Showdown Increases Student Engagement and Academic Performance in Warren Woods Public Schools

Erika Liska, K-12 Instructional Engagement Coach

In the Spring of the 2024-2025 school year, teachers in Warren Woods Public Schools in Warren, Michigan were introduced to the Kagan Structure, Showdown. They first learned about this structure during a round of internal coaching geared towards supporting teachers who were reviewing for assessments. Two teachers dove in to analyze the impact this structure had on student success in their classroom.

High School Biology

High School Biology teacher Lesley Szubelak used Showdown to review the stages of a cell cycle. She noted that, “It was rewarding hearing the conversations as they played; they were really talking about the content! I even witnessed students that wouldn’t normally participate take part in the structure.” After receiving some immediate positive feedback from a handful of students, Lesley decided to anonymously survey all her students to see how they felt about it. Below are some noteworthy findings:

Student Survey Comments

Some of the common themes from student responses included:

• The activity was fun.
• Showdown made memorizing easier.
• The structure deepened their understanding.
• It reduced the amount of time students needed to spend studying at home.

6th Grade Social Studies

Meanwhile, at the middle school, 6th grade Social Studies teacher, Heidi Rice, sat down with her instructional coach with the goal of improving student scores on a test that dozens of students had failed the previous year. In the past, students reviewed using a computer-based game to prepare for their assessment. It was decided that the unit itself would remain unchanged from previous years, but they would replace the computer-based game with Showdown.

The results below are truly astonishing, but one of the most impactful moments for Heidi was when a student with an IEP, who had previously struggled in her class, excitedly told her, “That test was easy! I remember everything because of Showdown.”

Percent of Students Earning Each Gade

Here are some noteworthy findings from the use of Showdown:

• 20% increase in students demonstrating proficiency (As, Bs, and Cs)
• 16% reduction in students earning Fs
• 10% increase in students earning As
• Heidi’s typically-lowest performing class saw the most significant improvement with a 17% increase in As and a 26% decrease in Fs.

Kagan Partnership Team • 800.451.8495 • partnerships@KaganOnline.com