Levered and Tolbert Academy in Kansas City, Missouri look to address the growing learning loss due to the pandemic and in...
Problem
The current model of math instruction fails in efficacy, equity and flexibility
Solution
We built a comprehensive tool for next-generation teaching
1) A systems-level reimagining of math instruction
Unlike edtech products that supplement textbooks, Levered was built with our knowledge of the classroom and modern software development to help teachers drive effective instruction.
2) Data-driven decision making
We want teachers to focus on teaching, not grading & data entry. Real-time assessment data identifies struggling students and delivers the right practice questions with a single click.
3) Balanced, competency-based instruction
Our competency-based online curriculum allows students to move at their own pace, filling in gaps in prior knowledge, and pushing beyond the standards for kids who need extra challenge.
Product
Classroom-tested and distance-ready
Levered's data-driven instructional system blends whole class math talks, group pencil & paper activities, and online self-paced lessons that support both classroom and distance-based instruction.
With our instructional tools, teachers can assure every student gets the right balance of challenge and support, daily. Levered engages and motivates students who might otherwise fall through the cracks with adaptive pacing and supports to boost language development.
Levered schools transitioned to home-based use in the first week of closures with daily participation rates > 70% for more than
30 min. per day.
Students at Title I schools show 70% higher math growth w/ Levered than those in the same grade before Levered.
Traction
20x growth in 2 years
Educators love Levered. This school year, we saw 4x growth to over 5,000 students in 200+ U.S. classrooms. We have ~15% of our initial Serviceable Available Market (SAM) in our pipeline representing $1.3M in potential sales and are projecting $300k in 2020.
Our growth has been 80% organic, and we have cultivated partnerships with industry leaders like the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA), EdSurge, and the California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE).
We were recognized as one of the world's 200 most innovative edtech companies from 21 countries in the 2020 ASU+GSV Elite 200 and recently received a Research-backed Product Certification from Digital Promise.
Customers
What teachers and principals are saying about Levered
Our district partnerships
Business model
SaaS online learning and powerful management tools
- Single school & grade licenses @ $59.95 p/student, p/yr
- Most schools will pay ~$1,200 p/class (30% discount)
- Homeschooling available for $8.95 p/student, p/mo
Our system includes individually-paced online curriculum, whole-class & pencil-and-paper activities, teacher dashboard/support tools, and admin data for engagement/impact.
Homeschoolers get a monthly subscription to our online curriculum w/parent management tools, email & online video library support.
Most schools & districts will pay a discounted rate ($41.95) for multiple grades. Teacher training is included with a focus on high fidelity implementation in years 1 & 2. Additional tailored training is billed at $2,500 p/site, p/session.
Market
Global Edtech market estimated at $350B by 2025
UNESCO estimates COVID19 school closures impacted 67.6% of learners in 143 countries. Classroom curriculum that also serves high-quality distance learning is critical to the future of education. Existing textbooks and tech products were failing math education even before the pandemic.
Full implementation in the U.S. of Levered for 3rd–6th grade (13M+) would result in revenue of ~$1B. Our initial focus on California represents 20% of the American market. Targeting just five additional states opens 50% of the total Common Core market.
With our SaaS instructional system and online P.D., we can implement Levered at any school or district across the country, or around the world, in just a week.
Competition
Advantage, Levered
Greater impact, easier to implement, and lower total cost
Levered's value proposition replaces multiple line items on school and district budgets with a single program that's more cost-effective, easier to use, and that delivers better results in the first year.
According to a 2017 report by Learn Platform, only 9% of edtech purchases met the goals of schools and districts. In their 2020 Edtech Insights (post-COVID19) report, Learn saw a 30% increase in the amount of tools schools accessed, with only one core instruction product in the top 20, and a total of four in the top 40.
Vision and strategy
Reshaping math literacy and closing the achievement gap
We created Levered to promote better and more equitable math education. Over the last four years, we’ve seen consistent state test results that support the idea that the problems in global math literacy can be solved. We’re developing a full K-6th grade program in the next two years that’s up to the task.
In an example pilot group, we saw over 50% growth in "Exceeding Standards" and a collapse of "Standard Not Met" for the same cohort of students.A PISA report found >50% of students by age 15 are unable to solve simple math problems in Latin America and the Caribbean.
We plan to translate the entire program into Spanish to address math literacy issues abroad, while supporting bilingual programs domestically.
Funding
Levered has been self-funded to date with $720,000 in family investment. We actively piloted in classrooms during development, strengthening the efficacy of the product. After our 3rd year of pilots in 2018-19, we started selling our first full grade of curriculum to school partners for 2019-20, giving us a bootstrapped $96k in the second half of 2019.
With a mature platform to offer schools, we will use investment capital to fuel growth, expand our existing grade offerings, and open up to a national market.