BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--DreamBox Learning today announced results of a research study from the Center for Education Policy Research (CEPR) at Harvard University which demonstrates that the adaptive learning program is associated with improvement in mathematics achievement for students in grades 3-5. DreamBox utilizes Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ technology and innovative digital content that engages students with rigorous mathematics, facilitates exploration, and builds understanding, confidence and support through real-time formative feedback. Results of the study revealed that the average student in a classroom using DreamBox improved nearly 4 percentile points on NWEA MAP assessments after only 14 hours of DreamBox usage.
“DreamBox’s technology and curriculum are informed by decades of research about children’s natural development and growth in mathematical reasoning,” said Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning. “These research findings suggest that students at the 50th percentile who use DreamBox consistently for about an hour each week could end the year performing near the 60th percentile on assessments that are widely used and well-respected in the industry. This new report from CEPR validates the effectiveness of DreamBox’s approach in supporting students whether they start below, at, or above grade level.”
The study examined the individual test scores of nearly 3,000 students in grades 3-5 during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years in two districts, Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) in Maryland and Rocketship Education in California. Results of the study determined that DreamBox usage was significantly associated with increased student achievement when controlling for students’ baseline test scores.
Student achievement was measured using scores on the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) mathematics assessments, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) mathematics assessments, and state assessments for Maryland and California. These districts represent culturally and economically diverse demographics, and the research findings solidify DreamBox’s belief that with the right tools and support, all children can succeed and pursue rewarding subjects, including math.
“We saw positive relationships between the amount of student [DreamBox] usage and the magnitude of student achievement gains on state tests and interim assessments in both sites,” Harvard researchers wrote. For example, “In HCPSS, the student who started the year at the 50th percentile, and who used DreamBox at the average level of 7.1 hours, could expect to be between the 54th and 55th percentile on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test at the end of 2014-15.” According to the researchers, analyses “suggest this relationship is linear and that achievement gains continue to rise at the same rate as DreamBox usage increases.”
Although DreamBox recommends 60-90 minutes on the program for each student each week, this study also revealed that even when students spent less time using DreamBox, that time was positively correlated with student achievement.
“We’re dedicated to the success of each unique student and are committed to continually studying the effectiveness of DreamBox in terms of measurable impact on individual learners,” said Dr. Tim Hudson, vice president of learning at DreamBox Learning. “The strength of these predictive correlations is reinforced by the fact that this study analyzed the individual pre- and post-test scores of thousands of students, regardless of how much of the DreamBox curriculum they had completed. Because we want to be strong partners who complement the work of schools and teachers, we’re proud to see these new, compelling results in the upper elementary grades.”
These findings speak to the power of Intelligent Adaptive Learning and next generation digital learning experiences to accelerate achievement by helping each individual student architect learning pathways that lead to a deeper understanding of mathematics concepts. The findings also point to the importance of pedagogical design and instructional quality in digital learning resources. Instead of merely digitizing textbooks and static print resources, technology enables students to understand mathematics concepts in dynamic ways. When combined with responsive supports and scaffolding, DreamBox’s virtual manipulatives facilitate deeper learning.
For more information on the results of the study, or to review the complete report, visit http://cepr.harvard.edu/dreambox-learning-achievement-growth.
About DreamBox Learning
DreamBox Learning was founded in 2006 in Bellevue, Wash. and the company’s pioneering Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ platform has won 40 top education and technology industry awards and is in use in all 50 states and throughout Canada. DreamBox Learning Math™ offers a groundbreaking combination of Intelligent Adaptive Learning, a rigorous K-8 mathematics curriculum and a motivating learning environment. The innovative DreamBox platform captures every decision a student makes and adjusts the student’s learning path and scaffolds support based on the student’s input delivering millions of individualized learning paths, each one tailored to the student’s unique needs. DreamBox Learning Math is available for PC and iPad. For more information, visit www.dreambox.com.
