Khan Academy annual report 2023-2024 - Efficacy results

Khan Academy regularly conducts rigorous research studies to test the efficacy of our platform and demonstrate the impact of our work.

We’ve conducted multiple efficacy studies to date with districts that use our KAD (Khan Academy Districts) and MAP Accelerator* products. Our annual study includes ~350K students in grades 3-8 who completed fall & spring MAP Growth Assessments during the 22-23 school year.

Using Khan Academy as recommended results in ~20% higher-than-expected learning gains:

Results from this study show that use of Khan Academy and MAP Accelerator as recommended for 30+ minutes per week, or 18+ hours over the duration of the school year, is associated with ~20% higher-than-expected learning gains, as measured by performance on the MAP Growth Assessment. For any statisticians out there, the effect size achieved in this study was .36.

Learners who spend the amount of time that our efficacy studies show is associated with higher-than-expected learning gains are called Yearly Very Active Learners, or YVALs. Today, 1.6M users have become Yearly Very Active Learners (YVALs). Khan Academy users affiliated with our Districts Partnerships program are 10x more likely to become YVALs than grassroots users who are unaffiliated with the Districts program.

Association between MAP Growth math gains and Khan Academy math use

Students who spent 18+ hours grew 20% more than expected, on average across grades, calculated as the average of the per-grade estimates (27%, 15%, 9%, 24%, 19%, 25%). Note: Growth norms for each usage group vary slightly within grade due to differences among groups in baseline (Fall 2022) RIT score.

*MAP Accelerator is a personalized learning tool that uses MAP® Growth™ scores to offer personalized learning pathways for individual students. MAP® Growth™ is a dynamic, adaptive assessment that measures students' achievement and growth in K–12 math, reading, language usage, and science. More information on MAP Accelerator can be accessed here.

How our annual study maps to ESSA standards: Our annual study is considered a Tier 3 ESSA study, meaning it has promising evidence. Promising evidence means at least one well-designed and well-implemented correlational study with statistical controls for selection bias. More information on ESSA and ESSA tier definitions can be found here.
More information on Khan Academy’s library of 50+ studies can be accessed here.
‍More information on our Districts Partnerships program can be accessed here.

Why is our Districts Partnerships program so efficient at driving higher-than-expected learning gains?

Our team of expert educators provides districts with year-round implementation support and professional learning tailored to the district’s goals. As a result, teachers and site administrators learn how to get the most out of the Khan Academy platform for their students. We are focused on helping as many learners as possible become YVALs because research shows that every minute spent on Khan Academy can lead to learning gains. Looking ahead, we will continue to prioritize growing our Districts Partnerships program, which has proven to be a highly effective pathway for students to reach the YVAL threshold and accelerate their learning.