Frequently Asked Questions
The KiSS (Keep in School Shape) Program is a flexible, low-stakes learning initiative designed to help students maintain and strengthen foundational skills over academic breaks. It delivers short, focused review activities—typically via text or email—each day school is out.
What makes KiSS unique is its innovative use of online survey software to deliver these activities in a convenient, scalable, and cost-efficient way. There’s no need for a custom app or complicated infrastructure—just a smart repurposing of tools already available, used in a way that’s grounded in learning science and built with students in mind.
KiSS combines proven principles from learning science—including retrieval practice, spacing, and metacognitive feedback—with playful, student-friendly design that lowers pressure and encourages participation.
Together, these elements create a structure that not only boosts retention and confidence, but also makes practice feel approachable and rewarding ( Dunlosky et al., 2013; Roediger & Butler, 2011). By keeping activities short, optional, and positively framed, the KiSS Program promotes consistency and persistence over time—key ingredients for lasting learning gains.
Many review assignments are high-pressure, long-form, or tied to grades—which can increase stress and reduce authentic engagement. KiSS flips that model entirely. It offers brief, low-stakes, and ungraded daily activities that students can complete on their own time. The tone is friendly, the structure is flexible, and the feedback is empowering.
Instead of being forced to comply, students are invited to engage. There’s no penalty for skipping a day and no external pressure to perform. That shift in approach changes how students relate to the material. KiSS feels more like a personal trainer for the mind than a drill sergeant — offering encouragement, consistency, and a belief in the student’s potential to grow.
Each KiSS activity focuses on a single foundational skill or concept — one key skill or idea worth revisiting — and presents it through a simple, repeatable format that promotes retrieval, reflection, and growth.
Here’s how it works:
Students sign up to receive daily invites via text or email.
Students choose their starting level.
Before answering a problem, students rate how sure they are that they remember how to do it.
Depending on their accuracy, students can choose from different options that include leveling up, solving a similar problem, receiving a hint, or viewing a worked solution.
Students can also complete quick flashcard-style practice for both levels — a fast-paced review that reinforces learning through active recall.
The flow is intuitive but flexible. Students are in control: they choose whether to explore, retry, or move on. The experience is personalized without being complex, giving learners just enough structure to stay grounded and just enough choice to stay motivated.
Yes — and the results are both measurable and meaningful. Across multiple implementations, students participating in the KiSS Program have demonstrated strong and consistent patterns of engagement, accuracy, and persistence, even in the absence of grades or external pressure.
Some highlights from recent data include:
High completion rates: Once students click into a KiSS activity, the vast majority complete a meaningful portion of the problems — often around 60% or more — without being required to.
Confidence-aligned behaviors: Students use hints and solutions strategically, based on their self-reported confidence levels, reflecting thoughtful, self-regulated learning.
Improved outcomes within a single session: After getting a problem wrong, many students still go on to solve a similar or harder version correctly — suggesting that they are learning in the moment.
Rising confidence: Many students report higher confidence levels by the end of an activity than at the start — even if they began with an error.
Increased preparedness: Survey data shows that students feel more ready for their next course (especially challenging ones like Calculus 2) after completing KiSS activities.
In short, students don’t just participate — they engage, using the feedback, structure, and support to make meaningful academic gains. The patterns are clear: when given the chance to keep learning in a low-pressure environment, students rise to the occasion.
Definitely. While the KiSS Program was originally created to help college students retain mathematical skills over breaks, its structure and philosophy are highly adaptable. Any subject that benefits from ongoing practice — like biology, chemistry, language learning, writing, or even history — can be supported using the KiSS model. The core principles remain the same:
Short, structured activities that reinforce foundational knowledge.
Low-stakes, optional engagement that encourages self-direction.
Timely feedback that supports metacognitive awareness and growth.
Simple delivery through online survey tools — no apps, logins, or downloads required.
Whether you’re reviewing vocabulary, reinforcing lab techniques, or prompting writing reflection, the KiSS framework can flex to fit your needs. It’s not about math — it’s about helping students stay connected to learning when school isn’t in session.
Yes — a comprehensive guide to the KiSS Program is currently in development! The book walks through the philosophy, setup, implementation, and customization of the program, with practical strategies and real student stories. It’s designed to support educators who want to launch their own version of KiSS, whether in math or another subject area.
Sign up for updates or check back soon — I’ll share news when the KiSS guide becomes available!
This KiSS website currently offers a small but thoughtful collection of open-access materials designed to help you explore the KiSS Program and spark ideas for your own implementation. These resources include:
An overview flyer
Visuals from a daily Calculus KiSS activity
An introductory video
Additional resources — including implementation templates, content design tools, and expanded walkthroughs — are keyed to the upcoming KiSS book, which offers full context and guidance for adapting the model to your needs.