STEM Action Center’s K-12 Math Personalized Learning Software Grant Program: 2024-2025 Evaluation Report

This evaluation report by the Utah Education Policy Center examined the implementation and student outcomes of the STEM Action Center’s K-12 Math Personalized Learning Software Grant Program in Utah during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years. The program funded math learning software (MLS) licenses across Utah's school districts and charter schools, where McGraw Hill’s ALEKS emerged as one of the most highly sought-after platforms—ranking 3rd in school requests (146 schools and nearly 50,000 licenses requested for 2024-2025).

The evaluation analyzed survey data from 2,031 teachers and 35,306 students, alongside usage records matched to statewide achievement data (RISE and Utah Aspire Plus assessments) for 275,816 students in grades 4-10. Results showed generally positive perceptions of software value. Notably, teachers using ALEKS reported exceptionally strong satisfaction, giving it the second-highest perception of value (mean rating of 4.29 out of 5) among all major vendors. Student engagement was also a key differentiator, with ALEKS consistently demonstrating the highest student usage levels across the entire school year.

The evaluation revealed positive links between software usage and academic growth (Student Growth Percentiles, or SGPs). ALEKS was a premier performer, showing a 9.40-point SGP increase for high-usage students (making it a top-3 performing program in Utah for SGP growth). Furthermore, high-usage ALEKS users achieved a predicted SGP of 57.31—the absolute highest predicted SGP among all eight evaluated software platforms. Progress was particularly impactful; ALEKS showed the strongest relationship between units completed and academic growth of any program (coefficient of 5.83).

Finally, interaction effects revealed that the positive relationship between software usage and academic growth was significantly stronger for low-income students and those in high-poverty schools. ALEKS was one of only three programs to demonstrate this statistically significant positive interaction at both the student and school levels, establishing it as a highly effective tool for narrowing achievement gaps and supporting economically disadvantaged students when implemented consistently.

Research Citation:

Altermatt, E. R., Yildiz, M., & Rorrer, A. K. (2025). STEM Action Center’s K-12 Math Personalized Learning Software Grant Program: 2024-2025 Evaluation Report. Utah Education Policy Center.