Students who used Zearn grew 1.3 grade levels in one year of learning.

Researchers looked at student academic growth for students in grades 4–6 between the spring 2021 and spring 2022 state assessment. The research, which uses quasi-experimental matching techniques to isolate the impact of Zearn Math on student achievement, compared a sample of 1,111 students who completed three or more Zearn lessons each week with a control sample of 1,111 matched students who did not consistently use Zearn. Unlike a standard correlational analysis, this method allows differences in outcomes to be more confidently attributed to Zearn Math and not to other variables.

Researchers found:

• Students who consistently used Zearn Math scored an average of 15 scale score points higher on the spring 2022 state assessments, equivalent to more than 1.3 grade levels of math learning in one year.
• Zearn’s impact was even greater for students who scored below standard in spring 2021; students who previously scored below standard grew 1.7 grade levels in one school year, while matched students who did not use Zearn experienced declines.
• Black and/or Latino students, economically disadvantaged students, and students in special education who consistently used Zearn exceeded the state benchmark for one-year growth, while matched students who did not use Zearn fell short of expected growth.
• Across all starting achievement levels, students with consistent Zearn Math usage were more likely to improve their achievement level in 2022 than students who did not use Zearn Math. Students who scored at the lowest levels of math achievement were more than four times more likely to improve their achievement level when they consistently used Zearn Math.