14% Science score jump: Tennessee teachers share their Wayground success formula

Every tech coach has heard the promises: "This tool will transform student outcomes!" But Crystal Nolen has the receipts.

When certain grade levels and subjects’ state test scores increased in achievement percentages, Crystal didn't just celebrate—she investigated. The Lakeland School System's Instructional Technology Facilitator found a clear pattern: some teachers who incorporated Wayground (formerly Quizizz) into their lessons saw dramatic student gains. The numbers tell the story. Crystal's "power users"—teachers using Wayground 2-3 times weekly—delivered results across the board:

• Middle School Science: 14% increase in achievement
• Middle School Math: up 4%
• Middle School Science up 12%

“There is a connection between teachers who utilized the standards reports on Wayground with the subjects that showed an increase in achievement,” said Crystal. 

We sat down with Crystal to learn exactly how these teachers use Wayground, what makes the difference between casual and power users, and why consistent platform usage correlates so strongly with test score improvements.

Can you share a bit about your role and how long Wayground has been used in your district?

Crystal: I'm the Instructional Technology Facilitator for grades 5–8, but our school serves grades 5–12. We first subscribed to Wayground last summer. Some of our teachers had been using the free version and had consistently asked for the paid version

I probably manage about 50 teachers, and I’d say around 45 to 50 percent of them are power users, which means they use Wayground for at least two to three assessments each week.

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What made Wayground stand out when deciding what tools to purchase?

Crystal: Wayground basically does everything all of our other supplemental tools do. Living in Tennessee, we're very restricted in what supplemental tools we can use due to age-appropriate content and data privacy. Wayground meets all of those requirements and checks all the boxes for us. One of the biggest selling points for purchasing it this year in my district was showing how teachers who use it often see improvement on their benchmark scores and state testing.

The addition of the connection to the curriculum this year also allowed us to purchase it. We had adopted Envision and Elevate and aw that Wayground’s AI generation tool could pull directly from those curriculum materials.

I also look at whether teachers can easily use the program and implement it so they don't get frustrated, and whether it takes work off their plates. We have so many power users because the platform is so teacher-friendly. It's set up so that the content is trustworthy, but teachers can also adapt the content easily.

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How did you train and support teachers with implementation?

Crystal: We first introduced it through our summer learning camp when we purchased it. Those teachers were already familiar with the program because some had been using the free version.

I also hosted several Google Meet sessions over the summer, including one specifically focused on Wayground, where teachers could earn float credit. 

There were a few teachers who already loved Wayground, so I had them lead professional development sessions with their grade-level teams. 

Showing everything at once kind of pushes teachers away because it's overwhelming, so we leveled the training: Wayground Level 2 and Level 3 sessions, each covering specific features. Then throughout the year, I would do refreshers. So there were maybe two to three more sessions where I refreshed on Wayground.

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How do teachers use Wayground to support benchmark and state test prep?

Crystal: Teachers mostly use the assessment feature, and I do have a couple of teachers who have grasped the lessons this year. They will also use Wayground as a review for a lot of the benchmark testing that we do throughout the year.

We get benchmark reports that show which standards students struggled with, and when I look at the assessments teachers create in Wayground, those are the standards they’re targeting. They’re using the data to plan and provide additional practice for those areas.

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What were the leading indicators that Wayground made an impact on student growth?

Crystal: In our Middle School there were certain subjects that showed growth in achievement. One of the 8th-grade science teachers is a power user, and when I went into her assessments, she had created several assessments with the standards that needed growth. She also had a benchmark 3 review, and her scores showed growth due to her review. She used Wayground as a review for a lot of the benchmark testing, and her results showed that the students who did well on the review also did well on the benchmark. 

When looking at the other areas, there were more increases in achievement.The data showed all these connections, and my teachers who utilized Wayground showed growth on assessments. 

We also saw that teachers used the accommodations features frequently, and that enabled some of our sub groups to succeed and interact with content on their levels.   One  teacher used Wayground for differentiation quite often because her classes had students on various levels. When she taught new material, she would assign assessments for students to work on independently and use the accommodations and the adaptive question feature that adds in extra questions and review. She felt that it really helped struggling students fill in their learning gaps.

There is a clear connection from using Wayground to higher achievement. 

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In what ways are you hoping to grow teacher usage or impact with Wayground moving forward?

Crystal: I really want to focus on supporting our brand-new teachers, especially in math. We have several new educators in that area, and I want them to know that Wayground is a resource they can rely on, so that’s going to be a hyperfocus for me.

I’ve also seen some high interest from our world language teachers, and I want to figure out how we can ensure they benefit from using Wayground. I want to ensure to support all of our subject areas, especially those that contain a lot of reading, like ELA. With the new passage features on Wauground, we can practice having students read text online for end of the year testing as well as annotating.Ultimately, I want to help teachers understand that this isn’t just about putting a program in front of students. It’s about using Wayground intentionally to fill in learning gaps. Once we get our benchmark reports back, we can look at the standards that didn’t score well and then see how Wayground can support teachers in going back over those areas with students.

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The Data Speaks for Itself

Crystal's findings cut through the edtech noise. These aren't engagement metrics or satisfaction surveys—they're rising in achievement rankings and percentages in a single year.

The formula is straightforward: Teachers who use Wayground 2-3 times weekly see significant student growth. Those who don't, don't.

But frequency is just the starting point. "It's about using Wayground intentionally to fill in learning gaps," Crystal explains. "Once we get our benchmark reports back, we can look at the standards that didn't score well and then see how Wayground can support teachers in going back over those areas with students."

Looking ahead, Crystal's strategy is clear:

• Get new math teachers up to power-user status from day one
• Expand usage in ELA
• Continue using benchmark data to drive targeted practice

For districts questioning their edtech ROI, Crystal keeps it simple: Look at your data. Find your power users. Encourage them to share their success. Compare this to benchmark and test scores to find connections.

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Ready to see these results in your district?

Start with motivated teachers. Provide leveled training. Use benchmark data to guide practice. The path to higher achievement isn't complicated—it's consistent teachers using the right tools intentionally.