Using i-Ready & DIBELS to Power a School-Wide WIN Block

As school leaders, we’re no strangers to data, but turning that data into targeted, equitable reading instruction across an entire school is still one of our toughest challenges.

One strategy that continues to drive impact is using i-Ready and Amplify DIBELS data together to design a school-wide small group intervention block, often called Walk to Read or WIN (Whatever I Need) time.

🔍 Why Use Both DIBELS and i-Ready?

For schools that use both, each assessment offers unique insight:

• Amplify DIBELS tells us how students are doing on foundational reading skills (phonological awareness, decoding, fluency).

• i-Ready gives a broader view, vocabulary, comprehension, and domain performance, aligned with grade-level standards.

By triangulating both, we can:

✅ Accurately identify which students need foundational support

✅ See who is ready for comprehension-based instruction

✅ Build mixed-grade, needs-based groups

✅ Avoid over- or under-identifying students for intervention

🧠 Make It Easier with SchoolOps.ai

Triangulating data manually can be overwhelming. That’s where SchoolOps.ai can help.

SchoolOps.ai connects to both i-Ready and DIBELS and help you see your data in a way that:

• Automatically groups students based on key indicators

• Flags students in high-risk, borderline, or enrichment zones

• Helps you build flexible WIN groups by class, grade, or skill need

• Supports ideas on grouping and scheduling

Instead of spreadsheets, use a tool that makes your MTSS work more strategic and student-centered.

🧩 Step-by-Step Protocol: Designing Your WIN Block

Here’s a protocol you can use with your team or PLCs:

Step 1: Pull and Review Data

• Use SchoolOps.ai or export i-Ready + DIBELS data manually.

• Sort students into a triangulation matrix:

  • Group A: At-risk in both DIBELS & i-Ready

  • Group B: At-risk DIBELS, on-level i-Ready

  • Group C: On-level DIBELS, below i-Ready

  • Group D: On-level in both (consider for enrichment or acceleration)

Step 2: Pinpoint Root Causes

• Dig into DIBELS subtests (e.g., phoneme segmentation, fluency).

• Review i-Ready domains (vocabulary, comprehension, etc.).

Step 3: Build the WIN Block

• Group students across classrooms based on similar needs.

• Assign staff strategically (paras, specialists, interventionists).

• Use aligned curriculum. For example:

  • Foundational Skills: UFLI, SIPPS, Really Great Reading

  • Comprehension: i-Ready lessons, ReadWorks, Achieve3000

Step 4: Monitor and Adjust

• Use DIBELS progress monitoring every 2–3 weeks.

• Monitor lesson progress or classroom curriculum assessments for language comprehension and vocabulary groups.

• Reassess and regroup every 6–8 weeks.

📄 Resource: WIN Block Planning Template

Want a jumpstart? Sign up for a free account to get a free resource to organize your WIN block.

True literacy equity happens when the right student gets the right support at the right time. That only happens when our data tells a clear story, and when we have systems and tools in place to act on it.

Tools like SchoolOps.ai can reduce the guesswork and manual labor, so you and your teachers can focus on what matters most: targeted instruction and student growth.

If you want to explore how to use your data more strategically this year, email us. We’d love to help you get started.