By Ana Paula Melo, Anita Sundrani, Julia Turner & Ofer Malamud
In this research report, we explore one example of how a digital learning platform leverages assessment feedback to provide individualized math learning pathways to students at scale. Assessment is a key component of a student’s learning trajectory in the mathematics classroom. As more schools adopt digital learning platforms, educators also have timely access to students’ assessment results, which allows them to provide complementary individualized feedback, opening possibilities for greater student achievement.
Our analysis describes the learning experiences of approximately 2.7 million students in grades 1 through 5 in thousands of schools across the United States for the 2022-2023 academic year. We explore how students’ experiences within the digital learning platform vary based on their placement level on initial assessments. We also examine how students’ experiences with the learning platform vary over time, from their initial placement level to the next.
Our key findings:
- Students spend approximately the same number of hours and complete a comparable number of lessons regardless of their assigned math placement levels.
- Students’ experiences with digital learning platforms are individualized and responsive to their math learning needs.
- Students initially placed below grade level in digital learning platforms experience math content that becomes more advanced over time.