IXL is a program that has been overused and an easy fix for traditional homework. IXL's structure is intended to make the user more stressed and therefore repelling the inclination to work. Many students at our school have felt overworked and burdened by the stress IXL exhibits. While getting a correct answer might give you 15 points at first, it continues to give you less and less until you only receive a single point for right answers and get set back 10 points for a wrong answer. Imagine spending 20+ minutes on a single problem only to get a single point or worse; getting set back 15 points and having to redo all of your work because you pushed the wrong button. IXL's lousy attempt to walk you through what you got wrong is insufficient. Although many teachers do offer out of class time to work one on one, this should not be the case. Often times, the IXL might have had nothing to do with the day's lesson and is something entirely different, further pushing the student to ignore their homework. We have proved that we have higher homework completion rates in classes not using IXL. Make a change and sign this petition today.

Student comment written by E. Cole: "(TL;DR A full ban might not be the answer, but the use of IXL should be re-evaluated.) Education is not always fun, and we shouldn't expect it to be. That being said, education should not be, by any means, painful. School not only educates us in science, math, and English, but on what to expect from the world. If school hurts, we become accustomed to pain. We expect it. We lose hope. We lose everything. Although that last sentiment seems extreme, I do understand why IXL has been adopted as the go-to math homework. It attempts to provide us with extra practice if we're struggling. It can be checked online, so no time needs to be spent on it in class. It provides teachers with data. I'm in no way saying IXL has no pros. Many of IXL's benefits can be recreated with other online and traditional assignments, while IXL's negative effects seem to be, generally, unique to that tool. IXL may still be useful as optional extra practice or an occasional homework assignment. IXL has its place, but the possible downsides are far too significant for it to be the go-to. If nothing else, the use of IXL in the classroom, especially in math, has to be re-examined."

(This was NOT written using the help of artificial intelligence and used real-life experiences.)

Fellow Student and Peer,

Ellie Kennedy