Bloom
Bloom is running the 2-Sigma Study, a year-long research project providing 80 children in grades 3–7 with free, daily virtual 1:1 tutoring in math and ELA from expert educators. The study aims to replicate the two-sigma effect of tutoring found in 1984, with a budget of up to $100,000 per student and a goal of covering two to three years of academic learning in one year. All results, benchmarks, and curriculum will be published as open data to inform the future of AI-driven personalized education.
- Education Technology
Funding
Founders
Founder details are not available yet.
Product
Problem
Traditional classroom instruction consistently produces a modest effect on student achievement, while the landmark 1984 Bloom study found that 1:1 tutoring outperformed classroom instruction by two standard deviations. This two-sigma effect has never been replicated at scale with modern rigor, leaving educators uncertain about the true potential of personalized instruction and limiting investment in high-intensity tutoring models.
Solution
The 2-Sigma Study is a year-long research project that provides 80 children in grades 3–7 with free, virtual 1:1 tutoring in math and ELA from expert educators. Each child works with a dedicated tutor for daily 40-minute sessions, with tutors trained in learning science, deliberate practice, and formative assessment, and given full freedom to adapt to each student. The study is pre-registered with strong controls and open data, and aims to cover two to three years of academic learning in one year without homework. Results, benchmarks, evaluations, and curriculum will be published in full, providing a blueprint for AI-driven personalized education that could replicate these outcomes at a fraction of the cost.
Target Audience
Primary participants are families with children in grades 3–7 seeking high-intensity personalized tutoring, selected via a lottery system. The study's findings target education researchers, policymakers, and developers of AI-based personalized learning tools.
Features
- One dedicated tutor per child for the full academic year, with tutors meeting regularly to share techniques and swap students when beneficial
- Virtual 1:1 math and ELA instruction for grades 3–7 via daily 40-minute sessions
- Pre-registered study design with a control group receiving typical classroom instruction and strong controls to ensure rigor
- Full publication of benchmarks, evaluations, curriculum, and results as open data
- Study budget of up to $100,000 per student, enabling the best available instruction and resources
- Participating families receive a free iPad or MacBook for the study duration