Curriculum

DreamBox Adds Predictive Analytics for Monitoring Student Readiness in Math

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 05/21/20

Education technology company DreamBox Learning has released new software that lets educators predict how well their students would do with high-stakes math testing — even though the testing isn't happening.

The company produces K-8 math curriculum that integrates instruction and assessment and is adaptive to each student. As a learner finishes a lesson, he or she is assessed to enable the program to provide a well calibrated lesson the next time. DreamBox Predictive Insights uses that testing data specifically for K-5 to provide district administrators with monthly projections about the outcomes of spring testing that, according to the company, would be 85 percent accurate.

Even though those state math tests have been canceled for the current school year, DreamBox suggested that the data generated in its new tool can help education leaders make decisions about upcoming use of curriculum, intervention and summer school.

The prediction technology is part of the DreamBox administrator dashboard, which uses data going back to the start of the current school year. The reporting shows how students, classes and schools would have done on the grade level math tests for their states if they were taking it. The predictive models used by the software were developed over three years by crunching data generated in dozens of school districts and using years of in-product data and scores from major state tests and benchmark exams.

"This is an unexpected new chapter for schools and their personalized learning initiatives. As schools transition to remote learning, educational technology has proven to be an invaluable resource for delivering quality learning experiences at home," said CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson, in a statement. "Whenever schools are ready to safely re-open, learning guardians will need to quickly ascertain how to support each student after a semester and summer of potential learning loss. DreamBox's Predictive Insights provides a snapshot view into where each student is, allowing district administrators to make important decisions based on clear and accurate predictions."

DreamBox said it would expand its predictive programming later this year to include principal and teacher reporting and suggestions for how teachers can differentiate instruction for students.

That's appealing to at least one of those districts that has done early testing of the program, Lodi Unified School District in California. "Access to data is critical for ensuring growth and success for every student," said Lisa Kotowski, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction. "Educators are constantly searching for ways to best address the learning needs of their individual students. They are further challenged now that typical data collection approaches aren't occurring in schools. DreamBox Predictive Insights and the information available provides tangible insights that teachers can use to help their students make proficiency gains earlier in the learning cycle, address gaps, and put all students on the right path for learning and achievement."