Company:Zearn

From HandWiki
Zearn
Type501(c)(3)
IndustryEducational technology
Founded2012; 14 years ago (2012)
FoundersShalinee Sharma (CEO)
Evan Rudall
Headquarters
New York City, New York
,
U.S.
ServicesOnline learning platform
Websitezearn.org

Zearn is an American nonprofit educational software organization founded in 2012.[1] It develops Zearn Math, an online mathematics curriculum.[2][3]

Overview

The platform is accessed via web browser, and is supported by Google Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox.[4] Lessons adapt in real time based on student needs.[5] Its content includes fluency games, videos, and quizzes,[6] many of which handle topics like conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.[7] Teachers and parents are able to access its digital library of lessons for free.[6]

History

Zearn was co-founded in 2012 by CEO Shalinee Sharma[8] and Evan Rudall, former CEO of Uncommon Schools.[9] It received $4.4 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,[8] part of the foundation's $1 billion investment into math education.[10] The company launched a K–5 online curriculum in 2017, and a K–8 curriculum in 2022.[11] Much of its content handles topics like adaptive mathematics skills, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency.[12]

In 2025, the platform received a "strong" rating from Evidence for ESSA, which found that Zearn Math had an average effect size of +0.09 on student outcomes based on 3 studies. This included a large-scale randomized controlled trial conducted by RAND Corporation, which found statistically significant gains on the NWEA MAP assessment.[4]

Usage

As of 2022, the company claimed that its software was used by 25% of US elementary school students and more than one million middle school students.[8] In addition to mainstream classroom use, the platform is also used in personalized tutoring and small group instruction.[13] The platform is used by public, private, charter and religious schools, and is also used in homeschooling. As of February 2025, over 60% of the platform's partners were Title I schools.[6]

The platform is used by accelerated education programs in numerous states, including Colorado,[14] Delaware, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Massachusetts,[15] Nebraska,[16] New York,[17] Ohio,[15] South Carolina,[18] Tennessee, Texas,[8] and Virginia.[19]

The platform was approved by the Texas State Board of Education during its 2024-2025 Instructional Materials Review and Approval cycle.[20]

References

  1. ↑ Pershan, Michael (2024-09-05). "Can Great Teaching (Plus an App) Solve our Math Problem?" (in en-US). https://www.educationnext.org/can-great-teaching-plus-an-app-solve-our-math-problem-book-review-math-mind-shalinee-sharma/. 
  2. ↑ "Efficacy Study of Zearn Math in a Large Urban School District". Johns Hopkins School of Education. April 2019. https://jscholarship.library.jhu.edu/bitstream/handle/1774.2/62395/Zearn%20Math%20Final%20Report.pdf?sequence=1. 
  3. ↑ "Zearn Review for Teachers | Common Sense Education" (in en). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/zearn. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Zearn Math". 2023-06-16. https://www.evidenceforessa.org/program/zearn-math/. 
  5. ↑ Steiner, David M. (2023-03-02) (in en). A Nation at Thought: Restoring Wisdom in America’s Schools. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. pp. 70. ISBN 978-1-4758-6710-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=nMCqEAAAQBAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&lpg=PA70&dq=zearn%20math%20curriculum&pg=PA70#v=onepage&q=zearn%20math%20curriculum&f=false. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Hess, Rick (2025-02-25). "Learning Math Shouldn't Be a 'Hellish Experience'" (in en). Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-learning-math-shouldnt-be-a-hellish-experience/2025/02. 
  7. ↑ (in en) Redesigning the Future of Education in the Light of New Theories, Teaching Methods, Learning, and Research. IAP. 2024-04-01. pp. 87. ISBN 979-8-88730-597-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=TVkIEQAAQBAJ&dq=zearn&pg=PA87. 
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Daniel Mollenkamp (December 12, 2022). "What Is Zearn — the Math Platform the Gates Foundation Is Betting Big On?". EdSurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-12-12-what-is-zearn-the-math-platform-the-gates-foundation-is-betting-big-on. 
  9. ↑ Whitmire, Richard (December 7, 2016). "A 'Founders' Excerpt: How 4 Visionary Entrepreneurs Joined Forces to Launch Uncommon Schools". The 74. https://www.the74million.org/article/a-founders-excerpt-how-4-visionary-entrepreneurs-joined-forces-to-launch-uncommon-schools/. 
  10. ↑ Klein, Alyson (October 19, 2022). "Why the Gates Foundation Is Investing $1.1 Billion in Math Education". Education Week. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/why-the-gates-foundation-is-investing-1-1-billion-in-math-education/2022/10. 
  11. ↑ Hess, Rick (2025-02-25). "Learning Math Shouldn't Be a 'Hellish Experience'" (in en). Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-learning-math-shouldnt-be-a-hellish-experience/2025/02. 
  12. ↑ (in en) Redesigning the Future of Education in the Light of New Theories, Teaching Methods, Learning, and Research. IAP. 2024-04-01. pp. 87. ISBN 979-8-88730-597-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=TVkIEQAAQBAJ&dq=zearn&pg=PA87. 
  13. ↑ Brinda, Torsten; Passey, Don; Keane, Therese (2020-09-30) (in en). Empowering Teaching for Digital Equity and Agency: IFIP TC 3 Open Conference on Computers in Education, OCCE 2020, Mumbai, India, January 6–8, 2020, Proceedings. Springer Nature. pp. 81. ISBN 978-3-030-59847-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=cyAAEAAAQBAJ&dq=zearn&pg=PA81. 
  14. ↑ "Colorado turns online to help students catch up in math" (in en). 2023-04-12. https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2023/4/12/23679713/zearn-math-colorado-pandemic-recovery-tutoring/. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 O’Donnell, Patrick (2023-09-05). "Ohio Spending Millions on Online Math Program For Pandemic Recovery" (in en-US). https://www.the74million.org/article/ohio-spending-millions-on-online-math-program-for-pandemic-recovery/. 
  16. ↑ Langreo, Lauraine (2023-04-04). "Using Tech to Accelerate Learning: One Teacher's Story" (in en). Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. https://www.edweek.org/technology/using-tech-to-accelerate-learning-one-teachers-story/2023/04. 
  17. ↑ Lin, Sarah Belle (March 20, 2023). "Panel for Educational Policy approves near $1M contract for controversial digital math learning program". AMNY. https://www.amny.com/education/panel-for-educational-policy-approves-near-1m-contract-for-controversial-digital-math-learning-program/. 
  18. ↑ Schechter, Maayan (2025-09-02). "SC hopes new digital math platform adds up to better test scores" (in en). https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2025-09-02/sc-hopes-new-digital-math-platform-adds-up-to-better-test-scores. 
  19. ↑ Cline, Nathaniel (2023-09-27). "Virginia Dept. of Ed eyes Zearn, Ignite Reading for statewide high-impact tutoring contract • Virginia Mercury" (in en-US). https://virginiamercury.com/2023/09/27/virginia-dept-of-ed-eyes-zearn-ignite-reading-for-statewide-high-impact-tutoring-contract/. 
  20. ↑ "IMRA List of SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials". https://tea.texas.gov/state-board-of-education/imra/imra-list-of-sboe-approved-instructional-materials.pdf.  
* Official website



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