What do Students Think?

"I honestly don’t think that IXL is terrible. It is tedious and if you have to get a smart score of 100 once you get above 80 your score drops a lot which makes it kind of annoying. Besides that, I like English math. On the other hand, I absolutely can’t stand it. Anytime I use it  I have to make sure the decimal points are exactly the way IXL would do it or it’s incorrect. This makes it frustrating and makes me not want to do my work. It also takes much longer to accomplish only because I just rounded differently. "

"Personally I think IXL is overhated. It's actually not a bad site to use for a little bit of extra help or studying. However, the scoring is absolutely terrible, after a certain amount on the score you barely gain any points and if you answer a question wrong it drops down substantially. This makes me frustrated to keep going and at times makes me want to completely give up. The math section of IXL can be very confusing at times. However the language arts portion of IXL is much easier to understand, and sometimes even fun."

"IXl is a good and easy way to practice skills. There are so many options and there is always an IXL for whatever you are working on. Being able to practice a skill until you get a good smart score can help you learn and help your teacher know your understanding. IXL could be repetitive but it will help you to practice and further your learning."

Shifting the Conversation to Growth

https://marketbrief.edweek.org/marketplace-k-12/ixl-learning-acquires-teachers-pay-teachers/

Lindsay Unified School District in California uses student growth data to inform instructional practice rather than focusing on pushing every student to meet grade level standards. Schools across the country are using a similar model to offer targeted instruction for their students and celebrate success.

https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-ways-to-support-special-education-teachers-in-blended-learning-classes

Programs like IXL are frequently cited as ways to support special education teachers in the classroom. It offers simple and easy to use differentiated instruction that happens behind the computer screen rather than making an obvious adjustment for the room to see.