MDE approves programs as evidence-based academic interventions
The Mississippi Department of Education’s (MDE) Office of Student Intervention Services recently named a number of Curriculum Associates’ programs as approved academic interventions. Through this approval, which is valid until November 2025, schools across the state can confidently use i-Ready Assessment and Personalized Instruction, Ready Mississippi Reading and Mathematics, Teacher Toolbox for Ready Writing, and Phonics for Reading to support the academic needs of Tier II and Tier III students in Grades K–8.
“Addressing unfinished learning, especially for those students who need extra support, will be a top priority for all educators this coming school year,” said Rob Waldron, CEO of Curriculum Associates. “The recent approval from MDE reinforces the power of our evidence-based programs in supporting educators with this task of driving meaningful instruction, which will be key as they work to accelerate learning.”
The Office of Intervention Services supports educators and parents who are working with struggling learners, including English Learners. As part of the Office’s review of academic interventions, all approved programs had to be evidence based as well as demonstrate face-to-face, virtual, or hybrid learning components that help improve students’ deficit areas.
Today, more than 80 percent of Mississippi districts use Curriculum Associates’ flagship i-Ready program, Ready program, or both. i-Ready, which is used in total by 9.5 million students and 25 percent of all K–8 students in the United States, provides a complete picture of what each student can do and where they need the most support so educators can tailor their Tier II and Tier III instruction accordingly using the program’s actionable, in-the-moment lessons, student groupings, and Tools for Instruction.
The Science of Reading-aligned Tools for Instruction within i-Ready provides Mississippi educators with differentiated, teacher-led reading lessons that support unfinished learning across grade levels by meeting the needs of each student. Educators additionally have access to robust reports on individual student progress to further support explicit, systematic, and evidence-based literacy instruction.
“I am eternally grateful for i-Ready,” said Dr. Kiana Pendleton, principal of Laurel Magnet School of the Arts (LMSA) in the Laurel School District and MDE Administrator of the Year finalist. “At LMSA, we used i-Ready for effective Tier I instruction as well as for Tier II and Tier III interventions. For this reason, our school earned its first ‘A’ rating!”
To learn more about Curriculum Associates’ programs, visit www.CurriculumAssociates.com.
DeSoto County News Service
