Newark Public Schools partners with Khan Academy to boost math proficiency

Background

In 2023, Newark Public School District became one of several districts to pilot Khanmigo, Khan Academy’s AI tutor and teaching assistant. Following strong engagement during the pilot, the district expanded implementation of Khan Academy and Khanmigo across 14 schools in Newark’s North Ward. Today, the partnership reaches 29,000 students across 66 schools.

Challenges

Like many districts across the US, Newark faced persistent challenges in math achievement. Nationwide, only 39% of 4th graders are proficient in math. By 8th grade, the number drops to 28%, and by 12th grade, just 22% are proficient. Newark’s students—particularly those in historically under-resourced communities—were disproportionately impacted. District leaders needed a solution that could both engage students and drive measurable growth on standardized assessments.

“Students who became Yearly Proficient Learners on Khan Academy achieved three times the state-level average increase in math scores.”

Solutions

Pilot in selected schools & wards

• Began in 2023 with implementation of Khanmigo in First Avenue Elementary and other pilot sites in Newark’s North Ward
• Following the successful pilot and part of the broader district-program rollout, expansion to 14 schools in the North Ward, eventually scaling to 66 schools, reaching ~29,000 students. 

Integration of AI math support for students and teachers (Khanmigo)

• Teachers use Khanmigo to augment their math instruction: drafting lesson hooks, creating problem sets, tailoring material to student interests. For example, a teacher had Khanmigo generate algebra problems based on local role models or student interests, such as Fights/Shakur Stevenson and themes like Pokémon / Roblox.
• Teachers also used Khanmigo to assist with routine tasks (rubrics, lesson planning), freeing up time for more personalized math support.

Data dashboards/student performance tracking

• Teachers have access to individual student dashboards in Khan Academy to track skill mastery, growth, and areas needing support. This enables responsive instruction. 

Professional learning for educators

• Support for teachers to become comfortable with using Khan Academy: training, change management 

Implementation support and scaling

• Whole-district support: rostering, administrative dashboards, monitoring usage, ensuring licensed learners have sufficient access, etc.
• Encouraging consistent usage (dosage), breaking down barriers to adoption (teacher comfort, technology access) and ensuring equity so that students in all schools have access

Results

Khan Academy partnered with Newark to conduct a three-year longitudinal efficacy study with ~8,000 students in grades 3–8. Using baseline data from 2021–22 and subsequent years of NJSLA math scores, researchers measured the year-over-year growth of the same students.

Results showed:

• Students who became Yearly Proficient Learners (YPLs) on Khan Academy by learning 60 additional skills achieved an average +6 points on the NJSLA compared to the state average of +2.
• YPL students achieved 3x the state average math score increase.
• Students could expect ~1 additional NJSLA point for every 10 new math skills learned on Khan Academy.

These findings underscore how Khan Academy Districts—with its content, AI tools, professional learning, and implementation support—can help close math-proficiency gaps in historically under-resourced communities.