Bermuda Ministry of Education
Hamilton, Bermuda
DreamBox Math's Impact
Bermuda has had DreamBox Math since 2016, but it was in addition to other math programs available to teachers and wasn’t widely used. In the summer of 2019, Shinah Simons, the Student Management Systems Officer at the Bermuda Ministry of Education, was tasked with setting up students with access to DreamBox Math for a summer program.
Since then, DreamBox Math usage has grown tremendously among grades K-5 and continues to gain momentum through middle school. Teachers have seen firsthand how the adaptive nature of DreamBox Math helps students who are a bit behind fill their individual knowledge gaps so that they are better prepared to learn in class, while advanced students can work ahead if needed. Teachers can then ensure they are reaching all students and providing targeted instruction, instead of teaching to “the middle.” Because of this, students have seen noticeable growth in their math learning.
How DreamBox Math personalizes learning for each student and tracks the right data has more than confirmed the administration’s decision to implement the program and pinpoint where changes need to be made. More importantly, it allows them to identify and expand what is working for teachers and students.
DreamBox Math Usage
Principals at each of the elementary schools use different incentive methods to get teachers to use it regularly in their classrooms, such as schoolwide challenges and using the Growth Report to show real evidence of its effectiveness. Teachers can use the program in a way that works best for their classroom. For example, one teacher has students log in in the morning, which helps settle the class at the start of the day.
The math lead teacher for 2nd grade encourages all her students to complete at least 10 weekly DreamBox Math lessons, which is then rewarded.
Now that teachers are buying into DreamBox Math, Shinah has begun to include the parents as another way of ensuring students use the program regularly. He makes a point to show parents how to log in, how the program is used, and the learning results so they can be a part of their child’s success. It also creates a seamless, easy transition from school to home use of DreamBox Math, since students have Chromebooks.
Lightbulb Moments
Bermuda uses Cambridge International Curriculum Standards and measures its student success against those benchmarks. One moment in particular stands out as an example of how DreamBox Math can help students achieve success. Two first grade students started the 2023-2024 school year at very different levels. The one who was behind worked regularly in DreamBox Math from September 2023 to February 2024. She was able to catch up to her peers and continues to grow in her learning. So much so that she won the school challenge for DreamBox Math!
The use of DreamBox’s Launchpad—the in-platform assessment that gives an accurate baseline of student understanding and places students in the DreamBox Math curriculum—has also been an integral part of students’ learning and success in math. Launchpad gave the commissioner of Bermuda’s Ministry of Education leverage to encourage teachers and schools to start using DreamBox Math regularly. For example, she honored the first school that ensured 100% of their students completed the Launchpad assessment. Other schools noticed this, and now the principals see the value in having a tool like DreamBox’s Launchpad to help identify where their students are along their learning journey.
Looking Ahead
With the math gains that Bermuda has seen, the Ministry is looking to spread that success through more professional learning, with an emphasis on having it at the beginning of the school year as well as throughout. This way teachers are ready to start the year knowing how the program works and are more motivated to use it. The ministry also wants to push for more usage through grade 6-8 so that students go into high school better prepared for math success.