i-Ready Typical Growth and Stretch Growth are two individualized goals that answer different questions. Typical Growth estimates the annual progress made, on average, by students who began at a similar level. Stretch Growth is a more ambitious target designed to place a student on a path toward grade-level proficiency—or support continued progress beyond proficiency. Both are useful, but they should never be treated as competing grades, fixed predictions, or labels of a child’s ability.
This distinction matters because a student can meet Typical Growth without meeting Stretch Growth, reach Stretch Growth while still working below grade level, or be on grade level before either annual target is complete. The correct interpretation depends on the student’s baseline, subject, grade, testing window, domain results, and the quality of evidence collected throughout the year.
Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, i-Ready Diagnostic is called i-Ready Inform. The name has changed, but the familiar growth framework remains part of the assessment and reporting experience. This guide uses “i-Ready” to cover reports carrying either name.
Typical Growth vs Stretch Growth: the quick answer
| Question | Typical Growth | Stretch Growth |
|---|---|---|
| What does it represent? | Average annual growth for students starting at a similar level | Growth needed to move toward grade-level proficiency or continue strong progress |
| How demanding is it? | Realistic and meaningful | Ambitious but intended to be attainable |
| Is it individualized? | Yes, from the starting score and context | Yes, from the starting score and path needed |
| Does meeting it equal grade level? | Not necessarily | Not necessarily in one year |
| Best use | Monitoring solid annual progress | Planning accelerated progress toward proficiency |
What does “growth” mean in i-Ready?
In i-Ready, growth means change on the assessment’s scale between administrations. A beginning-of-year assessment establishes a baseline. Later administrations provide new scale scores, and the difference shows how many points the student gained or lost. The report can then compare that observed change with individualized Typical Growth and Stretch Growth targets.
Growth is different from placement. Placement describes performance relative to grade-level expectations at a particular time. Growth describes movement from a starting point. A student can grow substantially and remain below grade level because the original gap was large. Another student can stay on grade level while making fewer scale-score gains because expected growth rates vary by starting level, grade, and subject.
Growth is also different from percentile rank. A percentile compares a score with a national sample of students in the same grade and season. A growth goal compares the student’s later performance with that student’s own baseline and individualized target. Mixing these concepts can produce misleading conclusions.
What is i-Ready Typical Growth?
Curriculum Associates defines Typical Growth as the average annual growth of students who begin at a similar level of proficiency. It is based on observed patterns from large numbers of i-Ready users rather than a single universal number. This is why two students in the same classroom can receive different Typical Growth targets.
Typical Growth answers: “What would a solid year of progress look like for a student who started here?” Meeting it is meaningful. It shows that the student made the kind of annual progress expected from comparable starting points. It should be celebrated, especially when the result is supported by classwork, domain improvement, and stronger independence.
However, “typical” does not mean minimum, guaranteed, easy, or average ability. A target is a planning benchmark, not a promise. Attendance, curriculum access, instruction, language development, disability supports, testing conditions, and many other factors influence observed progress. Students also develop unevenly: rapid improvement in one domain may occur beside slower change in another.
For a student already performing near or above grade-level expectations, Typical Growth may support continued forward movement. For a student substantially below grade level, Typical Growth can represent real learning but may not close the gap quickly enough. That second situation is one reason Stretch Growth exists.
What is i-Ready Stretch Growth?
Stretch Growth is an ambitious, individualized target intended to put a student on a path toward grade-level proficiency. It asks a different question: “How much progress would help this student move more quickly toward where they need to be?” For students already proficient, the framework can support continued strong progress rather than suggesting that growth should stop at grade level.
Stretch Growth is not simply an arbitrary high score or a fixed number of extra points added to Typical Growth. The target depends on the student’s beginning-of-year performance and the trajectory associated with reaching or maintaining proficiency. Consequently, targets differ across students, grades, subjects, and starting placements.
The word “stretch” should describe the goal, not the emotional pressure placed on a child. An ambitious target works best when adults pair high expectations with high support: grade-level instruction, explicit teaching of prerequisite skills, useful feedback, appropriate intervention, accessible materials, sufficient practice, and regular opportunities to show learning.
Stretch Growth is also not a pass-or-fail boundary. A student who reaches 80 percent of Stretch Growth may have made excellent progress even though the dashboard does not show 100 percent. A student who reaches 100 percent still needs teachers to review placement, domains, classroom evidence, and next steps. Percent-to-goal is informative, but it is not the entire learning story.
The most important differences
1. They use different reference questions
Typical Growth describes what students with similar starting performance have generally achieved over a year. Stretch Growth describes the progress associated with a more ambitious path toward proficiency. One is a realistic annual benchmark; the other expresses the accelerated trajectory the student may need.
2. Stretch Growth usually requires more progress
Because Stretch Growth is the more ambitious measure, its target is generally more demanding. The exact difference is not constant. Do not assume that Stretch Growth always means a particular percentage more than Typical Growth, and do not borrow another student’s target. Read the goals printed on the individual report.
3. Meeting either goal does not automatically define placement
A student who starts far below grade level may meet Stretch Growth and still require more than one year to reach proficiency. A student who begins on grade level can remain proficient without displaying the same number of points as a classmate who began lower. Growth and placement answer related but distinct questions.
4. Both goals should guide instruction
Typical Growth is not a “low expectations” goal, and Stretch Growth is not a slogan. Each is useful only when connected to what teachers and students will do: which domains receive attention, which grade-level tasks remain central, which scaffolds are needed, and how progress will be checked.
How are the targets calculated?
The precise model is proprietary, but Curriculum Associates explains that its growth measures are empirically derived from longitudinal data on millions of students. The beginning-of-year score is central because it identifies the student’s starting performance. Grade, subject, initial placement, and the timing of assessment help determine the personalized targets displayed in the report.
Targets are normally stated in scale-score points. Suppose a student begins Mathematics with a scale score of 470, receives a Typical Growth target of 22 points, and a Stretch Growth target of 35 points. These figures would imply year-end goal scores of 492 and 505. The numbers are illustrative only; real targets must come from the student’s report.
When the report displays percent of progress toward growth, the basic idea is to compare observed gains with the target. If that illustrative student later scores 487, the gain is 17 points. That represents about 77 percent of the 22-point Typical target and about 49 percent of the 35-point Stretch target. Schools should rely on the platform’s official calculation because testing windows, report rules, rounding, and local settings may affect what appears.
Three worked examples
Example 1: meeting Typical Growth but not Stretch Growth
Maya begins the year one grade level below in Reading. Her report lists 24 points for Typical Growth and 38 points for Stretch Growth. By spring, she gains 27 points. Maya has exceeded Typical Growth but has not yet reached Stretch Growth.
The correct response is not “she failed Stretch Growth.” Maya made more than a typical year of progress. Her team should celebrate that result, study which reading domains improved, identify the remaining distance to grade-level expectations, and decide whether current supports should continue or change. The unmet Stretch target signals that accelerated progress remains a useful priority; it does not erase what she achieved.
Example 2: meeting Stretch Growth while still below grade level
Daniel begins two or more grade levels below in Mathematics and makes 46 points of growth, enough to reach his Stretch target. His spring placement improves, but he remains one grade level below.
These results can both be true. Daniel followed an accelerated path and narrowed the gap, yet the original gap was too large to close in one school year. His Stretch result is strong evidence of progress. The next plan should preserve access to grade-level mathematics while continuing targeted work on the prerequisite domains that still limit success.
Example 3: on grade level without reaching a displayed growth goal
Aisha begins on grade level and remains on grade level in spring, but her scale-score gain falls short of Typical Growth. Her report deserves attention, not panic. The team should examine domains, class performance, engagement, attendance, and testing conditions. If daily work shows strong learning, one assessment result may understate progress. If several sources show a slowdown, teachers can respond early.
This example shows why placement, growth, and classroom evidence must be read together. Maintaining a label does not make growth irrelevant, while missing one target does not automatically establish a learning problem.
Can a student reach Stretch Growth without reaching Typical Growth?
Under the usual structure, Stretch Growth is the more ambitious target, so reaching it would ordinarily mean the student has also made enough progress to reach Typical Growth. If a report appears to show the opposite, first confirm that the same subject, baseline, student, school year, and testing windows are being compared. Also check whether one figure is a scale-score target and the other is a percentage or placement label.
Do not resolve an apparent contradiction by guessing. Ask the teacher or assessment administrator to open the exact report and explain each column. Report types and local configurations can differ.
Why can growth percentages change?
A growth percentage can rise or fall when a new assessment score is recorded. Assessment results are estimates of performance on a particular day, and scores can be affected by stress, fatigue, distraction, rushing, illness, the testing environment, or inappropriate assistance. A lower later score does not automatically mean a student lost everything previously learned.
Always confirm that the comparison uses the correct baseline. If a new school year begins, the report may establish new annual targets from a new beginning-of-year result. A student’s 60 percent of Stretch Growth from last year should not be compared directly with 60 percent in the new year as though the underlying targets were identical.
For a fuller explanation, read Why Did My i-Ready Score Go Down? and our step-by-step guide to reading an i-Ready report.
How parents can use Typical and Stretch Growth
Parents do not need to become testing experts. The goal is to turn the report into a calm, specific conversation. Begin with a strength: a domain that improved, a goal reached, or better independence. Then ask which skill would create the greatest next benefit. A focused plan is more useful than telling a child to “raise the whole score.”
- Confirm the baseline. Note the beginning score, date, subject, grade, and placement.
- Write down both targets. Keep Typical and Stretch Growth separate.
- Check observed growth. Compare the latest score with the same-year baseline.
- Review domains. Look for the skill areas driving progress or difficulty.
- Ask about classroom evidence. Find out whether assignments and teacher observations tell the same story.
- Choose one manageable action. Use brief, targeted practice rather than long generic worksheets.
- Agree on a review date. Progress conversations should happen throughout the year, not only after the final assessment.
Use encouraging language. “You have completed 70 percent of an ambitious goal” is more accurate and motivating than “You are only at 70 percent.” Avoid rewards or punishments based solely on a test score. Students control their effort and strategies more directly than they control a particular scale-score outcome.
How teachers can use the two goals
For teachers, the growth targets are most valuable when paired with domain information and grade-level curriculum. A student who is below grade level should not spend the entire day on below-grade worksheets. Strong intervention addresses prerequisite gaps while maintaining access to meaningful grade-level content.
Start by grouping students according to specific instructional needs rather than using one permanent “low,” “middle,” or “high” group. Two students with the same placement may have different domain profiles. One may need support with phonics while another needs comprehension; one may need number sense while another needs algebraic reasoning.
Translate the annual target into shorter instructional cycles. Decide what evidence should improve over the next four to six weeks: accuracy with a skill, successful use of a strategy, performance on curriculum-aligned tasks, or increased independence. Brief checkpoints make it possible to adjust teaching before the next major i-Ready administration.
During data conversations, explain all three layers: current placement, growth made, and next instructional action. This prevents two common errors—celebrating growth without addressing a remaining gap, or focusing so heavily on the gap that students cannot see their progress.
Common interpretation mistakes
Mistake 1: treating Typical Growth as a ceiling
Typical Growth is a benchmark, not a stopping point. Students can exceed it, and instruction should continue to respond to their needs.
Mistake 2: treating Stretch Growth as mandatory perfection
Stretch Growth is intentionally ambitious. Progress toward it matters even when the student does not reach 100 percent. Use it to organize support, not to shame students or evaluate one teacher in isolation.
Mistake 3: comparing targets between children
The goals are individualized. A larger point target does not mean a student is smarter, weaker, or working harder. It reflects a different starting point and trajectory.
Mistake 4: confusing growth with grade-level proficiency
A student can grow and remain below grade level, or remain proficient without a dramatic point increase. Report both dimensions.
Mistake 5: using one test as the complete decision
Combine i-Ready with classroom work, curriculum-based measures, teacher observations, student explanations, and relevant language or accessibility information. High-stakes decisions require broader evidence and local policy.
What does the research say?
Curriculum Associates reports that the growth model was developed from longitudinal, multiyear data on millions of students. Its research describes Typical Growth as average annual growth among students beginning at a similar proficiency level and Stretch Growth as the amount needed to move toward grade-level proficiency.
In one company-reported analysis of more than 200,000 students who met Stretch Growth in Reading and Mathematics for two consecutive years, 79 percent were proficient by the end of the second year and 94 percent could access grade-level instruction. These results support the target’s use as a pathway indicator, but they should not be read as a guarantee for an individual student. The analysis is observational, implementation differs among schools, and learning outcomes depend on many conditions beyond a growth target.
Another Curriculum Associates study found that consistent use of i-Ready Personalized Instruction was associated with greater progress toward Stretch Growth. Association is not the same as proof that software use alone caused the improvement. Effective use includes appropriate placement, active teaching, feedback, engagement, and alignment with a broader instructional plan.
A practical growth-plan template
A useful plan fits on one page and stays connected to instruction. Record the baseline score and placement, Typical Growth target, Stretch Growth target, strongest domain, priority domain, classroom evidence, support strategy, and review date. Add a brief note about test conditions so unusual circumstances are not forgotten later.
For the priority skill, define what success will look like outside i-Ready. In Reading, that might be accurately decoding a pattern in connected text or explaining evidence from a passage. In Mathematics, it might be representing a problem in two ways and justifying the solution. These observable outcomes keep the plan focused on learning rather than chasing points.
At each review, ask three questions: What improved? What evidence supports that conclusion? What should change next? Keep successful supports, adjust what is not working, and avoid repeatedly retesting simply to obtain a preferred number.
How to talk with students about growth goals
A productive student conversation begins with purpose: the goals help adults choose useful instruction; they do not rank a child’s worth. Show the starting point and the progress made before discussing what remains. Students are more likely to engage when they can see evidence that their strategies produced improvement.
Translate the annual number into behaviors the student can control. Instead of saying, “You need 18 more points,” agree on actions such as explaining reasoning, rereading confusing passages, checking answers, completing assigned practice carefully, asking for clarification, or using feedback on the next task. Connect each action to a specific domain so the plan feels concrete.
Keep the tone ambitious and emotionally safe. A helpful message is: “This is a challenging goal, and we will give you the teaching and practice needed to work toward it.” Avoid public score charts that reveal individual results, comparisons with siblings or classmates, and language suggesting that a child who misses Stretch Growth disappointed the adults.
When a goal is reached, celebrate the learning behind it: persistence, better strategies, improved attendance, stronger fluency, or successful use of support. Then set the next skill goal. When it is not reached, treat the result as feedback. Ask what worked, what barriers appeared, and which part of the plan needs revision.
When does growth data require a closer review?
One missed target is not automatically a crisis. Request a closer review when limited growth repeats across multiple windows, appears in classroom work, or occurs alongside concerns about attendance, hearing, vision, language access, emotional wellbeing, or access to appropriate instruction. The same applies when a dramatic score increase conflicts with daily performance; unusual testing conditions or assistance may have affected the result.
A review should examine opportunity to learn as well as student performance. Was grade-level content taught? Were interventions delivered frequently and as designed? Did the student receive required accommodations? Was instruction matched to the domain need? Did progress checks occur soon enough to change the plan? These questions prevent adults from placing all responsibility on the learner.
If several reliable measures show persistent difficulty despite well-implemented support, the school may consider additional screening, intervention, or evaluation under its local procedures. i-Ready can contribute useful evidence, but it should not be the sole basis for diagnosing a disability, retaining a student, changing placement, or making another high-stakes decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is Typical Growth good?
Yes. Meeting Typical Growth represents meaningful annual progress relative to students who started at a similar level. Whether it is sufficient to reach grade-level proficiency depends on the student’s starting placement and the size of any gap.
Is Stretch Growth required?
Stretch Growth is an ambitious planning target, but requirements and accountability rules are determined locally. Ask the school how it uses the measure. It should guide support rather than function as a punishment.
What percentage of Stretch Growth is good?
No single percentage is universally “good.” Interpret progress in relation to the date, testing windows, starting point, classroom evidence, and remaining time. Seventy percent early in the year means something different from seventy percent after the final assessment.
Can Stretch Growth be lower than Typical Growth?
Stretch Growth is designed as the more ambitious goal. If the displayed figures appear reversed, verify the labels, subject, year, baseline, and whether one number is a score while another is a percentage. Ask the school to confirm the report.
Why did my child’s growth goal change?
A new school year usually creates a new baseline and new individualized targets. Changes in grade, subject, starting score, testing window, report configuration, or updated norms may also affect what appears. The teacher can identify which factor applies.
Does 100 percent of Stretch Growth mean above grade level?
Not automatically. It means the student reached the individualized Stretch target shown for that period. Check the placement level separately to understand current performance against grade-level expectations.
Should students know their targets?
Age-appropriate goal conversations can build ownership when they emphasize strategies, progress, and support. Avoid presenting the target as a judgment of intelligence. Younger students may benefit from skill-based goals instead of technical score language.
Are Reading and Mathematics growth targets the same?
No. Each subject has its own scale, baseline, domains, and goals. Never transfer a target or growth percentage from one subject to the other.
The bottom line
Typical Growth and Stretch Growth are complementary. Typical Growth shows what a solid year of progress looks like from a similar starting point. Stretch Growth shows the more ambitious progress associated with moving toward proficiency. The best interpretation combines both goals with placement, domain results, classroom evidence, and the student’s learning conditions.
Celebrate progress without lowering expectations, and maintain high expectations without ignoring the support required to reach them. That balance turns a report from a set of numbers into a practical plan for learning.
Sources: Curriculum Associates’ i-Ready growth-model resources, Typical and Stretch Growth overview, two-year Stretch Growth study, and Personalized Instruction research.