Algebra readiness plays a critical role in shaping students’ academic and life trajectories. The purpose of this study was to understand how the combined and unique contributions of previous Mathematics domain performance are related to future overall mathematics performance, specifically algebra readiness. Student mathematics performance was tracked using data from the i-Ready Diagnostic between the 2020–2021 through 2022–2023 school years for five cohorts of students in Grades 2–6. Overall, this study found that for all cohorts, Mathematics domain placements in Year 1 (i.e., winter 2021) of the study were strongly related to overall mathematics scores in Year 3 (i.e., spring 2023). Further, we found that all domains are important for future algebra success, suggesting a holistic approach to teaching mathematics.
Jennifer (Jen) Sallman, Ph.D., is currently the managing director of research at Braven, where she articulates and executes a research agenda aimed at improving and validating Braven's model. Previously, she was the director of efficacy and implementation research at Curriculum Associates, where she managed a team of researchers examining the efficacy of Curriculum Associates products. She earned her doctorate from the Education Policy and Social Analysis Department at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also holds a master's in public administration, specializing in public policy analysis, from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service and a master's of science and bachelor's of science in organic chemistry from Emory University. Her passion for education reform was sparked by her experience teaching Grade 7 science in the South Bronx through the Teach for America program.
Jeffrey Yo, Ph.D, is a passionate researcher with a background in Grades K–12 education, having served as a middle school science teacher and education consultant. Currently, he works at Curriculum Associates (CA), where he evaluates the efficacy of CA's products, particularly in i-Ready Personalized Instruction and i-Ready Classroom Mathematics. Jeffrey earned a doctoral degree in education from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where his research focused on the influence of teachers' racial and ethnic identities on student academic and social development. He also holds a Master of Arts in education from UCLA and a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from the University of Chicago.
