Engaging Students with Progress Learning: A Teacher’s Experience

Engaging your students can be a challenge, but not when you have the right tools. We recently received a story from a dedicated high school science educator in Virginia that sheds light on how Progress Learning can transform teaching methods and student engagement. Here’s how Jennifer Peavey at I.W. Taylor Virtual Academy used Progress Learning to engage her students.

A Monthly Challenge

What if there was a way to keep students consistently engaged month after month? Ms. Peavey took a unique approach by introducing a Progress Learning challenge every month. This challenge was designed to incentivize her students to master Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) in a fun and engaging way.

For the month of September, the students were tasked with completing all assigned Progress Learning micro quizzes. Ms. Peavey set a clear benchmark by using the “My Study Plan” in Progress Learning. Students could see exactly what standards they needed to accomplish (i.e. biochemical process standards) and when. These quizzes would either be a video followed by three questions or a set containing five to seven questions. 

The purpose? To reinforce the concepts already taught in class. These quizzes were aimed at ensuring that students mastered Depth of Knowledge (DOK) levels 1 and 2.

Recognizing & Rewarding Outstanding Performance

Recognition and rewards go a long way in instilling motivation. Ms. Peavey’s students who completed all their quizzes and received a strong overall Progress Learning SOL score were recognized as “high achievers.” These high achievers were excused from the mandatory unit test and were entered into a raffle for a gift card! 

Proven Success: A Look Back

Ms. Peavey’s success with Progress Learning isn’t just limited to this one instance. She previously taught high school science in Florida and used our platform there. Overall, she saw spectacular results. Her students had an impressive pass rate of 87%-100% in the End-of-Course Assessment in Biology. 

But that’s not all. The platform also proved invaluable for students struggling in math. These students had a disheartening 25% pass rate, but with the aid of Progress Learning, their pass rate jumped to 61% the following year.

Moving Forward: Expectations and Commitment

Now that she’s based in Virginia, Ms. Peavey has students undertaking a rigorous program: a year’s worth of biology condensed into a single semester. The expectations remain high, and she plans to continue to use Progress Learning to meet those expectations. Every student is anticipated to pass, and with the assistance of Progress Learning, it seems more than likely.

Thank you, Ms. Peavey, for trusting us in your classroom! We love seeing your results and look forward to your continued success.

Want to get the same results as Ms. Peavey? Schedule a demo with us today!