The iReady test is a diagnostic designed to help teachers support students and create a “path of personalized instruction” for every learner, but I don’t think it really helps. I interviewed students at John Marshall High School, Eagle Rock High School, and Ramon C Cortines School of Visual & Performing Arts, to get their take on it.

I don’t believe that iReady testing is helping students as much as administration would like it to, and I don’t think results will get as high as administrators hope. I took the opportunity to ask my fellow classmates and friends who attend other LAUSD schools what they think of the test. Here are some sample responses:

• ‘I do not try on my iReady, really ever. The whole test feels pointless’ – Barrister (12th Grade)
• ‘I have never really studied for the iReady test because it feels like a waste of my time, especially with how much work I have to do, outside of testing.’ – Barrister (11th Grade)
• ‘No I don’t study for the iReady. I really don’t care about it.’ – Eagle Rock HS Student (11th Grade)
• ‘I definitely believe that the iReady test affects me negatively. It takes time out of my day that I would rather use to learn things that will improve my life.’ – VAPA student (12th Grade)

These results show me that even if the school is trying to make a “path of personalized instruction” as posted on their website, it will not affect the students; as majority of students don’t study, don’t, try, don’t put in effort, and feel it is a ‘waste of time’.

It appears that the goal of the iReady tests will never be met. I had an interview with Mr. Garcia, the testing coordinator, and Ms. Martinez, the PSA counselor both at Marshall. I wanted to get to the bottom of the school’s side of iReady testing. I want to know what the exact point of this testing is. I know a handful of students who skipped school specifically so they don’t have to take the iReady test. Is this a common occurrence during the length of iReady?

“No, it actually went up. The week prior to iReady we had 90.40% of students attending, during the week if iReady we had 92.18%” -Ms. Martinez

However, the week after iReady there were 128 students Monday, 134 Tuesday, 113 Wednesday, 97 Thursday, and 51 Friday who all came to makeup the iReady testing, according to Mr Garcia. This shows that a lot of people either went to school and just didn’t take it, and some stayed home.

I wanted to know what these tests are really for and Mr. Garcia said, ‘The iReady testing is to help to see where the school is, and how much our students are learning.’

Mr. Garcia also said that teachers at Marshall have the iReady test scores available to them. Teachers are able to use this data to help shape their lessons, and they should. Educators are able to see what their students need to improve in and what they’ve already mastered. My question is, how is this helping students if the test scores aren’t accurate? Students are using AI, Google, and just blatantly guessing on their tests. So I asked Mr. Roeder if he uses this data to aid his teaching.

“I do to an extent. I understand that these test scores aren’t very accurate, but I also know that some students do try. I use these test scores to see what my students are behind in.” – Mr Roeder

This backs up my question; if students do not try, and do not put in effort, is it really showing accurately where the school is and how much students are learning?

According to Mr. Garcia it’ll show the school where the students strengths and weaknesses are. It’ll help students get ahead of the game. Most teachers that I have personally experienced don’t even make sure that students are really trying on the iReady. This tells me that the results of iReady are completely off and won’t help administration the way they would like it to.

I think a healthy solution to this would be giving a test that students actually care about. Similar to the SAT, we could make the iReady test scores available that colleges could look at, and would aid them in selecting barristers into their college. Because of this, students wouldn’t find the test “pointless”.

I think this would lead the majority of students to genuinely try, giving schools an opportunity to bring their students to their full potential.