WestEd, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research, development, and service agency, along with co-principal investigators from Age of Learning®, the leading education technology innovator and creator of the ABCmouse® online learning program, today announced that WestEd was awarded a research grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to evaluate the effectiveness of My Math Academy, Age of Learning’s adaptive math mastery program. The study is part of an IES initiative that funds research to explore, develop, evaluate, and measure instructional strategies and materials for improving students’ STEM learning. It represents the largest, most comprehensive independent study of My Math Academy to date. The IES grant to study My Math Academy is one of only a few issued by IES to researchers evaluating learning programs developed by private education technology companies. This grant will support further collaboration between WestEd and Age of Learning and will extend previous studies in 2017 and 2019, which found that My Math Academy accelerated children’s mathematics skills and fostered greater engagement in their math learning.
“This is a critical moment in education as school leaders and teachers seek solutions that help young learners build their mathematics skills in the early grades and continue to recoup learning loss from the pandemic,This grant provides a unique opportunity to conduct a large-scale, rigorous design study of My Math Academy in elementary schools that will gather efficacy data on the program, giving educators increased knowledge of how students learn, how teachers can advance that learning, and the available programs that can accelerate this development.”
Steve Schneider, WestEd Senior Director of STEM Research and Entrepreneurship.
“We take a research-driven approach to developing our programs and have already amassed a significant body of evidence showing the effectiveness of My Math Academy in improving learning outcomes while fostering a love for math learning,” said Sunil Gunderia, Chief Innovation Officer at Age of Learning. “Across the country, school district leaders are prioritizing the need for solutions that improve student learning outcomes in math while equipping students and teachers alike with tools that are fun, dynamic, personalized, and effective, and this study with WestEd will give us a greater opportunity to show that My Math Academy is delivering significant learning gains for all students.” The new study is an opportunity to further examine the efficacy of My Math Academy at a larger scale, with leading researchers analyzing and measuring data from kindergarten and first-grade classrooms across dozens of districts using the program over two school years. Classrooms will be randomly assigned into “treatment” and “control” groups so researchers can adequately measure the use of My Math Academy programs and educator-supporting materials under routine school conditions. Researchers will also be able to understand the effect of having students use My Math Academy for more than one school year, and a final report is expected in spring 2026. My Math Academy has already been successfully implemented by school districts across the country. It meets the highest level of evidence standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Tier 1, Strong Evidence, as well as all ESSER and Title I funding requirements. Earlier studies have found that My Math Academy improved learning outcomes in kindergarten and first-grade mathematics. One recently published study found that 98 percent of pre-K students in a Title I District who used My Math Academy reached the highest benchmark in math.
About WestEd
WestEd is a nonpartisan, nonprofit agency that provides a range of services—research and evaluation, professional learning, technical assistance, and policy guidance—for education and other communities. Working to promote success for every learner is WestEd’s main goal, and a steadfast commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion is central to that work. To learn more, visit WestEd.org and subscribe to the agency’s E-Bulletin to receive updates about professional development, award-winning research, career opportunities, and more.
About Age of Learning
Age of Learning® is the leading education technology innovator, creating engaging and effective learning resources to help children build a strong foundation for academic success and a lifelong love of learning. Based in Los Angeles, the company is Bringing Learning to Life® by blending educational expertise, innovative technology, and insightful creativity. Age of Learning’s flagship product, ABCmouse.com® Early Learning Academy, is a comprehensive curriculum for children ages 2 to 8. In 2019, the company launched Adventure Academy™, the first AAA educational massively multiplayer online game (MMO), serving elementary- and middle-school-age children with thousands of Learning Activities in a fun and safe virtual world. In 2020, Age of Learning released My Math Academy® for schools, an adaptive, personalized program that helps students master foundational math concepts. My Reading Academy™, launched in 2022, helps young learners master reading and build a foundation for reading comprehension and fluency by featuring digital books, activities, and videos. The company is expanding globally, beginning with its English language learning program ABCmouse English.