Honey Creek Middle School in Indiana took their math test scores to a whole new level

Honey Creek Middle School, a public school in Terre Haute, Indiana, used McGraw Hill’s ALEKS program to strengthen math learning for students in grades 7–8. ALEKS provided self-paced learning and immediate feedback through continuous assessment and progress tracking aligned to Indiana state standards. The case followed Avery C., a student-athlete who improved from Approaching Proficiency on the 2021 Indiana ILEARN math assessment to Above Proficiency in 2022 after using ALEKS. Her teacher, Tim Downs, adopted the program in 2021 to support students during and after COVID interruptions. He used ALEKS to identify gaps, assign targeted content, and motivate students through class competitions and rewards. During the 2021–2022 school year, 32 of Mr. Downs’ 8th-grade students passed the ILEARN assessment—nearly tripling the number from the prior year’s 11 students. Students who completed at least 85% of math topics in their ALEKS pie more than doubled their proficiency rate from the previous year and demonstrated a rate 2.6 times greater than district peers. Additionally, 26 of the 30 students who passed the ILEARN earned an A in Algebra 1 during their first quarter of high school, indicating strong preparation for advanced math coursework. Teachers reported that the platform’s real-time reporting and interactive problem-solving features encouraged engagement and supported rapid identification of learning needs. Students described math as more enjoyable, accessible, and rewarding through ALEKS’s combination of adaptive content and motivational classroom practices.