29% State-Testing Gains for 19,000 Students in Texas

​​Exploros, the K12 learning experience platform, delivers remarkable impact for middle school campuses across Texas. In a recent case study based on publicly available campus-level state testing data, 94% of the state’s middle schools using the Exploros OER Social Studies Program improved, with a dramatic average increase of 29% in their STAAR testing score. These unprecedented gains are being achieved by a traditionally disadvantaged student body — 58% At Risk, 74% Economically Disadvantaged, 23% Limited English Proficiency, with nearly three-quarters of the students overall identified as Hispanic, according to state demographics. The gains are not simply improvements in students passing the STAAR test — the majority of the increase comes from student mastery.

“The driving force behind this eye-opening improvement is student engagement,” says Bradley Heilman, Exploros CEO. “With Exploros, there are no bystanders — every student is actively involved in the classroom learning experience.” Using devices like Chromebooks or iPads, all students contribute: posting short responses, brainstorming, sharing graphic organizers, taking polls or submitting drawings. In essence, students channel their native social media skills towards in-class academics. These contributions drive peer interaction and fuel classroom discussions guided by the teacher. Exploros also automatically aggregates learning progress data to assist teachers with data-driven instructional improvement efforts. 

Another key to success is how simple Exploros is for teachers to integrate into daily classroom instruction. With a high-quality lesson aligned to state standards for each instructional day, teachers pick and choose what they want to teach and get started with a few clicks. “It’s not just for tech-savvy teachers — all teachers succeed, which means all students have access,” says Mr. Heilman. This is central to the concept of digital equity. As Assistant Superintendent Paul Miller from McGregor ISD puts it, “we continue to be impressed by how user-friendly the program is. Great teachers with great tools equals productive students.”

Exploros is a K12 educational technology company that specializes in helping teachers deliver exceptional social classroom learning experiences that engage all students. Exploros augments teacher expertise and helps transition classrooms to student-centered, data-driven instruction.