Impacts of the Use of Study Island Practice in an Arizona School District
Impacts of the Use of Study Island Practice in an Arizona School District
ESSA Level of Research: Moderate Evidence (Quasi-Experimental)
Overall: Students in 4th, 5th, and 7th grade who used Study Island scored higher on the state math test and were more likely to perform at the proficient or highly proficient level than comparable peers who did not use Study Island.
Click here to view the research brief for this study.
This student-level study provides detailed analyses of student usage of and performance in Study Island in an Arizona school district compared to those students’ performance on the state-level assessment. The study goes even further by matching students based on their previous state-level assessment scores, reflecting the requirements for ESSA Moderate evidence.
Through a series of descriptive and statistical analyses, the findings in this study suggest there are discernable and statistically significant positive impacts on AzMERIT scores for students participating in Study Island Practice.
Edmentum partnered with a metro Arizona School District for this Study Island research study. This district administers Arizona's Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching (AzMERIT) every year to students in grades 3–8 for ELA and math, as well as grades 4 and 8 for science. The district uses Study Island to practice math, ELA, and science skills that are aligned to the Arizona state standards.
Students in this study used Study Island for an average of between 25 to 28 minutes a week for five to eight weeks.
Students in 4th, 5th, and 7th grades who used Study Island earned statistically significantly higher state test scores in math, ranging from 10 to 19 points higher than non-users. Students in 4th, 5th, and 7th grades who use Study Island were also more likely to achieve a higher proficiency level on their state test in math, with proficient rates ranging from 5% to 15% higher than non-users.