OCPS program evaluations find uneven use of digital learning tools; district to phase out Edgenuity for most students

ORLANDO — The Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) research and accountability team on Tuesday presented a year-two review of district program evaluations, reporting mixed results across literacy professional development and several digital learning platforms and saying the district will phase out most use of Edgenuity.

The update, delivered at a June 24 work session, reviewed four recent evaluations — the AIM Institute literacy pathway, Edgenuity (contracted credit-recovery platform), IXL Math and SuccessMaker — and outlined follow-up work and next steps. Superintendent Vasquez told the board the district has already begun changes for next school year that will sharply limit Edgenuity’s availability.

The program-evaluation team said AIM Institute professional learning exceeded participation goals and generated generally positive satisfaction ratings, but it also identified weaknesses in enrollment and engagement tracking. Dr. Xiaozhong Sun, director of research, reported that 1,374 teachers and 164 administrators completed at least one AIM pathway course, and that roughly 77% of participants who began a course completed at least one course. The team recommended structured enrollment, proactive monitoring and stronger communication to use available seats more fully.

In a separate evaluation of Edgenuity, conducted with the external vendor Hanover Research, OCPS found large differences in completion rates across student groups. Second-semester seniors had a reported completion rate near 98% and average course grades in the high 80s, while other high-school students completed at about a 55% rate and middle-school students at about 25%. The report showed higher participation among chronically absent and suspended students but mixed completion results: chronically absent students completed about 72% of courses they started compared with 57% for nonchronically absent students; suspended students completed about 61% compared with 72% for non-suspended peers. Superintendent Vasquez said the district will restrict Edgenuity so juniors and seniors and some middle-grade cohorts can use it next year, then limit it further the following year, keeping it only for seniors who need it for graduation unless further evaluation counsels otherwise.

The IXL Math implementation review showed widespread variability in classroom use, the research team said. As of Dec. 9, 2024, the team reported 68,518 students enrolled in at least one secondary mathematics course using IXL, with 92% of those students logging into the system. Teacher-reported weekly usage ranged from under 15 minutes to more than one hour; 20% of surveyed teachers reported under 15 minutes per week, and 21% said they used IXL more than an hour per week. District leaders and teachers said IXL provides extensive data but that educators need support to analyze and apply that data; teachers also raised concerns about student discouragement when students must repeat practice after incorrect answers. The research office plans a phase-two analysis to link implementation fidelity to end-of-year assessment outcomes.

SuccessMaker, the district’s adaptive math and reading system for elementary grades, also drew critical feedback in phase 1 implementation surveys. The research team reported that teachers cited log-in difficulties (especially on iPads), program freezes, a mismatch between lesson difficulty and student needs, and a lack of student engagement. Survey data showed 53% of respondents said students were unable to meet an expected 45 minutes-per-week usage target, and 61% of teachers reported little to no increase in student confidence after using the product. The team recommended dedicated time blocks in elementary schedules, improved sign-in flows and an additional diagnostic to better match students’ levels.

Board members pressed the research team and staff on training and technical fixes. Superintendent Vasquez said district teams will prioritize teacher training and the work of reading coaches to support classroom transfer of professional learning. “It is so hard to determine the true impact of PD,” she said, adding the district is investigating which supports help teachers sustain instructional change.

Board members also discussed district priorities: member Gallo said she supports broad use of science-of-reading instruction and asked for a vendor list; member Salamanca and others defended IXL as valuable when used well and suggested the evaluation look at students’ out-of-class use; and several board members criticized Edgenuity use during and after the COVID period and backed the planned phaseout for all but limited situations.

The research office presented its queue of future and ongoing evaluations, including Collaborative Classroom (SIPs), READ-to-Succeed-related offerings, Rosen preschool/postsecondary programs, tutoring vendors and the district’s comprehensive assessment system. Staff said some reviews are recurring annual evaluations and others are tied to memoranda of understanding or vendor contracts.

No action was taken at the work session; the updates were informational. The research office and superintendent told the board they will return with phase-two outcome analyses this summer and follow up by email on requested cost and contract information.