What Works Clearinghouse praises Pearson’s SuccessMaker Enterprise

The Department of Education’s What Works Clearinghouse has praised Pearson’s SuccessMaker Enterprise, a new digital, supplemental, curriculum solution designed to support classroom instruction in reading and math for grades K-8. The WWC rated the program as having “potentially positive effects on students’ comprehension and general literacy achievement,” and students using SuccessMarker scored an average of 11 percentile points higher than students who used other digital interventions.

To review SuccessMaker, the WWC conducted a literature review of all reports and studies using the program. The WWC ultimately used data from three studies that met its standards, which covered 450 elementary, middle and high school students in AL, IL and VA. The program qualifies for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds.

SuccessMaker Enterprise can be used in conjunction with a school’s core reading or math program, and it individualizes learning with standards-aligned content. Students can learn at their own pace, alongside digital characters that motivate them. Educators benefit from the integrated learning management system, which combines continuously-updated classroom information with on-demand reports that allow teachers and administrators to track progress by student, class, school or district.

SuccessMaker’s leveled reading curriculum reflects the National Reading Panel’s five strands for reading instruction—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and text comprehension. The math lessons include practice tutorials and assessments based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics’ best practices for math instruction.