McPherson Middle School in Kansas had been burned before by education technology, but in 2022 school leaders were ready to try again. They selected a digital programme called ixl from a statewide recommendation list. It promised instruction tailored to each student’s level, igniting quick gains. The school used it to assign most in-class independent maths work. “We thought it was going to be really magical,” says Inge Esping, the principal.