Zearn
 Zearn Corporate logo | |
| Company type | 501(c)(3) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Educational technology |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Shalinee Sharma (CEO) Evan Rudall |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
| Website | zearn |
Zearn is an American nonprofit educational software organization founded in 2012.[1] It develops Zearn Math, an online mathematics curriculum.[2][3]
History
[edit]Zearn was co-founded in 2012 by CEO Shalinee Sharma[4] and Evan Rudall, former CEO of Uncommon Schools.[5] It received $4.4 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,[4] part of the foundation's $1 billion investment into math education.[6]
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.[4]
In 2023, the New York City Department of Education signed a seven-year contract with Zearn, in spite of complaints from parents and teachers who found that the platform increased students' screen time, decreased teachers' instructional time, and focused on test-preparation rather than critical thinking skills.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Pershan, Michael (September 5, 2024). "Can Great Teaching (Plus an App) Solve our Math Problem?". Education Next. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
- ^ "Efficacy Study of Zearn Math in a Large Urban School District" (PDF). Johns Hopkins School of Education. April 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ "Zearn Review for Teachers | Common Sense Education". www.commonsense.org. Retrieved March 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c Daniel Mollenkamp (December 12, 2022). "What Is Zearn — the Math Platform the Gates Foundation Is Betting Big On?". EdSurge. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
- ^ Whitmire, Richard (December 7, 2016). "A 'Founders' Excerpt: How 4 Visionary Entrepreneurs Joined Forces to Launch Uncommon Schools". The 74. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Klein, Alyson (October 19, 2022). "Why the Gates Foundation Is Investing $1.1 Billion in Math Education". Education Week. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
- ^ Lin, Sarah Belle (March 20, 2023). "Panel for Educational Policy approves near $1M contract for controversial digital math learning program". AMNY. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
External links
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