New ESSA-Validated Research Found My Reading Academy and My Math Academy helped The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County close the learning gap by 84% on STAR Early Literacy test scores.
Los Angeles, Oct.18, 2023 — Age of Learning, the leading education technology innovator and creator of the widely popular ABCmouse® Early Learning Academy, today released a new ESSA-validated research report that found Palm Beach County pre-k students using My Reading Academy and My Math Academy dramaticallyimproved their school readiness in reading and math during the 2022-2023 school year.
The research, carried out in partnership with The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, showed that after a semester-long implementation at seven Voluntary Pre-K centers in Palm Beach County, Florida, sites using My Reading Academy and My Math Academy helped close the learning gap between research sites and non-research sites by 84% in STAR Early Literacy test scores. The research further found that students who were not kindergarten ready on the winter STAR assessment experienced 62% greater growth in their spring scores when using Age of Learning solutions, compared to students who did not use the programs.
In addition, participating educators at the research sites indicated that they would “definitely” like to continue using My Reading Academy and My Math Academy, noting that their students not only improved their test scores, but also improved self-confidence and enjoyment in learning. The data was collected during the 2022-2023 school year and compared STAR Early Literacy scores across fall, winter, and spring between children that used Age of Learning’s personalized digital learning programs with those who didn’t.
“Addressing kindergarten readiness ensures that all children, regardless of socio-economic or cultural background, have an equal opportunity to succeed in school. Through our collaboration with The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, and their investment in their educators and students we’ve been able to effectively bridge this gap with My Reading Academy and My Math Academy,” said Sunil Gunderia, Chief Innovation Officer at Age of Learning. “The positive outcomes in Palm Beach County aren’t just a testament to our programs’ effectiveness, but a beacon of what’s achievable when innovation meets dedication. Together, we’re nurturing a future of confident, capable young learners ready to embrace their academic journey.”
“The State of Florida has instituted accountability measures to ensure our prekindergarten providers prepare our students to be school ready in literacy and math. To help our providers deliver these results, we knew it was crucial to invest in a partner that had solutions with proven effectiveness, was easy for our providers to implement, and empowered our educators and us with actionable data,” said Aruna Gilbert, Executive Vice President & Chief Program and Policy Officer, The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County. “Our partnership with Age of Learning, through My Reading Academy and My Math Academy, brought us proven solutions that validated our investment in early education with tangible results. Since the initial stages of implementation, we have received terrific feedback from the provider community. Now, with data in hand, we see the material impact these programs have had as our youngest learners are not only catching up but thriving, paving the way for a promising academic journey ahead.”
This research is the latest study of the company’s solutions that has been independently validated by Learn Platform by Instructure, a third-party educational research company that evaluates the studies’ alignment with ESSA standards. Our Palm Beach study is the 13th ESSA-aligned validation overall for My Reading Academy and My Math Academy.
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. The company’s research-based digital education programs, developed by an experienced team of education experts, have proven efficacy in increasing children’s learning gains. Age of Learning’s flagship product, ABCmouse.com® Early Learning Academy, is an award-winning comprehensive curriculum for children. The company’s school solutions programs include My Math Academy®, an adaptive, personalized program proven to significantly accelerate math learning outcomes, and My Reading Academy™, an adaptive program designed to help young learners build a foundation for reading comprehension and literacy and become fluent readers. With over 11 billion learning activities completed by more than 50 million children worldwide, Age of Learning is a global leader in efforts to advance equity, access, and opportunity for all children. To learn more about Age of Learning, visit www.AgeofLearning.com.
About The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County
The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County (Coalition) is dedicated to supporting local families and their children with a wide range of resources aimed at school readiness and positive educational outcomes. As a data-driven organization, the Coalition strives to offer innovative programs that promote family self-sufficiency and confidence as their child’ first teacher. The Coalition also serves as a connector to developmentally appropriate and research-based early education programs. Our vison is every child in Palm Beach County is ready to succeed in school and life.
Coalitions were legislatively created in 1999 under Florida Statute 411.01,) the School Readiness Act. Each Coalition is legislatively responsible for developing a comprehensive service delivery plan for administering the School Readiness and Voluntary Prekindergarten Programs.