HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Stride, an award-winning online program for pre-K through 8th grade students, is now be available for purchase outside of a classroom setting. The platform from K12, Inc., which earned acclaim earlier this year for its ability to improve academic achievement in schools, motivates kids towards mastery and rewards learning with games. Stride’s immersive experience is designed to match the depth and rigor of classroom-based learning standards, while providing a fun environment for students to learn at home or on-the-go.

Stride accelerates learning through a powerful combination of adaptive technology and game-based incentives. Students master content and hone skills in math, language arts, reading and science, and earn badges to mark their progress. Each correct answer earns the student coins that can be exchanged for access to games within the app. The badges allow parents to monitor how the tool is supporting learning, while the coins and games motivate students in a fun and low-pressure setting.

“Students will spend thousands of hours playing video games before they leave high school,” said Stuart Udell, CEO of K12, Inc. “With Stride, we are able to meet more students where they are already comfortable, and help develop critical skills with tools that are familiar to them. Every parent should consider Stride for their family.”

The tool was originally developed for the classroom almost twenty years ago by Brian Shulman, now K12’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Sales. His then four-year-old son loved video games and football, but was less enamored with preschool. Shulman set out to find a way to use video and real-world games that his son loved to encourage him in school. Other students caught on, and teachers found that those who were the hardest to motivate in class were benefiting most from the game. Teachers asked for a version that would align with their curriculum, and in less than three years Shulman built Stride for the classroom.

A recent study by the Auburn University Center for Evaluation (ACE) analyzed ACT® Aspire® data for Alabama students using Stride in school, and compared it to scores of their peers. ACE found over the course of the two-year study that teacher-facilitated Stride was “successful in improving academic achievement in targeted schools,” and is a “valuable method of improving scores for any student.”

Stride includes over 45,000 questions and a wide variety of games at various skill levels. As students move through subjects, the platform recognizes proficiency and identifies skills gaps in real time, quickly adapting to provide an appropriate learning pathway. Questions are also available in Spanish to support English-language learners.

Stride is available for consumer purchase at k12courses.com/stride.

About K12

K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN) is driving innovation and advancing the quality of education by delivering state-of-the-art, digital learning platforms and technology to students and school districts across the globe. K12’s curricula serves over 2,000 schools and school districts and has delivered millions of courses over the past decade. K12 is a company of educators providing online and blended education solutions to charter schools, public school districts, private schools, and directly to families. The K12 program is offered through more than 70 partner public schools, and through school districts and public and private schools serving students in all 50 states and more than 100 countries. More information can be found at K12.com.

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