i-Ready Associated with Higher Reading and Math Achievement

Curriculum Associates today highlighted the publication of a new independent, peer-reviewed study from researchers at Georgia State University that found students using i-Ready demonstrated significantly greater achievement growth in both reading and mathematics than comparable peers. The study was published in the June 2026 issue of Online Learning and funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the independent research arm of the US Department of Education.

The study examined nearly 28,000 students across 131 schools over two school years and found that students who used i-Ready scored significantly higher on external standardized assessments in both mathematics and reading. Researchers estimated gains equivalent to approximately two additional weeks of instructional growth in mathematics and nearly three additional weeks in reading for a typical student.

"This study provides important independent evidence that when implemented thoughtfully and in partnership with educators, personalized learning tools like i-Ready can help students make meaningful academic progress," said Kelly Sia, CEO of Curriculum Associates. "We're especially encouraged to see the researchers find positive outcomes for students who have historically faced some of the greatest barriers to academic success. Curriculum Associates looks forward to continuing to partner with school districts across the country to thoughtfully and responsibly implement instructional solutions that lead to better student outcomes."

Among the study's most significant findings, researchers found particularly strong positive outcomes for Black students, students receiving free or reduced-price meals, male students, and students with disabilities. Students with disabilities experienced nearly eight additional weeks of mathematics growth and 14 additional weeks of reading growth associated with i-Ready use.

The researchers also found that students benefited most when teachers played an active role in implementation. Students whose teachers assigned lessons in addition to those automatically recommended by the platform experienced even stronger outcomes. According to the study, "students perform better when teachers monitor frequency of use and assign lessons strategically."

Those findings reinforce a core principle of Curriculum Associates' approach: technology should support great teaching, not replace it.

"For more than a decade, we've believed that educators should remain at the center of the learning experience," Sia said. "Tools like i-Ready are most effective when they help teachers better understand student needs, personalize instruction, and provide timely support."

The study also found that positive outcomes were associated with levels of use that align with Curriculum Associates' existing implementation guidance. Researchers identified benefits when students used i-Ready as recommended-approximately 30-49 minutes per subject per week, just a small fraction of overall instructional time.

This latest study builds on a broader research base on i-Ready of more than 50 published efficacy studies, including more than a dozen independent third-party evaluations, that have consistently found stronger reading and mathematics outcomes among students using i-Ready as recommended. Together, these studies span millions of students, thousands of schools and districts, and a wide range of student populations and learning environments across the country.

About Curriculum Associates

Curriculum Associates is a mission-driven company dedicated to making Grades K-12 classrooms better for more than 17 million students and one million educators nationwide. The company's connected suite of i-Ready^® solutions unites adaptive assessment, personalized instruction, and core curriculum in English language arts and mathematics-supported by expert professional learning and service teams-alongside Ellevation for multilingual learners and Stile Education^® for middle school science. Through its innovation hub, AI Labs, Curriculum Associates designs forward-looking technologies educators can trust. The company measures success by the impact it makes on student outcomes and is honored to support the extraordinary work of teachers every day.

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