Khoaching with Khan Academy (KWiK)
Last Revised: October 30, 2025
Program overview
Individualizing education: Khoaching with Khan Academy (KWiK) is a math intervention which combines a Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) model, Khan Academy, with implementation support for teachers. The strategy aims to improve student math performance and customize learning based on individual need.
Implementing a mastery based learning model: Khan Academy is a free online learning platform. It utilizes a mastery based learning strategy, where students have to prove proficiency in a skill or topic before moving to the next one. Students watch videos going over a topic and example problems, before attempting practice themselves and completing a quiz to establish mastery. The program offers hints when students are struggling and provides recommendations for moving on to new skills. Khan Academy can be used in class or as a homework resource. The study targeted at least one hour of practice a week.
Enabling teachers to customize content: Teachers can link to their students' Khan Academy accounts, allowing them to choose exercises and topics for students to complete in line with the math curriculum. Khan Academy collects data on student performance allowing teachers to track progress and provide feedback and grades for completed work.
Providing coaching: As part of KWiK teachers were provided with significant guidance on how to best utilize Khan Academy in the classroom. Khoaches, who were teaching assistants, provided training on the program prior to implementation and communicated with teachers once a week throughout the school year. Khoaches helped monitor classroom progress and data and assisted teachers in adjusting curriculum.
A single study provides evidence for Khoaching with Khan Academy as a model for improving student math achievement.
A 2024 randomized controlled trial found that 3rd-6th grade students whose classrooms participated in Khoaching with Khan Academy performed .171 standard deviations better on end of the year math exams relative to students whose teachers did not use Khan Academy. This result was statistically significant. These gains were driven by students whose classrooms averaged at least 35 minutes of practice a week.
Facilitate teacher and student buy in: Students in classrooms with higher Khan Academy usage generally experienced more improvement in math scores. As such, teacher commitment to implementing the program is an important factor in success. This should be emphasized in training and teachers should be encouraged to create a regular schedule for when and where practice is completed each week. For younger students, rewards for meeting practice goals, like stickers, may encourage participation and help with classroom management when students are independently working.
Prioritize implementation for younger students: Often when students reach middle school they switch teachers throughout the day and have more classes. This limits their time in math class, prevents extra down time from being allocated to Khan Academy, and may be an obstacle for implementation. For example, the study found that on average middle school students had 50 minutes a day for mathematics and elementary students had 70. As such, if school districts have limited resources for coaching, younger grades should be prioritized as the Khan Academy model may be easier to implement in the classroom.
Utilize data to improve practices: Khan Academy collects significant data on student practice and performance. As such, teachers should be trained on how to utilize these data alongside their other formative assessment data. This will strengthen their ability to identify pedagogical or curricular adjustments to improve student learning.