CMS among just 5 Alabama schools to reach i-Ready learning stretch goals

CULLMAN, Ala. — Cullman Middle School reached an achievement only five other schools in Alabama could claim this year, hitting stretch goals on i-Ready lessons with at least 55 percent of students reaching stretch goals in their studies.

Cullman Middle School was one of five schools in Alabama, and just 172 schools nationwide, to earn the award. Having that many students meet their stretch goals shows CMS is effectively using i-Ready tools for student learning and achievement.

The i-Ready diagnostic is an adaptive assessment that pinpoints each student’s strengths and areas for growth in reading and math. Based on the results, i-Ready provides a personalized learning path with lessons tailored to individual needs. This approach helps teachers deliver targeted instruction, keeps students engaged at their own level, and supports measurable academic growth over time.

“The faculty, staff and students at CMS do a great job of making learning fun,” superintendent Kyle Kallhoff said. “This effort is best documented in their Alabama Comprehensive Assessment Program scores in math and ELA which are some of the highest in the state.”

The Cullman Middle School i-Ready Reading and Math Challenge was a schoolwide effort to motivate students to engage deeply in their personalized learning pathways and work toward meeting their i-Ready stretch growth goals. The challenge, which ran from March 3 through April 4, encouraged students to increase their time and effort in i-Ready while building a spirit of friendly competition among students.

“Each week, teachers tracked the total number of passed lessons in both subjects for each pod. Students continued to meet their regular weekly goal of passing one i-Ready reading and one math lesson, but this challenge added an exciting layer of motivation and teamwork,” Courtney Waters, who serves as West Elementary School’s assistant principal and coordinated the challenge, explained. “At the end of the challenge, the pod with the highest average number of passed lessons across reading and math earned a group reward, and the top reading and math students in each pod received gift cards in recognition of their outstanding effort. Through the initiative, students took greater ownership of their learning while celebrating growth and perseverance.”