides pit stops, U-turns, and detours to help them reach their final destination.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Hallie Ouellette.

Hallie Ouellette, Teacher—Grade 6 Mathematics

Ellis School, NH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Structured, Safe to Take Risks, Connected

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is key—it provides students with more accurate and specific learning targets/standards to improve on based on formal assessments. Students are able to be placed in small groups where they can improve on the learning targets/standards that are challenges for them and thrive in the small group setting with the activities, both online and paper-based, put in place.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Heather Levine.

Heather Levine, Teacher

Green Sea Floyds High School, SC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Encouraging, Inclusive, Collaborative

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is key to helping the students become the best learners that they can be. Through analyzing the data, I can make informed decisions about what steps need to be taken to help improve my teaching, which in turn will best help the students.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Dr. Janie Brown, Teacher—Mathematics

Laurel Middle School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Motivating, Challenging, Engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I perform data analysis to find gaps and necessary prerequisites so I can plan whole group instruction and then break it up into instructional groups. My Diagnostics, Standards Mastery, Comprehension Checks, and Lesson Quizzes are the foundation for my instructional groups. My instruction and discussions with my students are both driven by data. As a math teacher, numbers are everything to me.

INSTAGRAM

Jasmine Lane.

Jasmine Lane, Teacher

James E. Plew Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Supportive, Loving, Disciplined

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use my data to meet my students where they are and to plan around their needs. I review i-Ready's FL Benchmark tool to see how my students performed on each benchmark prior to teaching so that I know how to pace my instruction and classroom assignments.

Jeannette Milburn, Teacher—Grade 6 Mathematics

Braddock Middle School, MD

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respect, Responsibility, Growth

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Making effective, informed decisions about my students and their learning is reliant upon formal and informal data throughout every moment in my classroom. i-Ready provides many snapshots of my students that allows me to make the best decisions for my students to ensure that they are reaching their greatest potential.

TWITTER

Jessica Peixoto, Teacher—Grade 4

Ellen R. Hathaway School, MA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
High Expectations, Perseverance, Creativity

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
What I ensure in my classroom, is that students "understand" their learning. I want my students to have pride in what they do and what they learn. I set BOY, MOY, and EOY goals for all my Grade 4 students, and students learn and push to where they have to be. Students take pride in recording their test data and being in control of what they can do!

INSTAGRAM

Jonathan Kryk.

Jonathan Kryk, Teacher—Grade 5 English Language Arts

Challenger K–8, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Reflective, Student Driven

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Our classroom motto is: “Progress! Not perfection!” I conference with my students prior to and after every i-Ready Diagnostic and growth check to analyze their GLOWS and GROWS, so they can create their own personal goals to catapult them into success! I want to instill in my students that growing toward that goal is just as important as surpassing that goal!

Kevin Fineske.

Kevin Fineske, Teacher—Mathematics

Horizon Middle School, WA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Caring, Consistent, Connections

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using data to inform teaching and learning helps improve instruction by looking at information available for each student. The
i-Ready Diagnostic is a great resource, especially when partnered with i-Ready Classroom Mathematics, as the Diagnostic automatically groups students by proficiency leading into each lesson taught with the curriculum.

Laura Bryant.

Laura Bryant, Dual-Language Teacher—Grade 3

Central Elementary, NM

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Fun, Loud, Inclusive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Boom, bam, ready to learn!" Students track My Progress and log their usage time and track their Personalized Instruction lessons on a daily basis. This allows us to make informed decisions as a class on concepts, skills, abilities, strengths, and weakness when it comes to learning math.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Lendy Milo, Dual-Language Teacher—Grade 2

Oakwood Primary Center, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trust, Belonging, Self-Confidence

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Collecting and analyzing data is not just for data’s sake. Analyzing data and using it to modify instruction is just as important, or perhaps more important, than collecting data. Successfully using i-Ready and other data requires diving deep into the details of the skills of my students and examining and studying where they are struggling. The i-Ready domain provides a user-friendly way to look at student data by academic area and specific skills. Data must be used to enhance instruction and improve student learning outcomes.

INSTAGRAM

Monica Maxey.

Monica Maxey, Special Educator—Grades K–2

Summersville Grade School, IL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Acceptance, Positivity, Calm

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is to never look at the areas of concern with a negative focus. That data is an opportunity to teach skills in a differentiated way to increase academic success.

Monique Ross.

Monique Ross, Teacher

San Lucas Elementary School, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Hands-On, Rigorous, Student Driven

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe data is what gives teachers the necessary information to deliver appropriate instruction to each student. Student data should be used regularly to inform the instructor what should be taught and in what order. I often show my students the results of their data so we can discuss what needs to be done to see continuous progress.

Nicholas Alfred, Teacher

Lawn Avenue School, RI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Humorous, Engaging, Supportive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction ensures that everyone is learning what they need at a level that is appropriate to them. Having open communication with students about their data and setting goals helps keep them invested in their own learning.

TWITTER

Presley Seal, Teacher—Grade 1

Poplarville Lower Elementary, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Supportive, Exciting

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the core of effective instruction! I am able to use i-Ready Diagnostics, growth checks, individual student lessons, and other data to monitor student progress. With consistent data, I am able to successfully differentiate student instruction and better meet the needs of each of my students.

INSTAGRAM

Raheem Robinson, Teacher—Mathematics

Whittemore Park Middle School, SC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Relationship, Synergy, Purpose

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that a person's teaching method/style should be based on data. Fortunately, i-Ready has given me plethora forms of data to receive insight concerning my students in the end results in students receiving personalized education.

INSTAGRAM

Rita Chavira.

Rita Chavira, Teacher

Desert View Elementary, NM

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Respect, Inclusion, Encouragement

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Collect, analyze, act! i-Ready is wonderful as it groups students based on need. I collect this information, analyze it, and act according to students' needs.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Samantha Monroe, Teacher—Grade 3

Brighton Avenue School, NJ

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Rigorous, but fun.

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Within my classroom, I believe that students are much more successful and show a significant amount of growth when I am able to recognize and instruct students based on their individual levels and needs. Students are also given the responsibility to monitor their progress, struggles, and achievements in all areas of their learning through self-monitoring charts (e.g., i-Ready lessons, i-Ready growth, math lessons, etc.)

INSTAGRAM

Sarah Barthel.

Sarah Barthel, Teacher—Grade 5

Beiger Elementary School, IN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, High Expectations, Safe and Inclusive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
It is very important that students have ownership of personal learning and growth by monitoring Teacher-Assigned Lessons, end-of-lesson quizzes, and Standards Mastery pre- and post-tests. Standards Mastery tests are used by our Grade 5 team to remediate and challenge our students once a concept has been covered. We love viewing our growth reports! With my support, students are able to see their scores and chart personal growth. This is very exciting and motivating for them to see!

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Steven Spoljaric, Teacher—Mathematics

Bayless Junior High, MO

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Mistakes are cool!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
This is where you are now, this is what you have done, this is where you need to get to later. What are you going to do between now and later?

TWITTER

Taylor Wheatley.

Taylor Wheatley, General Educator—Mathematics

Kirksville Elementary, KY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trust, Enthusiastic, Engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction can be broken down into two parts: the initial data collection that shows where the students are initially or even where some students think they are/belong and the data that you, as the teacher, know that the students can reach or achieve. When students take the first i-Ready Diagnostic, it provides insightful data to pull from when forming Tier 2 or 3 groups, but it can also be a substantial motivator for students to buy into your instruction and help push themselves to reach our classroom and/or individual goals.

TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Inspire Award

Curriculum Associates Inspire Award
Kiana Pendleton, Principal
Laurel Magnet School of Arts, Stewart M. Jones Campus, MS

Kiana was selected as an exemplar of the strong bonds with school-based visionaries who take i‑Ready to its highest heights in their work.

Class of 2022

Photo of Deborah Kean.

Deborah Kean, Teacher—Grade 1

Walnut Grove Elementary School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Supportive, Family

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.

Analyze! Analyze! Analyze! The i-Ready program provides reports that let me know the students' on-grade level strength areas and below-grade level struggle areas, so  I can assign Personalized Instruction in the program and during my whole class/small group lessons.

Jessica K. Medley, Teacher—Grade 8 Mathematics

South Girard School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Purposeful, Engaging, Dynamic

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect. My greatest fear is for students to be practicing a standard independently, incorrectly.  Through the use of the i-Ready data, the i-Ready individualized learning path, daily formative assessments, and intensive item analysis from classroom assessments, I am able to target specific standards with specific students in an attempt to prevent poor practice from occurring.

TWITTER

TaShara Caldwell, Teacher—Grade 5

Chalkville Elementary, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Growth Mindset, Driven, Student Centered

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that data drives instruction. I use i-Ready data to help drive my instruction particularly in small groups, intervention, and review sessions. i-Ready data makes me more aware of the gaps in my students' learning so I may address those specific needs.

INSTAGRAM

Photo of Blakely Howell.

Blakely L. Howell, Teacher—Grade 5 Mathematics

Southwest Middle School, AR

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Nurturing, Challenging, Encouraging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use the data from i-Ready My Path, the Diagnostic tests, and students' grades to form my Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention groups. The students who are receiving these interventions are monitored using the data from the i-Ready Standards Mastery assessments and the i-Ready Growth Monitoring assessments (Tier 3 only).

Angela Keierleber, Teacher

U.S. Grant Elementary, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Growth, Kindness, Fun

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction allows for targeted lessons that advance student learning. 

TWITTER

Baylee Gerges, Teacher—Grade 4

Boulder Ridge Elementary, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Student Leaders, Proactive, Welcoming

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is an approach that I use to inform my teaching. Through use of my professional learning community, I collaborate with other instructors on best practices.

INSTAGRAM

Lisa Liptak, Teacher—Grade 1

Annie Fisher STEM, CT

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Positive, Engaging, Happy

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My sole purpose as an educator is to ensure that every student learns. By gathering and using the information that I collect, I am able to distinguish what a student has learned and what still needs to be learned. I use data to drive my instruction, fill in the gaps, and determine my next steps for instruction. The i-Ready program helps me see patterns in what kids are not understanding and individualize instruction. i-Ready has made it easier for me to dig deeper into my students' data and use it to ensure my students are receiving instruction at their academic level. Using data-driven instruction enables me to see what my students know, where the gaps are, and where I can adjust my instruction to meet their needs.

TWITTER

Georgianna Castellano, Teacher—Grade 3

B.C. Graham Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
We will SHINE!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Without data, it would be IMPOSSIBLE  to effectively plan lessons and be able to teach my students each day. Each of my students arrive in my classroom with different needs and abilities, so it is my responsibility to find out what they know, what they need, and how to help them to be successful and SHINE (Success Happens in Everyone) in all they do.

TWITTER

Photo of Daniella Parra.

Daniella Parra, Teacher—Grade 3 Mathematics

Aventura Waterways K–8 Center, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Safe, Encouraging, Engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
An administrator once said in a meeting, "Data by itself is useless. Data is only useful if you apply it." That stuck with me and is what guides me to make the best, most efficient use of data. i-Ready reports are awesome because of their very specific, detailed way of breaking down the student's strengths and struggles.

Photo of Jillian Johnson.

Jillian D. Johnson, Teacher

Andover Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
innovative, balanced, supportive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Instruction that is designed and customized to the learner's needs is essential for classroom success. The data collected from i-Ready is wonderfully accessible and effective in planning such instruction.

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Regina Hewlett Norman, Teacher

Liberty Point Elementary, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Collaborative, Engaging, Rigorous

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using my i-Ready data allows me to meet the individual needs of my students. I am able to teach students in small groups using the scaffolded lessons as well as assign lessons to specific students based on their instructional needs.

TWITTER

Kerri L. Coleman-Benton, Teacher

Stonewall Tell Elementary, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Organized, Data Driven

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I allow the data to drive my instruction. Based on the student's scores, I understand what I must teach and how it should be delivered to my students individually.

TWITTER

Photo of Corey Friis.

Corey Friis, Teacher—Grade 5

Mullan Trail Elementary, ID

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Relationships, Inquiry, Joy

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
If I don't know what students know, I cannot help them grow. Taking the time for myself to understand the data and communicate it to students makes us all stronger.

Photo of Benay Walker.

Benay Walker, Teacher—Special Education

Franklin Jefferson Special Education District, IL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
All kids can!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the heartbeat of my classroom!  As a special education teacher in a communication disorder classroom, I continually assess, analyze, and act. I collect and utilize multiple forms of data daily on every student in a unique way to guide further instruction and make informed decisions to propel each student to be the best version of themselves. i-Ready data is the foundation of ALL of my reading and math IEP goals.

Amy Penrod Spears, Teacher—Grade 8 Mathematics

Alton Middle School, IL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Student Focused, Fair

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My instruction is always better when driven by student data. Because of my i-Ready Diagnostic scores, I know exactly what content I need to revisit before teaching new material.

INSTAGRAM

Jennifer Pastor, Teacher

Tioga Elementary School, LA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Encouraging, Persistent

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Figuring out the "why" and "how" from data is key to using data-driven instruction to improve classroom teaching. My students and I take full advantage of i-Ready's collection of differentiated resources such as the built-in Center Activities, Enrichment Activities, Interactive Tutorials, Personalized Instruction, and Interactive Practice, based on the needs of individual students.

INSTAGRAM

Photo of Kate Mattoon.

Kate Mattoon, Teacher

St. Cecilia School and Academy, MO

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Community Driven, Student Centered, Rigorous

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Every student deserves to be engaged with rigorous content scaffolded in a way that is appropriate for their current skill level and prior knowledge. Collecting data on student learning is essential to providing students just-right learning experiences. Without data, planning and teaching is little more than a guessing game about what students already know and what they need to learn.

Photo of Liska Wallace.

Liska Wallace, Teacher—Grade 7 Mathematics

Middle School of Poplarville, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trusting, Engaging,  Honest

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the engine that drives instruction. Student achievement is increased when valid data is interpreted to use when making instructional decisions.

Photo of Matthew Lambert.

Matthew Lambert, Teacher—Grade 5 ELA

Bell Academy, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Together we learn.

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
In my classroom, I hold all students to a high level of expectation. However, not all students are on the same level. I use the data that is collected using Diagnostic assessments to set individual goals for students based on their performance levels.

Photo of Becki Cope.

Becki Cope, Teacher—Grade K

Pleasant Hill Elementary School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Structured, Collaborative, Engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
 I use data to teach, reteach, reinforce, and enrich lessons based on student data. Student groups are fluid and change as data I receive changes.

Sharicka Gray, Teacher

Fairview Elementary School District, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Open Minded, Fun, Engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Be intentional, get a goal, and don't forget to reflect." You have to be intentional with your instruction, set a goal to know where you are going, and reflect on growth and necessary changes along the way.

INSTAGRAM

Rachael Jones, Teacher—Grade 7 Mathematics

Andrews Middle School, NC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Rigorous relationship driven!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is the core of my teaching. I use i-Ready to help inform my daily lessons for whole class and small group. The reports are amazing and so helpful!

INSTAGRAM

Photo of Tracy Seitz.

Tracy Seitz, Teacher—Grade 4

Washington Street Elementary, NJ

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Be brave! (I know it is only two words, but it really is how we approach our day.)

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
If it will improve student performance in my classroom, then the data is valuable. Data-driven instruction is supported by the i-Ready platform and allows me to meet my students where they are.

Photo of Jennifer Seitz.

Jennifer Seitz, Teacher—Special Education

Yorkship Elementary School, NJ

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is used to inform instruction. Without data, where would I go?  How would I teach?

Kimberly P. Rudolph, Teacher—Mathematics

Baldwin Middle School, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Welcoming, Challenging, Active

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is one piece of the puzzle to effectively drive instruction. I use the data and my own observations to design my lessons.

TWITTER

Hanna Grayson, Teacher—ELA

IS 318, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Rigorous, Fun, Supportive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data must drive instruction. i-Ready is so effective because it gives us a well-defined roadmap to lead our students on the path to success.

TWITTER

Gina Mastrogiacomo, Teacher

Public School 174, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Purposeful, Engaging, Dynamic

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is, "It all begins with the data." Every year I use the initial i-Ready Diagnostic not only to assess the strengths and weaknesses of my students, but also to plan my instruction moving forward.

TWITTER

Brianna Lugibihl, Teacher—Grade 5 ELA and Social Studies

Liberty Arts Magnet, OH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Engaging, Student Driven, Resilient

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is data only drives instruction when students are driving with us. Instruction is truly driven when students know where they are and know the next steps to achieve mastery, have a say in how they grow, chart their growth, and celebrate successes both individually and as a full class.

INSTAGRAM

Valerie Hitchings, Teacher—Grade K

Ridgedale Elementary School, OH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Inviting, Encouraging, Positive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Every student enters the classroom with a different skill set. I use i-Ready data, as well as data from other programs that we use in our classroom, to drive my instruction to ensure that each student is receiving the level of learning that they specifically need.

INSTAGRAM

Megan Geise, Teacher—Grade 2; K–2 Mathematics Department Lead

Danville Primary School, PA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Positive, Safe, Inclusive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
i-Ready data drives my instruction. I look for trends in the data to help plan my whole class lessons and look at individual scores to help form small, guided math groups.

INSTAGRAM

Demetria Smith, Teacher

Bethel Grove Elementary, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Students Learn from Mistakes, Student Engagement, Students Feel Safe

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
We as a class track and monitor our data. I believe that all students can show and maintain a level of growth despite their current learning levels. Students can show growth. Tracking data allows students to see how they are growing, which allows them to be aware of their individual progress.

INSTAGRAM

Mackenzie Leding Reed, Teacher—Grade 5 Mathematics and Science

Cane Ridge Elementary, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Perseverance, Engaging, Understanding

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction helps guide teaching and learning. This instruction helps teachers know where students are and meets them there on top of knowing what standards to refine and reinforce.

TWITTER

Sarah English, Teacher—Grade 1

Monticello Elementary, UT

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Family, Laughter, Smiles

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data describes a moment in time, it’s not a whole kid. I use i-Ready beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year data to see how my kids have learned, to see where their holes are, to help me understand where they are at that moment.

INSTAGRAM

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Tanya King, Teacher—Grade 6 Mathematics

Beverly, WA

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I am the captain of this ship and you are the crew—my job is to guide us, your job is to take us there. Knowledge + Control = Power! Sharing Diagnostic data with students and constructing a plan to grow based on said data provides students with the knowledge of where they are on the standards. Having them co-create the plan for growth gives them control over their learning. This results in students feeling empowered to construct their learning.

Zachary David Pfrimmer, Teacher

Liberty Elementary School, WA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Growth Mindset, Family

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is one starting point to guide instruction for academic needs. However, it is only valuable if it is actionable, consistently collected, and actually used to guide instruction.

TWITTER

Class of 2021

Brandi Adam, Instructional Coach/Teacher

Red Bank Elementary School, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
motivated, fun, family

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
A student's education is one of the most valuable tools they will ever be given, so instructional decisions should not be based on what someone merely thinks or believes. Something as valuable as education should be based on FACTS that we KNOW, therefore the use of data to drive instruction is imperative to ensure a quality learning experience.

Twitter

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Mackenzie Adams, Teacher—Grade K

Glenwood Elementary School, WA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
welcoming, uplifting, teamwork

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data can show a teacher a multitude of learning, whether it is how individual students are progressing or how a whole class is performing. Breaking down data can show areas of growth and area of success.

Amanda Arevalo, Teacher

Discovery Elementary School, ID

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
loving, focused, dedicated

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Students need to be involved with their own data. When students can see where they're at, what they need to learn, and where they're going next, they are more likely to try and go above and beyond those goals than when they're given a worksheet with no concept of the "why" behind it.

INSTAGRAM

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Vonda Ashley, Math Teacher

Winterboro High School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
structured, task-oriented, collaborative

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is an important tool in determining next steps for instructional planning and setting goals. Data chats, goal setting, and feedback help students take ownership of their data and monitor their progress.

Andrea L. Baney, Teacher—Grade 4

Liberty Valley Intermediate School, PA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Empowering driven leaders

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction continuously takes place in my guided math classroom. I use PSSAs and i-Ready data to ensure my students are receiving instruction at their academic level by providing fluid small groups that meet each child's needs.

INSTAGRAM

Anne E. Barbour, Teacher—Grade 3

Metcalf School, RI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
exciting, busy, engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data drives the instruction in my classroom! My motto is called, "Analyze, strategize, act!" Using the data I collect from i-Ready helps me form RTI groups, gives me next steps for instruction when tutoring, and shows me how to push kids ahead on their learning path.

Twitter

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Courtney Barondeau, Teacher—Grade 4

Frontier Valley Elementary School, CO

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, focused, encouraging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
i-Ready has made it easy for me to dig deep into my students' data and individualize instruction in a way I didn't know was possible before we started using these assessments. I believe that being able to meet my students where they are at and work with them to achieve their goals has made all the difference in their education and my growth as a professional.

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Shaia Belt, Teacher

Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS, DC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
high energy, loving, competitive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My number one rule to learning is to know yourself. I share all my data with the scholars. As soon as they are finished with their growth checks, they are eager to hear and know their areas of growth. This motivates them to perform better on their weekly lessons and monthly growth checks.

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Frinzetta Boman, Teacher

Leinkauf Elementary School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
innovative, nurturing, imaginative

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the starting point, not the end. Therefore, it will drive and guide my instruction.

Curriculum Associates Inspire Award
Elizabeth Neuendorff, Instructional Coach
Jacksonville, NC

Elizabeth was selected as an exemplar of the strong bonds with school-based visionaries who take i‑Ready to its highest heights in their work.

How did you take your work in the classroom and apply it to your district role?
I was the sixth grade math lead at HCMS in the 2019–2020 school year.  While in this role, I led campus-level and district-level professional development in regards to mathematics instruction.  In the 2020–2021 school year, I was given the opportunity to further my leadership role by becoming an Instructional Coach.  While in this role, I have already led professional development and provided coaching cycles to teachers.

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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Ryan Booth, Math Teacher—Middle School

Agnes Stewart Middle School, OR

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
collaborative, challenging, community

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction focuses on teaching students what you want them to learn from where they are at currently. It's all about meeting the students where they are, and i‑Ready helps me assess that really quickly and efficiently.

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April Bridges, Teacher—Grade 4

Pinnacle Classical Academy, NC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Believe you can!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is an invaluable tool in determining what can further enhance cognitive development of students. I am quite sure there are certain anomalies with data, but in the long haul, it has surely driven me the distance in all my years of studying data to drive my instruction.

Jamie Cooper, Reading Teacher

Singing River Academy, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
patient, caring, understanding

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I use i-Ready data to drive instruction. I will look at this data and determine my students' needs. The data provides me with an overview of what my students know at that time. I am able to pinpoint what they specifically need from there.

INSTAGRAM

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Emily Cortes, Math and Science Teacher—Grade 5

Oak Park Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
inclusive, whole-hearted, journey

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My principal's motto is, "Everyone learns every day." Our students deserve instruction that is designed to meet their needs and will catapult them toward reaching their greatest potential. i-Ready is a tool that provides data specific to the individual with resources and solutions available to close achievement gaps.

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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Mariette Dargan, Teacher

Lamar-Milledge Elementary School, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
exciting, academically challenging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction helps me see where I need to apply more focus. For example, if my students are higher in phonics and low in comprehension, I will be able to apply more attention to comprehension.

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Meagan Davis, Teacher

Park Place Middle School, WA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, collaborating, empowering

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Effective analysis of data must drive instruction and inform planning and assessment! Monitoring students' growth—Stretch Growth® has been particularly encouraging for my struggling readers!—and progress on Lesson Quizzes has allowed me to successfully intervene.

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Michael DeRiggi, Teacher—Grade 5

North Dover Elementary School, NJ

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Trust your mind.

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
It is pretty simple—the data i‑Ready provides makes small group and individual lessons more effective. The Prerequisite Lessons are also an effective tool.

Julie Dossantos, Teacher

Glendale Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Practice makes progress!

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Our classroom motto is, "Practice makes progress." I apply that to all areas of my classroom, including providing data-driven instruction.

Twitter

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Joe Flick, Math Specialist

Brook Avenue School, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
We learn together.

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
As an educator, even before data-driven instruction was all the buzz, I was and still am continuing to monitor output from my students—whether it be formative or summative—and let that guide where I need to go next. I am the navigator and my students are the drivers on the road to higher mathematics.

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

Marine Freibrun, Teacher—Grade 5

East Canyon Elementary School, ID

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, community, relationships

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I always try to plan with the end in mind. I look at what standards my students will be assessed on at the end of a unit, or even just one week of study, and ensure that they're prepared for the outcome. Data-driven instruction gives us as teachers the tools to monitor student progress and show a progression toward mastery while celebrating student success.

INSTAGRAM

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Melinda Geer, Teacher—Grade 3

Glenwood Elementary School, MI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, safe, hardworking

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction leads to effective teaching, resulting in higher student achievement. When we are able to see what our students know and where the gaps are, then we can adjust our instruction to meet the students' needs.

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER

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Shalini Jayawardana, M.Ed., NBCT, Certified Teacher—Grade 3

Holbrook Language Academy, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
progress, connection, mastery

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Closing achievement gaps through the use of programs like i‑Ready involves tools that use research and data to improve my practice and celebrate accomplishments!

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Jennifer Sharlene Kidd, Teacher—Grade 1

Straub Elementary School, KY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
exciting, rigorous, family

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto on data-driven instruction is simple. A teacher must use his/her formative, summative assessments to drive the instruction for the whole group and for each individual child. By using the data that is given from the i-Ready Assessment and Growth Monitoring, you teach exactly what it tells you each child needs. Success will happen.

Lindsey King, Teacher—Grade K

New Prospect Elementary School, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
loving, celebratory, growing

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Instruction must be driven by accurate and applicable data. Data from Common Formative Assessments, i‑Ready, and Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills are then used to create groups to reteach, support, and challenge students.

Twitter

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Eris Knott, Teacher

Woodley Elementary School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
cool, calm, collected

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
In order for me to know where to go, I need to look at my data map. My data map will lead me in the right direction for each child specifically.

Jason Lagpacan, Teacher

Pearl City Elementary School, HI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
family, choosing love, resilient

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction: Data is black and white. Analyze the data, create your action plan, implement your action plan, assess your plan, review results, and repeat.

Twitter

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Krista Matrishon, Teacher—Grade 1

Hillcrest Elementary School, MA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, fun, engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Using data to drive my instruction helps me home in on where students need the most help. It allows me to pinpoint their lessons and practice to move them along in their learning.

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Trifon Perges, Special Education Teacher

Suitland Elementary School, MD

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positively interactive, engaged classroom

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I have found nothing quite as influential to my practice as using data to drive instruction. Collecting student data throughout the school year to understand how students are learning and what skills they have mastered allows me to cater to the individual needs of my kids and recognize skill and learning gaps that may exist.

Suzanne Pleskin, Teacher

Palmetto Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, involved, accepting

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
When I use data to drive my decisions and plans, I am able to respond to problems more effectively, construct new teaching methods, and advance skill sets faster.

Twitter

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Tracie M. Porter, Teacher

Holden School, LA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
Mistakes cause learning.

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction is like a map. I tell my students when we do data talks that even though we start at different places (i.e., scores/levels) on the map, our goal is to move in the right direction to get where we are going. As a teacher, it shows me not only where the student starts but what needs to be focused on along the journey.

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David Quintero, Teacher—Grade 4

Mary Chapa Academy, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
kind, compassionate, progressive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Consistency, concern, conferencing, and intervention raise pride in achievement.

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Felita R. Reed, Literacy Specialist

Central High School, AR

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
collaboration, respect, high expectations

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that data-driven instruction allows educators to deliver tailored instruction with a laser focus designed to meet the diverse learning needs of our students. The instruction is tailor-made for each student.

Ronald Robertson, Teacher

J.H.S. 383 Philippa Schuyler, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, welcoming, productive

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data drives instruction. I’ve used i-Ready to improve student growth after taking Diagnostic tests to ensure that students are logging in and working on the enrichment lessons or scaffolding lessons. Students are conferenced with regularly to monitor their growth and discuss next steps based on live data collected.

Twitter

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Ann McCall Salway, Teacher—Grade 3

Abner Creek Academy, SC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
inviting, challenging, engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"Data leads the way" is my motto for data-driven instruction. Based on information gathered from formative and summative data, I plan differentiated lessons geared toward those who need remediation and those who need enrichment.

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Candace Leigh Sanders, Math and Science Teacher—Grade 6

Halls Elementary School, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
focused, engaged, caring

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
This year of all years, each second of instruction time is sacred because one cannot guarantee tomorrow’s in-person learning. Through the use of data-driven instruction provided by i‑Ready components like the Diagnostic test, Lesson Quizzes, Unit Assessments, and Quick Checks, I am able to provide my students with effective instruction based on the needs of the students.

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Ashley Powell Schneider, GT Teacher—Grade 5

Pritchardville Elementary School, SC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, organized, differentiated

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe that the strongest way to reach students and make the most growth is by using the data on individual students. When looking at i‑Ready and other data, I am able to have students grow from that point and work with them to have their instruction grow and stay engaged, as the material is right where they need it to be.

Tracy Senf, Teacher—Grade 2

Outley Elementary School, TX

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, happy, differentiated

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
I believe data-driven instruction should provide a clear, goal-driven instructional path for each student. I believe data should also provide measurable instructional goals that i‑Ready provides when it pinpoints exactly what the child knows and what they need to learn. The use of i‑Ready's groupings is perfect for providing focused instructional interventions.

Twitter

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Crystal Strong, Elementary Teacher

Andrea B. Williams Elementary School, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, higher-learning, fun

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data drives instruction! Data from i‑Ready plays a huge part in how I differentiate and remediate my instruction. i‑Ready data breaks down learning targets for whole group and individualized instruction, which is very essential when you are developing lesson plans for whole group and small group instruction. If I don't have data, then I don't have growth/progress.

Paul Tarasevich, English Teacher

Martin Middle School, RI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, student-led, and focus on learning

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
i-Ready data gives us a checkpoint of how are our students are performing. Then we can plan instruction based on these results.

Twitter

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Megan Tegerdine, Special Education Teacher

Ackerman School, MO

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
leadership, community, voice

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
My motto for data-driven instruction is, "Without data, it won't matter." Data should be collected and used daily in order to inform our teaching practices and best support student learning.

Shane Twamley, Language Arts Teacher

Kraemer Middle School, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
rigorous, relevant, relational

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data-driven instruction gives my students solid, unbiased information that allows us to target their needs and goals together. i‑Ready data allows me to adjust and adapt their instruction so each individual can achieve their own personal capacity.

INSTAGRAM

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Wayne Ulrich, Teacher/Coach

Long Beach Middle School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
energetic, engaged, high expectations

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
We have a common set of expectations for all of our students. However, the data from benchmark assessments, Standards Mastery, and the students' ILP guide the instructional process in my classroom.

Maria Vollrath, Teacher—Grade 3

Vineyards Elementary School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, motivating, engaging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
It is critical to analyze my students' performance on i‑Ready lessons, Diagnostic measures, Growth Monitoring, and Standards Mastery to make instructional decisions and groupings in my classroom. I use the Teacher Toolbox and Tools for Instruction resources for interventions, and I implement goal-setting paired with a Data Wall to track our individual and team goals for our i‑Ready and Standards Mastery each week and throughout the year.

Twitter

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Bobbi Voss, Teacher—Grade 1

Miriam McCarthy School, MA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
enthusiastic, engaging, encouraging

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
"First graders can do virtually anything!" We do hard things in first grade and practice with perseverance. Between the i‑Ready and Securly data points, I am able to confirm Time on Task, comprehension, and achievement. Additionally, I am able to communicate with the students and their adults—sharing their successes and areas of learning opportunities.

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Sarah Zeller, Math and Science Teacher—Grade 5

Strong Foundations Charter School, NH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
respectful, supportive, energized

Describe your motto on data-driven instruction. Consider how you use i‑Ready or other data.
Data is the basis for what I teach, when I teach it, and how I teach it. Every learner is different, and the more data points I can gather for each one of them, the better I am able to do my job as their teacher.

Class of 2020

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Cathy Anderson, Grade 4 Math Teacher

Thames Elementary School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, creative, respectful

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I am a firm believer that it is vital for students to own their data. Getting students to own their data occurs by having data chats and viewing their weekly progress. Students earn points at the end of the week for having their time (45 mins. and above) and making 100.

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Rose Becker, Grade 4 Teacher

Neinas Dual Language Learning Academy, MI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, goal-driven, fun

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
The iReady Mathematics 80 and Up club: During the week, students who score an 80% or higher write their name on an anchor chart in the classroom. On Friday, they receive one raffle ticket for each time they wrote their name.

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Anna Bone, Teacher

Boaz Elementary School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
focused, supportive, energetic

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I use Tier 1, Tier 2, and intervention small group instruction depending on need, daily Online Instruction in reading and mathematics, and student data chats regarding progress, growth, performance, and goal setting.

Megan Boyter, High Ability Teacher, Grades 4–6

Knapp Elementary School, IN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
motivated, innovative, collaborative

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I create a motivational system in which I have a garden of sunflowers under my front chalk board. Each flower stands for five lessons passed. The students each decorate a bee and a butterfly. As they pass their Reading and Mathematics iReady lessons, they get to move their bees and butterflies through the flowers.

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Kyle Cantrell, Grade 5 Math and Science Teacher

John Pittard Elementary School, TN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
teamwork, growth, purpose

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I have a data wall that I use to display Online Instruction data and total lessons passed for each class and to shout out students who are reaching their goal of 45 minutes on iReady and at least one lesson passed. This empowers students to take ownership of their data.

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Cynthia Chapman, Grade 5 Teacher

Elsie C. Johnson Elementary School, IL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
kind, determined, supportive

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
iReady growth folders; class goals; Friday celebrations for passing online lessons; certificates of 100%

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Carrie Claypool, i‑Ready Incentives Coordinator and Math Teacher

Lakeside Middle School, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
supportive, persistent, collaborative

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I have taken the lead role in coordinating and organizing the iReady incentives program. Our incentives program engages students with iReady by rewarding progress and achievement.

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Heather DeJordy, Grade 2 Teacher

Brophy Elementary School, MA

Describe your classroom culture in one word.
growth

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
iReady bucks: Classroom incentive program that allows students to not only gain praise for a job well done, but is also tangible motivation that can be exchanged for rewards. We have red iReady bucks that are earned through achieving 100% on a lesson and yellow iReady bucks that are earned through achieving an 80%–99% on a lesson.

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Larry Edward Duncan, Teacher

Hawkins Elementary School, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
supportive, student-centered, interactive

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I use the Teacher Toolbox to pull up the FUNNY interactive videos that go with each lesson. I LOVE how I can pull up their Standards Mastery test and go over it on the board with common misconceptions. I can sum this up by saying three words: iReady learning paths!

Curriculum Associates Inspire Award
Cari Stanley, Special Education Program Specialist
Etiwanda, CA

Cari was selected as an exemplar of the strong bonds with school-based visionaries who take i‑Ready to its highest heights in their work.

How did you take your work in the classroom and apply it to your district role?
I have been continuing the work in a different capacity—ensuring we have specialized programs for our students. We could not do the work that we are doing here without the use of the iReady Diagnostic. Our teachers feel empowered to adequately target instruction due to frequent reporting with data that aligns with every student’s individual needs. Therefore, we have seen a significant improvement in academic performance and self-efficacy.

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Megan Ford, Teacher

Flat Rock Middle School, NC

Describe your classroom culture in two words.
data-driven, differentiated

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Personalized seating based on needs in the classroom; Discussions about growth and goal setting; Small group instruction during classroom lessons

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Blakely Fore, Teacher

Popp's Ferry Elementary, MS

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, fun, interactive

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
They are engaged through classroom competitions (between each of my classes on who scored the highest on their Standards Mastery) and with growth stickers (students have these on their desks to show their growth goal for their next Diagnostic).

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Tricia Goodyear, Teacher

Farmersville Elementary School, IN

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
flexible, engaging, student-centered

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
My students participate in iReady incentive programs to help encourage them to achieve 80% or higher on lessons. For example, with iReady Madness, the students were put into brackets and competed for the highest growth percentage on the end-of-year Diagnostic.

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Sachiko Green, Teacher

Pelham Oaks Elementary School, AL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, diverse, supportive

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
We utilize the PowerPoint® in each session within the Teacher Toolbox in whole group (some parts are with a partner) or in small group (Try–Discuss–Connect). I use the reports to monitor progression and growth and/or to adjust my instruction.

Sandra Humphreys, Grade 7 Math Teacher

Haywood Middle School, TN

Describe your classroom culture in two words.
motivated, goal-oriented

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I begin each lesson with students working through the activities in the prerequisite videos. This is accomplished in whole group. Based on the students’ performance with the prerequisite videos, I either move into the lesson or check the progression chart to identify which lessons will help build students’ capacity for new learning and group students accordingly.

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Amanda Jane Kipnis, Specialized Academic Instruction Teacher

San Altos Elementary School, CA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
dynamic, meaningful, fun

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I use independent practice, one-on-one instruction, and whole group instruction/ discussion for certain lessons that tend to stump the whole class.

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Meghan Mayer, English Language Arts Teacher

Woodland Middle School, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
nurturing, energized, creative

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
We have weekly incentives where students receive school currency “paw cards” for each lesson they pass, as well as a 100s club where students receive special prizes when they pass at least five lessons with a 100% pass rate. We also have class parties that are leveled, so every week students earn a different part of their party. 

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Christi Moore, i‑Ready Reading Skills Plus Interventionist

Harold E. Winkler Middle School, NC

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
supportive, structured, student-driven

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Have students use the iReady tracker I have created to show the difference between completion and mastery. I also use iReady conferences to compare completed lessons to passed lessons, see the data, and have conversations with students.

Photo of Mindy Newell.

Mindy Newell, Grade 6 English Language Arts Teacher

Union Middle School, OH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
safe, engaging, rigorous

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Setting and tracking iReady goals; Completing iReady intervention lessons; Using Teacher Toolbox for instruction

Kathy Nguyen, Teacher

Outley Elementary School, TX

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
inviting, safe, understanding

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Students have a schedule during the math block period they get on iReady so they can reach their week’s goal of 30 minutes. Classroom incentives are given when students pass lessons. If the class passes a certain number of lessons, they are rewarded with a small class incentive.

Photo of Nelida Pagan.

Nelida Pagan, Teacher

P.S. 160—The Walt Disney Magnet STEAM School, NY

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, student-centered, collaborative

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Individual goal setting using iReady punch cards; Race to 100 lessons passed with 100% class challenge; Allowing students to complete iReady lessons for homework instead of traditional homework options

Lorraine Pascarella, Grade 6 Teacher

Elmcrest Elementary School, NY

Describe your classroom culture in one word.
safe

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Utilizing the Think–Share–Compare routine for students to explore new and unique strategies of mathematical thinking. This is the most beneficial time, as I love to highlight student mistakes as a learning experience and in a safe environment for students to understand common misconceptions in the mathematical world. 

Photo of Rebecca Ray.

Rebecca Ray, Grade 4 Teacher

Elbert County Elementary School, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
structured, friendly, consistent

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Individual lessons: Students who keep a 70% average and have good time each week get to play the Learning Games; Whole group: Work together on Teacher-Assigned Lessons with a watch, stop and discuss, apply technique.

Photo of Anna Redding.

Anna Redding, Grade 4 Teacher

George Welch Elementary School, LA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
positive, trusting, engaging

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Using the Guided Math approach in my classroom, I teach a small group of students with the Ready Instruction book along with the slides on the Teacher Toolbox, while the other group is engaged in an iReady lesson. When I am working with my small group, my students are engaged in productive math talk by using the Math Discourse Cards.

Photo of Alicia Renaud.

Alicia Renaud, Grade 3 Math Teacher

Drew Elementary School, LA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaged, intentional, energetic

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
The instructional routine, Think–Share– Compare, supports student engagement through whole group, small group, and independent activities. The Math Discourse Cards initiate student discussion, debate, and deeper mathematical thinking and reasoning. The online Interactive Tutorials are a fun and engaging way to give students additional support during free time or center time in my classroom.

Caitlin Robbie, Grade 3 Teacher

Benjamin Banneker Charter Public School, MA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, encouraging, rigorous

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I like to use iReady lessons to push students who are above grade level by giving them a fourth grade lesson on whatever third grade topic I am teaching. Differentiation is so much easier with iReady, and it certainly helps push students who are ready for a challenge.

Photo of Kimberly Robinson.

Kimberly Robinson, Teacher

Literacy Leadership Technology Academy, FL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
interactive, engaging, mindful

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Positive affirmations, step-by-step engagement with each lesson passed and failed, weekly reward systems (visit from Snargg), pictures with the iReady data board, and moving your stars as you pass your lessons

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Olivia Ruggirello, Grade K Teacher

Johnston Elementary School, GA

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
welcoming, exciting, nurturing

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I encourage students to meet the recommended 45 minutes a week with iReady. I eat lunch on Fridays with anyone who meets this goal. It has helped my students not only challenge themselves on iReady, but also build relationships in my classroom between myself and students and relationships between themselves.

Photo of Adam Schuch.

Adam Schuch, Grade K Teacher

Columbus Africentric Early College, OH

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
differentiated, independent, fun

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Students compete in the classroom and display their passed lessons on a sticker chart; Using iReady data, students are given mini-lessons to reinforce struggling areas; After a group has finished their weekly iReady time, the whole class celebrates each sticker earned together!

Photo of Tina Skukan.

Tina Skukan, Grade 1 Teacher

St. Hilary School, IL

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
engaging, safe, fun

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I use iReady during both reading and math centers. We also go to the computer lab once a week in order to work on some lessons.  Whenever we have extra time throughout the days, I allow the students to go on iReady.

Photo of Brook Marie Veldkamp.

Brook Marie Veldkamp, Grade K Teacher

Challenger Elementary School, MI

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
gritty, communal, empowering

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
I motivate students with fun and engaging iReady competitions. An iReady Rockstar chart is displayed in our classroom. Students who earn this award get their picture posted on the board.  We choose a variety of ways our students can receive this recognition to celebrate all learners.

Photo of Amy Wright.

Amy Wright, Teacher

Gus Garcia Young Men's Leadership Academy, TX

Describe your classroom culture in three words.
respectful, connected, focused

How do you engage students with iReady and/or Ready in your classroom?
Identify and remediate gaps in mathematical understanding that is foundational to the current year’s instruction. Refresh and extend students’ prior knowledge about a concept before beginning instruction. 

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