Ellevation Math
Product by Ellevation
Facts checked: Not yet checked
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating). This label applies to learning-science judgments throughout this overview.
Our take (not a Learning Standard rating)
Ellevation Math specifically targets the academic vocabulary required for math proficiency, a proven bottleneck for English Learners. While we have not yet formally evaluated the platform, its focus on dual-coding math concepts with explicit language instruction aligns well with cognitive load theory. It supplements rather than replaces core instruction.
Pros
- Focuses explicit instruction on academic math vocabulary to reduce cognitive load for English Learners.
- Facilitates instructional alignment between language specialists and general math teachers.
- Contextualizes math terminology using visual supports to aid schema construction.
Cons
- Acts strictly as a supplemental vocabulary tool rather than a comprehensive mathematics curriculum.
- Requires significant teacher orchestration to integrate the vocabulary lessons into daily math practice.
- Lacks generative practice or spaced retrieval for procedural math calculations.
What Do We Know About Ellevation Math?
Ellevation Math is an effective supplemental tool for English Learners who struggle with the complex academic language of mathematics, though it requires a school-wide implementation to function properly. Your child will not use this to learn basic calculation or algorithmic problem-solving. Instead, the platform teaches the specific vocabulary words and linguistic structures necessary to decode word problems and explain mathematical reasoning. Learning science shows that language barriers artificially inflate the cognitive load of math tasks for non-native speakers. By isolating and pre-teaching academic vocabulary, the program frees up working memory so your child can focus on the actual math concepts. You will typically see this program used in a classroom setting where math and language teachers collaborate. It is not designed for individual at-home use without teacher guidance. Parents should know that while The Learning Standard has not yet formally rated the efficacy of this specific tool, the pedagogical approach of dual-language support in STEM subjects is well-supported by educational research.
How Does Ellevation Math Work?
Ellevation Math uses explicit vocabulary instruction combined with visual scaffolding to bridge the gap between everyday language and mathematical terminology. The program isolates high-leverage math vocabulary and introduces these terms before your child encounters them in complex word problems. Students interact with targeted modules that pair mathematical terms with visual representations, leveraging the multimedia principle of learning to build stronger memory traces. Teachers use the platform to assign specific vocabulary primers that align with their upcoming math units. This front-loading of vocabulary relies on the activation of prior knowledge, helping students build a conceptual framework before grappling with difficult calculations. The platform functions as a collaborative bridge, allowing English language specialists to see exactly what math concepts are being taught and providing math teachers with strategies to support language acquisition during their lessons.
Strengths and tradeoffs of Ellevation Math
The biggest strength of Ellevation Math is its targeted reduction of extraneous cognitive load for English Learners, while its biggest weakness is its reliance on high-level teacher coordination to be effective. Explicit Vocabulary Focus: The platform excels at isolating academic language. By pre-teaching terms like denominator or quotient with visual aids, it relies on dual-coding theory, allowing students to process verbal and visual information simultaneously. Working Memory Support: Math word problems frequently overwhelm working memory for non-native speakers. This tool addresses that bottleneck directly, freeing cognitive resources for actual mathematical problem-solving. Implementation Challenges: The program cannot function autonomously. It requires active alignment between math educators and language specialists. If teachers do not explicitly connect the vocabulary modules to the core math lesson, the learning remains disconnected and transfer fails. Supplemental Nature: This is not a complete curriculum. It lacks the generative practice and spaced retrieval of actual math operations needed for total mastery. Evaluation Status: Note that The Learning Standard has not yet subjected this tool to our full rigorous methodology, so our analysis of its strengths and weaknesses is based on its structural design rather than empirical outcome data.
Who Might Benefit From Ellevation Math?
Ellevation Math is best for English Learners in upper elementary through high school who understand basic math operations but struggle to decode word problems and academic math language. It serves as an essential bridge for students transitioning into mainstream language-rich math classrooms. District administrators and collaborative teaching teams will get the most value from this platform, as it requires coordinated lesson planning between ESL and math departments. It is not suitable for parents seeking a standalone math tutoring app or for students who need fundamental instruction in mathematical calculation.
Data Transparency
Does Not Meet Data Transparency Standard
Ellevation Math reaches Level 1 of 3 (Basic protections), below our data transparency standard. Reaching Level 2 needs the policy to document data export, named service providers and self-service deletion.
17 of 35 checks passed
Evaluated September 2026
Curriculum Associates →Level 1 · Basic protections
Does not sell data or target ads at students, limits sharing, and lets parents see and delete their child's data.
Level 2 · Parent control (meets the standard)
Families can get their data out, know who processes it, and know how long it is kept.
Not documented: data export, named service providers, self-service deletion
Level 3 · Direct data access
Families or schools can pull their own data through an API, in a stated format.
Not documented: an API for retrieving their own data, a named export format
View all 35 checks
Parent Access6/8
Does the policy mention parents specifically?
“**Parent** means a Student’s parent or legal guardian.”
Can parents view their child's data?
The policy lets Parents request only a description of the types or categories of information collected, not access to their child's data.
Can parents modify their child's data?
The policy does not give Parents a right to correct or modify their child's data.
Can parents delete their child's account?
“Parents can request a description of the specific types or categories of Personal Information collected by Ellevation from or about their Student, a deletion of Student’s Personal Information, or that Ellevation stops collecting Personal Information from or about their Student.”
Is there a dedicated Children's Privacy section?
“## 10\. Children’s Privacy and Parental Consent”
Does it reference COPPA compliance?
“We maintain a comprehensive written information security program designed to protect Student and Educator information in accordance with FERPA, COPPA, and applicable US state student and children’s privacy laws.”
Does it reference FERPA compliance?
“When a School uses the Ellevation Platform, Ellevation acts as a service provider and a “school official” with a legitimate educational interest, as that term is defined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).”
Is parental consent required for child accounts?
“We require verifiable parental or guardian consent for every Student, regardless of age (under 13 or 13+).”
Data Portability1/5
Can users access their personal data?
“Request access to the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information we have collected about the individual”
Can users download/export their data?
The policy does not address users downloading or exporting their data.
Is there a self-service data access tool?
The policy describes only access by request, not a self-service tool.
Is a specific data format mentioned for export?
The policy does not mention any export format.
Is there an API for data access?
The policy does not mention an API for data access.
Data Minimization2/6
Is data collection itemized?
“| Identifiers | First and last name; Student ID number (our internal identifier); Student School ID; state or local District ID; email address; username and password (usernames and passwords are used for Ellevation Math only) |”
Can the app be used without a real name?
The policy states that the Student's first and last name are collected for account provisioning.
Can the app be used without an email?
The policy states that the Student's email address is collected when Google SSO is used.
Does it state collection is limited to what is necessary?
“Ellevation collects only the information that is reasonably necessary for Students and Educators to access the Ellevation Platform and for Schools to receive the educational services they have contracted for.”
Is IP address anonymized or truncated?
The policy says IP addresses are collected but does not say they are anonymized or truncated.
Is location tracking explicitly excluded?
The policy does not explicitly rule out location tracking.
Third-Party Protection4/7
Does it explicitly state no selling of data?
“We do not sell or rent Student Data, Educator data, or any other information that we collect.”
Are third-party providers named?
The policy does not name its providers and only links to an external list.
Are providers contractually restricted?
“All such service providers act as processors pursuant to written agreements that require confidentiality, appropriate security measures, and the deletion or return of Student Data upon request or upon termination of services.”
No-targeted-advertising commitment?
“We do not permit targeted advertising or behavioral profiling of Students.”
Is AI/ML data sharing addressed?
The policy does not address AI or machine learning data sharing.
Child-specific sharing restriction?
“Ellevation does not disclose Student Personal Information from Education Records to third parties except as authorized by the School Customer or as permitted by applicable law.”
Cookies/tracking limited or opt-out?
The policy does not address cookies or tracking opt-outs.
Deletion & Retention3/5
Can users delete their account?
“Request deletion of Personal Information, subject to legal, contractual, and service‑related obligations”
Self-service deletion mechanism?
The policy describes deletion only by request, not a self-service mechanism.
Specific data retention timeline?
“If a contract with a School Customer expires, Ellevation will, in accordance with the contract, return or delete and destroy all Student Data at the School Customer’s election within 90 days of contract expiration.”
Auto-deletion of inactive accounts?
“Kept while the account is active; deleted within 12 months after account Inactivity or earlier at the School’s direction”
Post-deletion handling described?
The policy gives deletion timelines but does not describe how data is handled after deletion.
Advertising1/4
Advertising model explicitly disclosed?
The policy bans targeted advertising of Students but does not explicitly state whether the product carries advertising.
Free from third-party advertisements?
The policy does not explicitly state the product has no third-party advertisements.
Children excluded from ad targeting?
“We do not permit targeted advertising or behavioral profiling of Students.”
Ad-free option available?
The policy does not explicitly state the product is ad-free or offer an ad-free option.
What This Means
The policy review did not meet our data transparency standard. The checks above show the documented findings and unknowns. A missing statement does not establish how the app handles data in practice.
About this evaluation: Based on automated analysis of Curriculum Associates against 35 policy-disclosure questions, including questions adapted from the Common Sense Privacy Program's published evaluation questions. TLS is not affiliated with Common Sense Media, and this is not a Common Sense rating. Quoted text is copied from the policy; unquoted notes are our summary. Results describe what the policy documents, not the company's actual practices. Privacy policies can change: this review reflects the version we analyzed and does not determine legal compliance.
Sources and review method
TLS combines product information and editorial analysis to explain how Ellevation Math works, its tradeoffs, and the questions to ask before choosing it. Product features, an instructional rationale and evidence of learning outcomes are different kinds of information.
Formal Learning Standard assessment: not yet completed. Data Transparency findings are reported separately and do not establish learning effectiveness. Read our methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ellevation Math
Is Ellevation Math free?
No, Ellevation Math is not free for individual users or parents. It is an enterprise-level educational platform sold directly to school districts and educational networks. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires a custom quote based on student enrollment and district size. Parents cannot purchase individual subscriptions for home use.
Is Ellevation Math good for elementary students?
Yes, it is highly effective for elementary students who are building foundational academic vocabulary. The visual scaffolding and explicit language instruction help younger English Learners understand the difference between everyday words and their specific mathematical meanings. However, it must be paired with a strong core math curriculum, as it does not teach calculation or procedural math skills.
What does Ellevation Math teach?
Ellevation Math teaches the academic language and vocabulary of mathematics. It does not teach computational skills like addition, fractions, or algebra directly. Instead, it teaches the linguistic structures required to read math textbooks, decode complex word problems, and articulate mathematical reasoning in a mainstream classroom setting.
How does Ellevation Math compare to Khan Academy?
Ellevation Math and Khan Academy serve entirely different instructional purposes. Khan Academy is a comprehensive math curriculum that uses mastery-based progression to teach procedural and conceptual math skills. Ellevation Math is strictly a language-support supplement designed to teach math vocabulary to English Learners. Schools often use both tools together, but they do not replace one another.
Has The Learning Standard evaluated Ellevation Math?
TLS has not yet completed a Learning Standard evaluation of how well Ellevation Math teaches. Its privacy policy has been reviewed for Data Transparency and reaches Level 1, Basic protections.
Is Ellevation Math COPPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references COPPA. A policy reference alone does not establish COPPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy states it complies with COPPA.
Is Ellevation Math FERPA compliant?
The reviewed privacy policy references FERPA. A policy reference alone does not establish FERPA compliance. Policy review note: The policy states that Ellevation acts as a FERPA school official.
Does Ellevation Math have a children's privacy policy?
The reviewed policy includes a dedicated children's privacy section. Policy review note: The policy has its own section on children's privacy.
Does Ellevation Math sell student data?
The reviewed policy states that the app does not sell data. This is a policy statement; actual data practices were not verified. Policy review note: The policy states the vendor does not sell data.
Can you delete your data from Ellevation Math?
The reviewed privacy policy describes account deletion. We have not tested the deletion process. Policy review note: Users can request deletion of their personal information.
Follow TLS Research
Subscribe to future TLS research updates: app reviews, findings, and what the evidence shows.
Screenshots
Take Action
For Ellevation Math
If you represent Ellevation and have a correction or new evidence, send the relevant source so we can review and update this page.
Submit a correctionDetails
- Pricing
- Contact vendor for pricing.
- Website
- Visit site