i-Ready contracts and curriculum
| Submitted | June 22, 2022 |
MuckRock users can file, duplicate, track, and share public records requests like this one. Learn more.
Communications
From: Todd Feathers
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the South Carolina Public Records Law, I hereby request the following records:
1) All contracts, memorandums of understanding, data sharing agreements, and statements of work between the district and Curriculum Associates, the provider of i-Ready and Brigance products.
2) Academic year 2021-2022 curriculum plan documents for each grade level describing how i-Ready and Brigance products were to be incorporated in the classroom and/or at home. For example, schedules of which i-Ready assessments, lessons, or benchmarks are required/recommended for each grade.
3) All district policies, guidelines, and manuals describing the use of i-Ready and Brigance products. This should include policies for individual users like teachers about the proper uses of the tools. It should also include school- or district-wide policies, such as guidelines about how i-Ready assessments should be used to assess student or teacher performance, or how Brigance assessment results should be used to direct students toward appropriate programs.
4) All reports, reviews, studies, or annual summary documents prepared by district staff or Curriculum Associates since Jan. 1, 2020 regarding i-Ready and/or Brigance product performance and effectiveness.
I ask that all fees be waived as I am a journalist and intend to use the requested records solely to further the public understanding of core government functions. I do not intend to use the records for any commercial purpose.
In the event you choose to impose fees, I request a detailed breakdown of the fees, including the hourly wage of each employee involved and an explanation justifying the employee hours required to fulfill the request.
Should you choose to reject this request or redact portions of it, I ask that you provide citation and explanation of the statutory exemptions and associated case law supporting your decision to withhold each/any portion from public review.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 15 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Todd Feathers
From: Spartanburg School District 7
Mr. Feathers,
We have received your Freedom of Act (FOIA) request. You are seeking extensive information that may require additional clarification in order for us to respond. District Seven will make every effort to provide you with a timely response, however please be advised that due to extremely limited staff working during the summer, the need to coordinate across multiple departments in order to determine a response to your request, and an increased volume of FOIA requests being received by District Seven at this time, these unusual circumstances will require a longer timeframe for us to respond.
I am currently out of the office with limited access to email until Tuesday, June 5. Requests have been initiated with my colleagues in order to begin the information gathering process for your inquiry. I will respond again to let you know an expected timeline and what information we anticipate being able to provide upon my return.
Thank you,
Beth Lancaster
Chief Communications Officer
From: Spartanburg School District 7
Good morning,
We have received your Freedom of Act (FOIA) request. You are seeking extensive information that may require additional clarification in order for us to respond. District Seven will make every effort to provide you with a timely response, however please be advised that due to extremely limited staff working during the summer, the need to coordinate across multiple departments in order to determine a response to your request, and an increased volume of FOIA requests being received by District Seven at this time, these unusual circumstances will require a longer timeframe for us to respond.
I am currently out of the office with limited access to email until Tuesday, June 5. Requests have been initiated with my colleagues in order to begin the information gathering process for your inquiry. I will respond again to let you know an expected timeline and what information we anticipate being able to provide upon my return.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following South Carolina Public Records Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 23, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Spartanburg School District 7
Good evening,
The majority of our staff are just now returning this week for the upcoming school year. We still have this request on our list but staff are preparing to open the school year so we have not been able to finalize a response at this point in time. What you are requesting is extremely extensive and would require a great deal of time to prepare. I will be in touch with you again before the end of August with an official response.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following South Carolina Public Records Law request, copied below, and originally submitted on June 23, 2022. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Spartanburg School District 7
Dear Mr. Feathers:
This email is in response to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to Spartanburg School District 7 seeking public records relating to the District’s use of i-Ready and Brigance assessment products, and will also follow-up my prior emails to you dated June 23, 2022, and August 4, 2022.
Attached are copies of school district records responsive to your requests. Additional information and links to other documents concerning the use of i-Ready are publicly available through the District’s website (spartanburg7.org/Page/11291). The District does not use Brigance products.
To the extent you seek copies of i-Ready products, such materials are the proprietary property of Curriculum Associates. Access to such materials is protected by Curriculum Associates, and they are purchased by and made available to the District subject to Curriculum Associates’ terms and conditions of use, which restricts access and use only to authorized users with valid passwords. The District maintains such proprietary materials are exempt from disclosure pursuant to S.C. Code Section 30-4-40(a)(5).
We hope the enclosed records and publicly available information satisfy your requests. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Beth Lancaster
--
Beth Lancaster
Chief Communications Officer
[Graphical user interface, text Description automatically generated with medium confidence]
Spartanburg School District Seven
610 Dupre Drive
Spartanburg, SC 29307
P 864.594.6194
M 864.590.8553
blancaster@spart7.org<mailto:blancaster@spart7.org>
Visit our website: http://spartanburg7.org
Files
pages