New Research Studies Validate Freckle’s Positive Impact on Student Math and ELA Performance

Two studies conducted during the 2022‒2023 school year show Freckle implementation leads to improved student performance over time

BLOOMINGTON, MN (June 5, 2024) – Renaissance, a pre-K–12 education technology leader, is pleased to announce the results of two research studies that validate the efficacy of its Freckle program, which helps teachers reach students at their own level by offering individualized practice in math and English Language Arts (ELA).

The first study was conducted independently by LearnPlatform by Instructure and certified that Freckle for Math meets Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Level II standards. Renaissance conducted the second study, which measured the impact of Freckle’s math and ELA programs.

Both studies found that students who used Freckle consistently experienced the most growth in math and ELA, including students who struggled with those subjects, compared to those who did not use Freckle.

“We’re thrilled that these studies validate the long-term effectiveness of Freckle and the program’s alignment with ESSA standards for evidence,” said Eric Stickney, Vice President of Educational Research at Renaissance. “It’s important to meet the needs of every student, keep them engaged, and build their understanding. Freckle not only supports this, but it also accelerates learning with its differentiated practice aligned to math and ELA standards.”

Freckle for Math ESSA Evidence Level II

The LearnPlatform independent study concluded that Freckle for Math has satisfied Level II requirements. Conducted during the 2022–2023 school year, the research included more than 30,000 elementary students. It showed that students who used Freckle for Math had significantly higher FastBridge aMath scores at the end of the year than students who did not use the program.

Freckle for Math draws from more than 80,000 items covering standards in kindergarten through Algebra 2 to present students with math practice problems that meet their individualized skill levels.

ESSA encourages state and local education agencies to utilize the school improvement cycle and ESSA’s four tiers of evidence to provide a framework for education leaders to determine which solutions will work for their student populations. Level II certification affirms that solutions are supported by one or more well-designed and well-implemented quasi-experimental studies.

Read the full study.

Special Report: The Role of Individualized Practice with Freckle

Renaissance’s in-house study on Freckle for Math and Freckle for ELA analyzed more than 530,000 and 420,000 K–12 students, respectively. The research found that the two programs were positively associated with student performance across multiple grade levels.

Notable findings include:

• When students used Freckle as recommended throughout the school year, the likelihood of meeting benchmarks increased by 6.2% for math and 5.7% for ELA.
• Elementary and secondary students, including those who struggled with math or reading, exhibited higher growth and increased academic achievement if they used Freckle for Math or Freckle for ELA at or above recommended usage for a longer duration of the school year.
• Elementary students who used Freckle for Math or Freckle for ELA at or above recommended levels at least once per week for a minimum of 18 weeks throughout the school year achieved growth equal to an additional three weeks of learning. Struggling elementary readers who used Freckle for ELA at this level achieved growth equal to an additional four weeks of learning.

This is the third recent study demonstrating the positive impacts of Renaissance’s innovative educational solutions. Previous studies were conducted on Renaissance products Lalilo and myON.

Freckle for ELA combines articles tailored to students’ individualized reading levels with standards-aligned skills activities to provide adaptive practice in reading and language skills.

Read the complete Renaissance study and learn more about Freckle.

About Renaissance

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 100 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student.