Title of Study: Plato? Achieve Now

Author(s): What Works Clearinghouse

Summary:
This report reviews research studies on the effectiveness of Plato Achieve Now software on student achievement in math.  

Sponsoring entity(s): U.S. Department of Education

Date conducted: 2010

Location of the study: This study can be accessed through the What Works Clearinghouse website.

Setting(s) addressed:

• Classroom
• Home

Targeted population(s):

• Elementary
• Middle school

Primary sources of evidence used in the study or report:

• Review of research studies

Primary Technology Application(s) Addressed:

• Software-based curriculum

Major education topic(s) addressed:

• Math

Major findings/conclusions:

• Only one of thirteen studies on this product met the strict evidence standards of What Works Clearinghouse.
• This product was found to have no discernible effects on math achievement in the one randomized controlled trial that met evidence standards.

Practical implications of the findings:

• Software-based curriculum, such as Plato Achieve Now include software-based assessments that are used to customize instruction to a student’s skill level and to allow students to learn at their own pace.  However, in this report, student achievement on standardized math assessments was not significantly different from students receiving standard math curriculum.

Reviewer Comments:
What Works Clearinghouse uses only rigorous experimental research studies in its reviews.  Results from other, less rigorous studies can be accessed from the Plato Learning website or from the references listed in this report.