New research from Georgia State University’s Georgia Policy Labs (GPL) found that when recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, schools that used the online-learning platform i-Ready experienced greater standardized test score growth in math and reading than students who did not use the platform.
GPL and its Metro Atlanta Policy Lab for Education (MAPLE) have been working with school district partners to measure the efficacy of their recovery strategies in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers zeroed in on schools that used i-Ready, a personalized, adaptive online-learning platform that was purchased with Federal pandemic relief funds.
Researchers found that students using i-Ready gained roughly two additional weeks of instructional growth in math and nearly three weeks in reading. Achievement growth was largest for students who completed around 70 lessons in reading and 50 lessons in math.
Additionally, researchers noted that the platform was especially beneficial for students from historically marginalized communities, particularly students who identify as Black, students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, and students with identified intellectual disabilities.
The greatest level of success came when teachers monitored how often students used the platform and strategically assigned lessons. Students with lower prior achievement, with prior disciplinary incidents, who identify as male, and in lower elementary grades benefited most from the use of teacher-assigned i-Ready lessons, gaining an average of 3.8 weeks of instructional growth in math and 7.5 weeks in reading.
“This study shows that, when districts strategically implement these tools, they can address both pandemic-related learning challenges and long-standing educational disparities,” Georgia State University Assistant Professor Jennifer Darling-Aduana said.
Overall, researchers stressed the unique benefits of online-learning platforms, explaining the logistical advantage of school district leaders being able to implement them almost anywhere. Additionally, online-learning platforms have higher uptake among students and lower stigma related to other interventions.
To maximize the effectiveness of these platforms, the researchers recommend districts allocate funds to support and expand their online infrastructure, increase student access, and train teachers on the best practices with these platforms.
