A company with a mission to fulfill the dreams of educators: DreamBox

In the current day and age, technology is playing a major role in all sectors including education. The world is embarking on the Fourth Industrial Revolution and if estimates are anything to go by, there will be about 1.5 million digitized jobs around the world by the year 2020 itself. There is a severe shortage of professionals with upgraded IT skills in 90% of the organizations today. Due to this fact, there is an increasing need to prepare the future generations for a digital world. The need of the hour is for the education sector to adapt itself to this demand. Virtual and augmented reality is set to change the educational landscape.

Technology can help uncover newer approaches to education and has the power to enhance education by providing experiences that lead to more intensive learning. Deep learning technologies can enable students to take a more collaborative approach to studies, work on and design models, and make learning more articulate visually and verbally. The future will see classrooms make use of wireless technologies, switches and routers that are accessible remotely, and products that utilize the Internet of Things. Deep learning technologies will accord more power to instructors. Customizable learning management platforms will ensure that tutors can interact with their peers around the world.

Advent and Impact

With the goal of pinpointing the root of the problematic gaps, district and school administrators embarked on a path to increase learning outcomes. It wasn’t an easy task and would require a long-term solution that would universally help students across all grade levels. After careful review, a collective group of district leaders decided to implement a math intervention program, which consists of providing one-on-one support for students performing in their grade’s lowest quartile, in addition to their classroom instruction. DreamBox Learning Math was selected as a core component of the intervention program because of its ability to identify and close learning gaps by providing rigorous curriculum aligned to the readiness of individual students. After using DreamBox Learning Math as part of their math intervention programs for one year, NWEA scores across the board have improved in DeKalb Central School District. Additionally, district interventionists report that growth is occurring for all of their students. This increase in math comprehension is credited to DreamBox usage, quality Tier 1 instruction, and small-group instruction.

Functions

The company developed a revolutionary Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ technology, and combined it with a rigorous curriculum and an engaging game-like environment, to change the learning paradigm. Their innovative technology captures every interaction a student makes while working within and between lessons. As it dynamically adapts and individualizes instruction in real time, it provides millions of learning paths tailored to each student’s unique needs. It is a ground-breaking, student-driven learning environment that leverages gaming fundamentals to inspire and empower students to build 21st century thinking and problem solving skills, master key concepts, increase achievement, and boost long-lasting confidence in learning.

Application

Any educational products used must have the ability to adapt to a number of different situations in diverse classrooms, while providing consistent positive impact each time. DreamBox held a possible solution to meeting these challenges. Searching for a supplemental math program that could gain deeper insight into student comprehension while helping educators better understand the progress of their students, San José Unified began looking for ways to help address the needs of individual students. Because of its powerful adaptive engine, ability to drive real results through student engagement, and its ability to help students build comprehension and understanding, they selected DreamBox Learning. Initially, teachers were enthusiastic about the product, but had some confusion on how to best use it in the classroom. To ease the learning curve, SJUSD offers educators ongoing professional development, helping them learn how to best apply the program in their individual classrooms. Now used across the district in a number of different ways for various situations, teachers are finding it is the perfect complement to their core classroom instruction in math. San José Unified’s numerous classroom stories help illustrate a variety of situations teachers often face in math education, and highlight the need for a tool that’s as adaptable as SJUSD’s innovative educators.

Core beliefs of the company

Children persist in learning when they are engaged, challenged and having fun.

Students are teachers as well as learners who can drive their own progress.

Teachers need support for differentiating instruction to a broad range of learners.

To thrive as life-long learners requires mastery of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The company’s future depends on helping the next generations learn how to learn. DreamBox Learning believes that all students can exceed their own and others’ expectations. With the right learning environment, one that adapts intelligently to each individual’s unique skills and needs, and one that is student-centered and student driven, we can help millions of learners achieve this vision.

Jessie Woolley-WilsonChair, CEO and President of Dreambox

Jessie joined DreamBox Learning^® in 2010 as Chair, President, and CEO. The startup software company had pioneered Intelligent Adaptive Learning™ in 2006 and began partnering with schools soon after Jessie joined. Today, DreamBox serves nearly 3 million K-8 students and approximately 120,000 teachers. The company provided more than 350 million math lessons across the U.S. and Canada in 2017. Jessie recently secured a $130 million investment in DreamBox from The Rise Fund, a global impact investing fund managed by TPG Growth. Prior to joining DreamBox, Jessie served as president of Blackboard’s K-12 Group and LeapFrog SchoolHouse, the K-12 division of LeapFrog Enterprises. Jessie also served in leadership positions at collegeboard.com, the interactive division of The College Board, and at Kaplan, the leading test preparation company in the U.S.Prior to working at DreamBox, Jessie served as President of LeapFrog Enterprises from 2004–2005 and President of Blackboard Inc.'s K-12 Group from 2007-2010. In 2012, Jessie was named one of Forbes' Impact 15 in education for her work at DreamBox.