Since 2021, ExploreLearning has partnered with a large Florida school district to study the impact of Frax on both fractions knowledge and overall math achievement.
Now, after three years, a longitudinal study shows the powerful, lasting effects of Frax, revealing that early and consistent classroom use builds strong, long-term fractions proficiency.
A district partnership for long-term success
For three years, the ExploreLearning research team has worked with district leaders and teachers in the Florida district to develop a relationship focused on student growth and success. They have helped the district measure the impact of Frax on student achievement and see ways to use insights from students’ data to improve instruction.
Findings from the first two years revealed that students using Frax made statistically significant gains in math achievement, including the most academically at-risk learners, with gains continuing from Year 1 into Year 2. In Year 3, researchers analyzed data from 5th and 6th-grade students who completed Frax Sector 1 during the previous two years to test the long-term impact of Frax usage on mathematics achievement.
The team also studied a new group of 3rd and 4th-grade students to examine how advanced fractions content in Frax supports achievement of grade-level fractions standards on state math assessments. This summary focuses on the outcomes for grades 3 and 4.
Expanding from Sector 1 to Sector 2
In Frax, students progress through missions grouped by three Sectors that align to elementary grade-level fractions standards. Frax missions are structured as game-based challenges, allowing students to learn by doing as they progress through carefully scaffolded instruction.
During the 2023-2024 school year, the Florida district expanded its use of Frax from Sector 1 (targeting grade 3 standards) to Sector 2 (targeting grade 4 standards). Sector 1 provides students a foundational understanding of fractions, but mastery doesn’t stop there. Sector 2 allows students to take the next critical step—helping them apply their fraction knowledge through early fraction arithmetic, equivalence, and the bridge to decimals. These skills are essential for success on 4th-grade standards and serve as the gateway to middle school math, where students must fluently compare, operate on, and reason about fractions and decimals.
A new cohort with new insights
Researchers analyzed the cohort of 3rd and 4th-grade students to examine how advanced fractions content in Frax supports students’ achievement of fractions standards on state math assessments. This new group of 3rd and 4th-grade students validated and extended the findings from the previous two years of research, highlighting the positive impact of Sector 2 on students' fractions proficiency.
The research focused on 3rd-grade students who used Sector 1 and 4th-grade students who used both Sectors 1 and 2. Researchers specifically focused on uncovering the link between students’ Frax usage and mastery of grade-level fractions standards.
Students who did not use Frax showed significantly more struggle with 4th-grade fractions concepts compared to 3rd-grade, with nearly one-quarter of students in this sample failing to meet grade-level proficiency. Frax nearly eliminated this challenge, with 98% of students who used Frax Sectors 1 and 2 meeting or exceeding 4th-grade fractions proficiency standards.
Key findings for 3rd and 4th graders
What were the key findings for this new cohort of students?
- In the sample of students with typical classroom fractions instruction, 11% of 3rd-graders and 26% of 4th-graders failed to meet grade-level fractions standards. In comparison, 99% of 3rd-grade students and 98% of 4th-grade students who used Frax met proficiency in grade-level fractions standards.
- Nearly all academically underperforming 4th-grade students who completed both Frax Sectors 1 and 2 met fractions standards at the end-of-year assessment, compared to only half of similar students who did not use Frax.
- High-achieving students were 2× more likely to exceed fractions standards after using Frax compared to similar students who did not use Frax.
Frax Sector 1 boosts grade-level mastery and builds readiness
For 3rd-grade students who completed Sector 1, the gains were clear. Researchers examined the change in students’ overall math growth, comparing fall baseline scores to overall percentiles at the end of the school year. No matter the starting achievement levels, students who used Frax showed increased performance on fractions standards.
At-risk students showed particular growth, with 35% of students exceeding grade-level standards compared to 10% for students who did not use Frax. Higher-achieving students who used Frax also grew, being 2x more likely to exceed standards (77%) compared to non-users (38%).
Frax Sector 2 sustains fraction achievement and grade-level proficiency
Nearly all academically underperforming 4th-grade students who completed both Frax Sectors 1 and 2 met fractions standards at the end-of-year assessment, compared to only half of similar students who did not use Frax.
Less than 2% of 4th-grade Frax users failed to meet grade-level fractions standards, compared to 26% of similar students who did not use Frax.
Meet grade-level fractions standards and transform instruction with Frax
Frax Sector 1 helps all students achieve success with grade 3 fractions while also laying the foundations required for advanced work in grade 4 and beyond. Adding Sector 2 only amplifies fractions performance, as shown with the 4th-grade cohort. Together, Sectors 1 and 2 form a complete pathway through the most challenging early fraction standards, giving students the confidence and skills to succeed in upper-grade math.
Using all Frax Sectors ensures that:
- Foundations stick: Students don’t just recognize fractions—they learn to manipulate and reason with them.
- The fraction-to-decimal connection is made: Students gain a deeper understanding of place value and prepare for later work with ratios and percentages.
- Gaps close before middle school: Sector 2 targets the skills most likely to cause long-term difficulties if left underdeveloped.
These results highlight the transformative power of building a foundational understanding of fractions early in a student's learning journey. By targeting fractions, one of the most persistent stumbling blocks in elementary math, Frax offers a powerful opportunity to shift long-term trajectories in math.
Coming in fall 2025, Sector 3 will allow students to use the foundations built in Sectors 1 and 2 to achieve even more success as they develop a strong mastery of grade 5 fraction arithmetic. Sector 3 completes the Frax journey, moving students from understanding and applying fractions to full mastery of fraction operations—the key to middle school readiness. Get started with Frax today with a free classroom trial!