New Grants Support Research into Math Education Using Datasets from Khan Academy, Curriculum Associates, and University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning

Digital Promise, Curriculum Associates, Khan Academy, and the University of Florida (UF) Lastinger Center for Learning today announced the first 10 Advancing Innovative Math Solutions (AIMS) EduData research grants. Through these grants, researchers will partner with some of the most widely used digital learning platforms in schools to better understand student and teacher motivation, engagement, and persistence in mathematics.

The grants bring additional early career investigators into the AIMS Collaboratory, a Gates Foundation initiative focused on strengthening research infrastructure to advance mathematics education. The infrastructure supports collaboration among researchers, developers, and practitioners to enhance the quality of digital math tools as well as classroom practices.

“We know that every child can reach grade level when they are engaged and have the right supports. We’re pleased that our rich data are being leveraged to surface and scale effective math practices that engage students and benefit classrooms,” said Kristen Huff, head of measurement for Curriculum Associates. “This collaboration reflects our belief that high-quality evidence can and should drive advancements and impact in education.”

The 10 grantees were selected from a competitive pool of more than 90 applicants and include graduate students, educators with research roles, and early career professionals from across the country, including Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. The grants, which range from $10,000 to $50,000, will enable grantees to conduct original research using rich datasets provided by University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning, Khan Academy, or Curriculum Associates. Four of the teams received planning grants for larger-scale research projects.

These new awards contribute to a growing movement that seeks to shift research closer to the tools students already use, address challenges that educators prioritize, and speed the incorporation of research insights into well-used curricular resources. Jeremy Roschelle, executive director of learning sciences research at Digital Promise explains: “We’re seeing developers, researchers, and educators call for research that can improve the mathematics learning experiences of students on the tools they use every day. These grants engage researchers with real-world tools and datasets early in their careers, paving the way for long-term research that makes a meaningful difference in classrooms everywhere.”

Across all 10 awards, the funds will enable the grantees to study how digital learning data can reveal the connections between student motivation, mathematics resources, and math learning. For example, several promising early career researchers are leveraging advanced analytics and AI to improve math education. Grantees will also access career development opportunities and build relationships with a dynamic community of digital learning providers and researchers.

“Supporting researchers as they strengthen the broader field of mathematics education is a pillar of our work,” said Zandra de Araujo, Ph.D., director of mathematics at the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. “We are so pleased to provide researchers the opportunity to leverage digital platform data from our Data Lagoon to scale innovative, high-impact professional learning models.”

Research funded by the AIMS EduData research grants include the following projects:

• Using data from Khan Academy, researchers at the University of Notre Dame will explore the use of deep reinforcement learning to create adaptive learning recommendations tailored to students’ skill levels.
• Using data from the Curriculum Associates i-Ready platform, researchers at George Mason University will analyze learners’ early engagement and persistence patterns and identify actionable insights for educators.
• Using data from the UF Lastinger Center’s Data Lagoon, a researcher at the University of Utah will develop a system using large language models to analyze teacher knowledge and provide recommendations for targeted professional development.
• Two school districts, DC Public Schools and KIPP Camden, will study how teachers can use learning platforms to deliver targeted math interventions for students performing below grade level.

Digital Promise anticipates announcing future grant competitions later in 2025 and 2026, creating opportunities for more researchers to work with these and other digital learning tools. Visit the AIMS EduData website and subscribe for updates to learn more.

Additional opportunities for researchers interested in the movement to collaborate with digital learning platforms are possible through related efforts in which Digital Promise plays a key role, including SEERNet and SafeInsights.