Interview by Aviv Weiss, Khan Academy Districts Team
In Tipp City, Ohio, eighth-grade math teacher Jena Galloway is using Khan Academy Districts to close learning gaps and personalize instruction for students of all abilities. Tipp City Schools, where Galloway has taught for nearly a decade, is a founding site in the Ohio AI Education Network—a statewide initiative bringing cutting-edge AI tools to K–12 and higher ed. Khan Academy is proud to be a key partner in this effort.
Aviv Weiss: How are you using Khan Academy’s platform in your classroom?
Jena Galloway: I use it to support and solidify what we’re doing in our discovery-based math curriculum. We use Illustrative Mathematics through Desmos Math Amplify, and while that’s great for exploration, I needed something to reinforce skills and apply specific standards. Khan’s practice sets, with just four to seven targeted questions per topic, gave my students a quick but effective way to practice what we’d learned in class. It became our nightly practice—and a way for students to really own their learning.
Aviv: Did you notice any difference in student engagement or confidence?
Jena: Absolutely. One student in particular went up 44 points on her state test this year. She used Desmos, the textbook, and Khan. The Khan questions are worded similarly to our state assessments, which helped a lot. Her confidence soared because she could actually track her progress and feel that success.
Also, this was the least I’ve ever heard from parents saying, “I don’t know what’s going on.” Khan made it easy for them to help at home—and that helped me build stronger bridges with families.
Aviv: Can you talk about how you’re using Learning Paths informed by Math Growth?
Jena: The MAP test data auto-syncs to Khan, which is great because I don’t have to do anything but click “accept.” After each testing window, the kids would look at their updated learning paths and set goals. We made it a celebration every time scores improved. It gave early finishers something meaningful to do, and it let me challenge advanced students while also filling gaps for others.
Some students actually climbed to the highest level on the state test because we used that downtime to work through the skills they needed.
Aviv: How has Khan Academy changed your workload or teaching approach?
Jena: It’s saved me so much time. I’m a mom of two little boys, I coach cheerleading and track—life is full. This year, I’ve spent the least amount of time prepping at home. I could assign work that was meaningful and differentiated, and Khan took care of the rest. Students could choose how deeply to engage: redo work until they got a 4/4, get hints from Khanmigo, or ask me. It made grading feel more like coaching than correcting.
And it wasn’t just practice problems. I used Khan to build out a stations-based lesson structure, starting with one-step equations and building up to more complex problems like variables on both sides. That structure let me meet every student where they were.
Aviv: Any advice for teachers just getting started with Khan Academy Districts?
Jena: Just jump in. Don’t be afraid to try it. You’re not going to break anything—and you will find something that works for your students. Last year I used Khan’s diagnostics to build differentiated math centers. We rotated every 10 minutes, and students loved it.
You can’t hit everything in your curriculum, especially when you’re teaching inclusion classes like I am. But Khan helps you try. It helps you get to the kids who otherwise might fall through the cracks.
Aviv: Anything you’d like the Khan Academy Districts team to know?
Jena: Honestly? This has been the best experience. Anytime I’ve had a question, someone’s been there. I feel like Khan really cares about what we’re doing—and that means everything.
Final Thoughts
Tipp City Schools is partnered with Khan Academy Districts to drive greater impact at scale.
👉 Get in touch to talk about strategic implementation of AI for learning in your district.
