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 during academic breaks and other instructional gaps. The program delivers short, focused review activities—typically via text or email—inviting students to engage in brief daily learning encounters when school is not in session. What makes KiSS distinctive is its innovative use of online survey software to deliver these activities in a convenient, scalable, and cost-efficient way. Rather than requiring a custom app or complex infrastructure, KiSS repurposes tools already available on many campuses, using them in a way that is grounded in learning science and designed with students in mind.

KiSS combines well-established principles from learning science—including retrieval practice, spacing, and metacognitive feedback—with a student-friendly design that encourages participation without pressure. Each activity invites students to attempt problems, reflect on their confidence, and receive immediate feedback in a low-stakes environment. Together, these elements help strengthen retention, build confidence, and keep foundational knowledge cognitively accessible over time. By keeping activities short, optional, and positively framed, the KiSS Program promotes consistency and persistence—key ingredients for durable learning gains (Dunlosky et al., 2013; Roediger & Butler, 2011).

Many traditional review assignments are long, high-pressure, or tied to grades—conditions that can increase stress and discourage authentic engagement. KiSS takes a different approach. It offers brief, low-stakes daily activities that students can complete on their own time, without grading or penalty. The tone is friendly, the structure is flexible, and the feedback is designed to support growth. Instead of being required to comply, students are invited to participate. There is no penalty for skipping a day and no pressure to perform perfectly. As a result, KiSS changes how students relate to practice. It feels less like a drill sergeant demanding repetition and more like a personal trainer for the mind—offering encouragement, consistency, and support as students build confidence and strengthen their skills over time.

Each KiSS activity focuses on a single foundational skill or concept—one key 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 invitations via text or email. Students choose their starting level. Before attempting a problem, students rate how confident they are that they remember how to solve it. Students attempt a problem and receive immediate feedback. Depending on their accuracy, students can choose to level up, solve a similar problem, receive a hint, or view a worked solution. Students can also complete quick flashcard-style practice for both levels—fast-paced review that reinforces learning through active recall. The flow is intuitive but flexible. Students remain in control: they can explore, retry, level up, or move on. The experience is personalized without being complex, providing enough structure to support learning while allowing enough choice to keep students motivated.

Yes. Across multiple implementations, students participating in the KiSS Program demonstrate 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 do so. Confidence-aligned learning behaviors. Students use hints and worked solutions strategically based on their self-reported confidence levels, reflecting thoughtful and self-regulated learning. Learning within a single session. After getting a problem wrong, many students successfully solve a similar or more challenging version shortly afterward, suggesting that learning occurs in the moment. Rising confidence. Many students report higher confidence levels by the end of an activity than at the start—even when they initially answered incorrectly. Greater perceived readiness. Survey responses indicate that students feel more prepared for their next course (especially challenging ones like Calculus 2) after participating in KiSS activities. Taken together, these patterns suggest that students do more than simply participate—they actively engage with the problems, feedback, and learning opportunities provided. When given a low-pressure environment to revisit important ideas, many students take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen their understanding.

Absolutely. While the KiSS Program was originally developed to help college students retain mathematical skills over academic breaks, its structure and philosophy are highly adaptable. Any subject that benefits from ongoing practice—such as biology, chemistry, language learning, writing, or history—can be supported using the KiSS model. The core principles remain the same: Short, structured activities that revisit foundational knowledge. Low-stakes, optional participation that encourages self-directed learning. Timely feedback that supports metacognitive awareness and improvement. Simple delivery through familiar tools, such as online survey platforms—no custom apps, logins, or downloads required. Whether reviewing vocabulary, reinforcing lab techniques, or applying physical laws to solve problems, the KiSS framework can flex to support many types of learning. At its heart, KiSS is not about mathematics—it is about helping students stay connected to learning when school is not in session.