2022

This report was prepared for the STEM Action Center in support of the K-12 Math Personalized Learning Software Grant Program. The results of this quasi-experimental study suggest that Utah students who, on average, used IXL for 20 minutes or more per week in 2020-2021 performed better on statewide math assessments than students who did not use IXL. This finding is consistent with IXL’s implementation fidelity and usage recommendations which indicate that, for “optimal usage,” students should reach proficiency in at least two skills per week.

In this study, the Utah Education Policy Center presents evidence for a “digital use divide” in Utah wherein some students are using technology in ways that enhance their mathematics learning through student-centered and data-informed teacher support while other students are using technology in ways that lead to student disengagement and that contribute to educator disaffection.

The Utah Education Policy Center worked collaboratively with Utah’s STEM Action Center to ensure that the AmeriCorps Math Mentors Program was designed and implemented in ways that align with evidence-based and practice-informed guidelines for tutoring and mentoring programs.

The Utah Education Policy Center provided an external evaluation of a program that is designed to support the development of early mathematics skills in young children by developing and distributing resource kits to families.