Case Study: Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School achieves 10% reading and 160% math PSSA gains with Edmentum’s Study Island

Technology and Incentive-Driven Learning

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, an online K–12 provider serving about 11,000 students (5,500 in testing grades 3–11, many new and transient), needed a web-based intervention to quickly assess weaknesses and bring struggling students up to grade level before state PSSA testing. The school historically made Adequate Yearly Progress only sporadically and required a scalable, engaging solution to improve consistency and outcomes.

The school adopted Study Island, had teachers assign timed practice, and launched a gamified competition called “Escape the Island” to boost participation. Engagement surged (some students answered thousands of questions), and the school saw substantial gains: overall PSSA reading increased 10% and math increased 160%, with students answering 200+ Study Island questions posting the largest gains (about +45 points reading and +61 points math). The school has met AYP for three consecutive years.

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School

Luke Barry

Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School's Student Assessment Specialist