This quasi‑experimental design study investigated the impact of Waggle Math, an adaptive supplemental digital learning program, on mathematics achievement among students in Grades 3–5. Conducted during the 2020–2021 school year in a Missouri school district, the study included 1,172 students, with Waggle Math users matched to comparison students on key demographic characteristics using propensity score matching. Student outcomes were measured using the HMH Math Growth Measure, with analyses focused on growth from mid‑year to end‑of‑year.
Results showed that students who engaged with Waggle Math at higher levels of implementation—defined by completing greater numbers of adaptive practice activities—demonstrated statistically significant mathematics growth compared with matched peers who did not use the program. Across the full sample, Waggle Math students demonstrated mathematics growth comparable to non‑users, indicating that implementation level was a key driver of impact. Notably, these effects were observed within an approximately four‑month instructional window demonstrating measurable growth over a relatively short period of time.
Exploratory subgroup analyses indicated that students across demographic groups, including students eligible for free or reduced‑price lunch and students receiving special education services, demonstrated statistically significant growth over time while using Waggle Math. Collectively, these findings provide ESSA Tier 2 Moderate Evidence that Waggle Math can drive meaningful mathematics growth for elementary students when implemented with sufficient frequency and fidelity as a supplemental component of mathematics instruction.
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