IXL, the personalized learning platform used by more than 13 million students, announced the results of a recent research study showing that IXL helps students achieve greater learning gains in math over a 3-year period. SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute), an independent, nonprofit research institute, evaluated the study and provided conclusive validation that its design meets the criteria of ESSA Tier 2 and What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) standards. 

Following strict ESSA and WWC guidelines, the study analyzed school performance data across 179 Oklahoma public schools where students in grades 3-8 used IXL and 179 comparable schools that did not use IXL. The study used a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group to isolate the IXL effect from the influences of other variables known to impact achievement, providing compelling evidence of IXL Math’s efficacy. The research revealed the following key findings:

• IXL positively impacted student learning: An additional 4 percent of students in IXL Math schools were proficient on the Oklahoma School Testing Program (OSTP) Math assessment, relative to comparable non-IXL schools. 

• IXL provides a long-term boost in student achievement: IXL Math delivers significant benefits for students in schools adopting the platform over a 3-year period. 

"Educators and families should feel confident that the technology students use to learn is well-designed, effective and able to withstand independent scrutiny," said Bo Bashkov, Lead Research Scientist at IXL Learning. "SRI's review of our study provides independent, expert validation that IXL aligns with ESSA Tier 2 requirements, increases math scores and supports students on the path to math proficiency.”

How IXL helps students succeed in math

IXL Math is designed to meet the needs of any classroom and is proven to accelerate student learning. The platform’s interactive skills are highly targeted and adjust to each student’s level of understanding. IXL also offers more than 1,100 video tutorials that match IXL skills, providing students with more opportunities to grow, reinforce what they’ve learned in class or get help if they’re stuck. 

IXL’s adaptive assessment, the Real-Time Diagnostic, pinpoints students’ overall grade-level proficiency and their knowledge of six key mathematical strands. The diagnostic then generates an accurate portrait of student knowledge levels and provides action plans with personalized skills to fill learning gaps. In addition, IXL Analytics provides immediate insight into student progress and helps teachers make better instructional decisions in the classroom. 

For more information about IXL’s research studies, visit https://www.ixl.com/research.  

About IXL Learning 

Currently used by 13 million students and in all of the top 100 U.S. school districts, IXL is an integrated learning platform that supports personalized learning in math, English language arts, science, social studies and Spanish. With more than 100 billion questions asked and answered around the world, IXL is helping schools and parents successfully boost student achievement. The IXL family of products also includes Rosetta Stone, Wyzant, Education.com, ABCya and Vocabulary.com. To learn more about IXL, visit www.ixl.com, facebook.com/IXL and twitter.com/IXLLearning.