Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Zearn

Zearn is an American nonprofit educational software organization founded in 2012. It develops the Zearn Math curriculum, which includes a combination of live instruction, printed materials and digital components.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
Read time
≈ 4 min
Length
815 w
Citations
28
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Zearn
Type501(c)(3)
IndustryEducational technology
Founded2012 (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 the Zearn Math curriculum, which includes a combination of live instruction, printed materials and digital components.2

Overview

Its curriculum includes a combination of digital and printed materials,3 which are designed to administered by teachers and educators as part of live classroom instruction,4 tutoring sessions, or intervention periods.5 Its digital content includes fluency games, videos, and quizzes,6 many of which handle topics like conceptual understanding and procedural fluency.7 The physical and print components of its curriculum include student workbooks, course guides, instructional materials, and math manipulatives.3 The platform's digital content is accessed via web browser.8

History

Zearn was co-founded in 2012 by CEO Shalinee Sharma9 and Evan Rudall, former CEO of Uncommon Schools.10 It received $4.4 million in funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation,9 part of the foundation's $1 billion investment into math education.11 In 2017, the company launched a curriculum for K–5 students, which was followed by a K–8 curriculum in 2022.12 Much of its content handles topics like adaptive mathematics skills, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency.13

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.8

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.9 In addition to mainstream classroom use, the platform is also used in personalized tutoring and small group instruction.14 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,15 Delaware, the District of Columbia, Louisiana, Massachusetts,16 Nebraska,17 New York,18 Ohio,16 South Carolina,19 Tennessee, Texas,9 and Virginia.20

The platform was approved by the Texas State Board of Education during its 2024–2025 Instructional Materials Review and Approval cycle.21

References

References

  1. Pershan, Michael (September 5, 2024). "Can Great Teaching (Plus an App) Solve our Math Problem?". Education Next. Retrieved March 14, 2025.
  2. "Efficacy Study of Zearn Math in a Large Urban School District" (PDF). Johns Hopkins School of Education. April 2019. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  3. "Math Manipulatives and Printed Materials | Zearn Math". about.zearn.org. Retrieved July 13, 2026.
  4. Hess, Rick (February 25, 2025). "Learning Math Shouldn't Be a 'Hellish Experience'". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  5. "Zearn Math". Evidence for ESSA. June 16, 2023.
  6. Hess, Rick (February 25, 2025). "Learning Math Shouldn't Be a 'Hellish Experience'". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved September 28, 2025.
  7. Redesigning the Future of Education in the Light of New Theories, Teaching Methods, Learning, and Research. IAP. April 1, 2024. p. 87. ISBN 979-8-88730-597-4.
  8. "Zearn Math". Evidence for ESSA. June 16, 2023.
  9. Daniel Mollenkamp (December 12, 2022). "What Is Zearn — the Math Platform the Gates Foundation Is Betting Big On?". EdSurge. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  10. Whitmire, Richard (December 7, 2016). "A 'Founders' Excerpt: How 4 Visionary Entrepreneurs Joined Forces to Launch Uncommon Schools". The 74. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  11. Klein, Alyson (October 19, 2022). "Why the Gates Foundation Is Investing $1.1 Billion in Math Education". Education Week. Retrieved August 23, 2023.
  12. Hess, Rick (February 25, 2025). "Learning Math Shouldn't Be a 'Hellish Experience'". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  13. Redesigning the Future of Education in the Light of New Theories, Teaching Methods, Learning, and Research. IAP. April 1, 2024. p. 87. ISBN 979-8-88730-597-4.
  14. Brinda, Torsten; Passey, Don; Keane, Therese (September 30, 2020). 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. p. 81. ISBN 978-3-030-59847-1.
  15. "Colorado turns online to help students catch up in math". Chalkbeat. April 12, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  16. O’Donnell, Patrick (September 5, 2023). "Ohio Spending Millions on Online Math Program For Pandemic Recovery". Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  17. Langreo, Lauraine (April 4, 2023). "Using Tech to Accelerate Learning: One Teacher's Story". Education Week. ISSN 0277-4232. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  18. 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.
  19. Schechter, Maayan (September 2, 2025). "SC hopes new digital math platform adds up to better test scores". South Carolina Public Radio. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  20. Cline, Nathaniel (September 27, 2023). "Virginia Dept. of Ed eyes Zearn, Ignite Reading for statewide high-impact tutoring contract • Virginia Mercury". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved January 1, 2026.
  21. "IMRA List of SBOE-Approved Instructional Materials" (PDF). Texas.gov.
External links