Optima Academy Online Exceeds National i-Ready Growth Benchmarks

Optima Academy Online (OAO) has reported that its students exceeded national growth benchmarks on the i-Ready assessment in both reading and math for the 2025–26 academic year. The school-wide median growth reached 120% of the expected progress in reading and 104% in math, surpassing the 100% benchmark in both subjects.

These results build on improvements from the previous academic year, during which OAO achieved 100% of the typical growth target in both subjects. Additionally, a significant portion of students met OAO's more ambitious Stretch Growth targets, designed to advance progress toward grade-level proficiency. In 2025–26, 38% of assessed students achieved Stretch Growth in reading and 35% in math.

The benchmarks are based on the i-Ready Diagnostic assessment for the 2025–26 school year, covering students from kindergarten through eighth grade. i-Ready uses a research-based national standard to measure average annual academic growth among students starting at similar proficiency levels. The model was developed by Curriculum Associates.

Optima Academy Online is a fully virtual, Cognia-accredited school offering both teacher-led and self-guided instruction. The institution combines a classical education foundation with virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology to foster deeper learning.