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The Impact of Reflex on Student Achievement
Reflex produces positive evidence-based results in math
The most effective and flexible math fact fluency system available.
Across multiple grade levels, standardized tests, and benchmark assessments—students who use Reflex are scoring higher and growing faster than their peers, as demonstrated by numerous independent, academic efficacy studies.
The Reflex approach has proven effective for more than a decade. The Digital Promise ESSA Tier 3 Certification demonstrates that Reflex, built on learning sciences research, positively impacts student learning through strong quantitative evidence.
Featured Research
Getting the Reflex Green Light Increases Grade 2 Fluency and NWEA MAP Achievement
Students who used Reflex with fidelity were 7.4x more likely to reach 100% fluency compared to students who did not use Reflex with high fidelity. These students also showed significantly higher growth on NWEA MAP Growth assessments and had a greater likelihood of meeting or exceeding growth benchmarks.
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Research Brief
Reflex supports achievement of grade-level math proficiency
Research involving 35,000+ students found that frequent Reflex usage led to large gains in fluency and improved rates of grade-level proficiency in elementary mathematics.
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Research Brief
Grade-level proficiency 2.5x more likely with Reflex and Frax
2nd graders who scored two or more grade levels below in math at the start of year one improved by an average of 11 percentile points when they used Reflex, compared to 5 percentile points in non-users. When those same Reflex users advanced to 3rd grade and used Frax, students were 2.5x more likely to reach on-grade level math proficiency by the end of 3rd grade compared to non-users.
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Research Brief
Evidence from a District’s First-Year Implementation of Reflex and Frax
The Impact of Reflex and Frax on student math achievement in Grandville was significant. Read the details and find out how these math programs made a difference in student performance.
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Research Brief
Reflex and Frax power math achievement gains
In a large suburban Florida school district, students who used Reflex and Frax had statistically more significant math score gains in i-Ready compared to non-users. Across all students, Reflex and Frax users were 60% more likely to meet or exceed typical growth goals and 2x more likely to meet or exceed aspirational stretch growth goals.
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Research Brief
Survey results: Reflex improves fact fluency, motivation, and confidence
Teachers reported that Reflex helped increase students’ math fact fluency skills in addition to their overall engagement, persistence, and attention in math.
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Research Brief
Evidence shows Reflex improves math fact fluency in Title I schools
Students who used Reflex experienced greater improvement in their math fact fluency than students who did not use Reflex. Even students who started out identical on the pre-test before using Reflex outperformed control students by 2.6x on the post-test.
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Research Brief
At-risk students in grades 2-5 who used Reflex achieved 2x larger gains on standardized math assessments
A multi-year correlational study in Charlottesville City Schools (VA) found that academically at-risk students (bottom 25th percentile) who used Reflex with fidelity gained an average of 19.3 percentile points on the NWEA MAP math test compared to a 9.1 percentile point gain for students who did not use Reflex over the course of one year. In the second year, 79% of the at-risk students using Reflex moved out of the lowest quartile, and over 30% moved into the upper half of students nationally.
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Research Brief
Elementary teachers rate Reflex high in usability, student growth, and overall satisfaction
On a scale of 1 (very negative) to 10 (very positive), teachers gave Reflex an average rating of 9.1. Teachers saw increased attention, engagement, and motivation with Reflex.
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Research Brief
Grade 2 students who used Reflex surpassed national median scores on standardized math assessments
A study of 90 2nd-grade students in Charlottesville City Schools (VA) found that Reflex users experienced significantly larger growth on the NWEA MAP test (18.7 percentile points increase) compared to those who did not (1.9 percentile points increase), surpassing national median scores. Additionally, 75% of high Reflex users who started the year academically at-risk on the NWEA MAP (bottom 25th percentile) moved out of this high-risk category by the spring.
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Research Brief
Grade 4 students who used Reflex outperformed peers on state standardized testing
A group of Charlottesville City Schools (VA) students who used Reflex during 3rd grade surpassed the statewide average pass rate on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) math test the following year. The pass rate change for the Reflex-using students grew 22.5 percentage points between grades 3 and 4—more than 2x the state average change of 10 percentage points over that same time period.
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Research Brief
At-risk students in grade 6 achieved 1.5 grade levels of growth in just four months with Reflex
Research in Albemarle County Schools (VA) found academically at-risk 6th graders who used Reflex grew an average of 7.9 points on the NWEA MAP math test in just four months, which is 2.5x the typical growth rate and equivalent to what a typical 6th grader would attain in 18 months. The Reflex-using group came into 6th grade with a substantially lower pass rate on their 5th-grade state test than the district as a whole. Only 50% had passed the exam, compared to 69% district-wide. After a year with Reflex, they closed the gap and surpassed the district average. 94% of them passed the grade 6 test compared to 84% across the district.
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Peer-Reviewed Journal Publication
Use of Reflex correlated with higher classroom achievement
A university research study conducted a quasi-experimental, pre-post test study of the impact of Reflex on math fact fluency and math grades with 12 classes of students in grades 1-4. After using Reflex with fidelity for approximately nine weeks, students nearly doubled their math fact fluency test scores. Additionally, math fact fluency gains were strongly correlated with student math grades.
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Third-Party Evaluation
At-risk middle school Reflex users see a 24% greater increase in math fact automaticity scores
A quasi-experimental research study conducted with middle schoolers identified as at-risk for academic failure in math found that students who used Reflex as part of their RTI block increased an additional 24% on an external measure of math fact automaticity compared to students who did not use Reflex.
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Research Brief
2nd and 3rd-grade Reflex users experienced significantly larger growth in math fact accuracy and speed
A quasi-experimental research study in Broward County Public Schools (FL) found that students in grades 2 and 3 who used Reflex saw statistically significant improvement in math fact fluency compared to students using traditional instructional methods. In a 3rd-grade class with 41% FRPL, 82% minority, and 12% low English proficiency, students using Reflex could more than double the number of correct facts per minute, exceeding the average scores of both control group classes.
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Third-Party Evaluation
Reflex produces generalizable results for all students, including those with disabilities
A university research study of 2nd-grade students found that students with disabilities gained math fact fluency at a similar rate as compared to their non-disabled peers after using Reflex for ten weeks. The students also preferred practicing on Reflex (68.5%) over paper-and-pencil practices. Additionally, students generalized growth to paper-based assessments of both single and multi-digit addition measures.
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Third-Party Evaluation
Reflex increases students’ math fact fluency and positive math attitudes
A university research study found that 4th-grade students who used Reflex improved in math fact fluency on both computerized and paper assessments. The average student gained 68.9 percentage points on a paper and pencil test of multiplication fact fluency from fall to spring, with an average spring fluency level of 91%. Additionally, students reported a 72.5% increase in positive attitudes towards math from fall to spring surveys.
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Research Brief
Academically at-risk students see large improvements with Reflex
This study examined 20,000 students at 233 Title I eligible schools with recommended or near recommended Reflex usage during the 2016-2017 school year. Regardless of the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch at the school, their average fluency improved by 400%. In just 60 days, Reflex helped close the achievement gap in math for Title I elementary school students.
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Third-Party Evaluation
Gamification in Reflex is an important motivating factor of learning in flex blended classrooms
A university research study interviewed 4th-grade students using Reflex over the course of a year about their experiences in a flex blended classroom. Many students noted that the fun and game-like experience of Reflex helped them learn their facts better and kept them motivated and engaged with digital learning tools.
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Research Brief
Reflex adoption between 2019 and 2022 prevented learning loss when compared to local schools
In the context of large losses in students’ math achievement, five schools within a Western region state that implemented Reflex between 2019 and 2022 saw double-digit increases in proficiency on summative state assessments compared to control schools matched on 2019 test scores.
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What People Say About Reflex