9 Qualities you must evaluate when adopting math software
All Posts1. DoK range

2. Teacher control
Teachers should be able to easily choose the kind of content students see. At the class or student level -- or both -- some platforms allow teachers to:- Deliver assignments to assess understanding of specific skills
- Set in-program content to match topics and expectations
- Align questions to mirror standardized test questions
3. Adaptivity and differentiation
>> Read more in our adaptive learning guide <<
4. Curriculum alignment
If a given math program doesn’t align with your curriculum, it can limit the effectiveness of adaptability and teacher control. For example, in the United States, some state curricula are similar to -- whereas others are completely different from -- Common Core. So, you may have a strong need for an uncommon curriculum.In short: Some software will align with your curriculum; some will not.5. Data actionability
>>If you're interested in a curriculum-aligned math platform with actionable data, check out Prodigy<<
6. Ease-of-use
- Is intuitive to navigate
- Uses simple, yet descriptive, language
- Loads and displays properly across devices
- Offers built-in explanations and instructions
- Requires few clicks to find and use core features
- Allows you to add and remove students in straightforward ways
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7. Training and support
Finding a math platform that offers training and ongoing support should address uncertainty with school- and district-level implementation. If this is a concern, look for a platform that:- Offers training sessions to school leaders, tailored to your needs
- Teaches teachers, offering step-by-step instructions for using core features
- Provides a dedicated support manager to answer questions and concerns as they arise
8. Student engagement
Building students’ investment in learning is a never-ending initiative, but one you can support by choosing software they’ll enjoy using. Game-based learning (GBL) is growing more popular as a way to engage students while appealing to diverse learning styles. Some math games are made up of disparate challenges, whereas others present problems through cohesive storylines. The former is more common, whereas the latter is like many mainstream video games that students actively play.Regardless, compared with continuously drilling content in the same format, it’s easy to see why students would want a GBL program.>>If you're interested in a free and engaging math platform, check out Prodigy<<
9. Cost
Unfortunately, cost can be a major barrier.
Fortunately, platforms with diverse content, teacher tools and student reporting greatly vary in price. Whereas some can cost upwards of $10,000 USD for a large school, others are free. There are many more between these price points. This means there should be at least one or two platforms that fit your budget.
Downloadable list of the best math software qualities
Fill out the form below to access a condensed list of the nine best qualities to look for in your math software.Final thoughts about assessing math software
Keep these nine factors in mind when evaluating any math software. They’ll allow you to find an affordable solution that’s engaging and educational for students, helpful and intuitive for teachers and informative for school leaders.Looking to adopt new math software at your school? Prodigy is a no-cost, adaptive game-based learning platform that helps students from 1st-8th grade practice curriculum-aligned math -- covering more than 1,500 skills across three DOK levels. Prodigy engages students and helps teachers track student progress to provide targeted, differentiated instruction. Many students love Prodigy so much, they play at home more often than they do at school! School leaders can use Prodigy to:
- Gauge student preparation for standardized testing
- Inform teacher instruction to drive student achievement
- Pinpoint students' working grade levels and their levels on key strands