LiteracyPlanet partnered with Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC) to undertake an immense, ambitious project: analyze the efficacy of LiteracyPlanet’s digital programmes to provide an informed view of what is working well.
PwC analyzed LiteracyPlanet program information that corresponded to student’s scores and usage levels over a two-year period, from 2016 to 2018.
PwC executed the PwC Data Analysis Framework to merge, understand and validate the data, applying advanced analytic tools to identify student cohorts, inflection points and any trends in the data. This allowed PwC to glean insight about students and classroom teachers using LiteracyPlanet and identify key focus areas.
PwC Key findings
PwC’s extensive data analysis of LiteracyPlanet provided valuable insight, not just in terms of showing what LiteracyPlanet can do. But how it is best used and why it provides such a unique comprehensive offering in the world of online literacy learning.
PwC has proven LiteracyPlanet:
- Builds a strong foundation in literacy
- Pushes students ahead of the pack
- Makes catching up fun and effective
PwC also identified the circumstances where LiteracyPlanet provides the most significant benefits which can be used as a set of ‘best-practice’ guidelines for teachers using the program.
PwC was able to identify the optimal:
- Number of exercises
- Number of subjects
- Subject combinations
- Balance between self-chosen subjects and teacher assigned subjects
As a result, LiteracyPlanet exceeds in meeting the new ESSA rating evidence standards with an effect size of over 380,000 students.
LiteracyPlanet and ESSA Evidence Standards
Reading Grades: PreK – 10
Strong Rating – (At least 2 studies with an average effect size over +0.20)
No. Studies – 2
No. of Students – 380,000 across 161 countries
Program Description – LiteracyPlanet is an education program designed to provide anywhere, anytime literacy-based learning for students. As learning in the classroom at schools around the world digitizes, LiteracyPlanet has established itself as an industry leader, supplying teachers with a digital resources that combines best practice Engilsh literacy education principles with adaptive gamified dynamics in a manner that’s engaging, enjoyable and most importantly, effective.
With customers in over 161 countries around the world, aligned to 61 curriculums includes the US, UK, Australia, India, New Zealand, and United Emirates.
Program Outcomes – The PwC efficacy study showed LiteracyPlanet can build a strong foundation in literacy for students of all ages and levels with the completion of just 30 exercises. PwC also revealed how something as simple as assigning more LiteracyPlanet exercises can accelerate students ahead, and how effectively LiteracyPlanet’s gamified style of learning can be for students in need of intervention and personalized learning.
Builds a strong foundation in literacy
PwC determined by year level, students in grades 1-6 saw the most significant improvement, while the strongest, most consistent rates of improvement were seen in students between grade 3 and 6. Building a strong foundation in literacy at an early age is crucial, and this analysis proves LiteracyPlanet does exactly that.
Pushes students ahead of the pack
PwC compared the rate of improvement for students completing four assigned exercises per month to those who were only completing two exercises per month. While both groups recorded improvement as they used the program, the group completing four assigned exercises per month did so at a discernibly higher rate (77% vs 75.5%). Something as simple as assigning an extra two exercises per month, is enough for teachers to give their students the advantage.
Making catching up fun and effective
PwC analysis found students in the bottom 25% of scores after the first month of use recorded the most significant improvement as they completed more exercises.
After just 30 exercises the gap in average scores between students in the bottom 25% of scores and students in the next best group (who were also improving as they completed more exercises) reduced by over 70%. This proves LiteracyPlanets comprehensive, gamified style of learning is highly effective as an intervention tool for struggling students.
How to use it best
PwC data was able to identify (70-100) as the optimal number of exercises for students of all ages and abilities to complete. This is roughly (7-10) exercises week, which translates to just half an hour of class time. PwC was able to prove this is all the time required in a teacher’s week to unlock the learning benefits of LiteracyPlanet.
Staffing Requirements – Administrators, Classroom teachers, ESL, Special Education, Literacy Coach and Reading Specialist
Professional Development/Training – The LiteracyPlanet provides comprehensive initial and ongoing training opportunities for teachers, teachers, and district personnel. During the initial training teachers, principals and district personnel receive step by step instructions on the comprehensive usage of LiteracyPlanet as well as access how to videos of every aspect of their dashboard to include guides for continued support. LiteracyPlanet provides PDFs training guides of the how to videos for teachers, principals, and district personnel all based on best practices of adult learning principles.
LiteracyPlanet provides a variety of on-going training webinars to support all needs. There are introductory webinars every third Thursday of every month free. Schools and districts can book personalized LiteracyPlanet webinars, in-person training sessions, and on-site coaching sessions customized to fit the needs of teachers, principals, and district personnel.
