BrightBytes
Strengthening Student Learning Through Research and Analysis

An abundance of research and metrics—combined with ever-evolving 21st century technologies—has transformed the way in which schools gather information to provide teaching and learning opportunities. The K-12 public education sector in the U.S.—a $6 billion industry with more than 3 million teachers—has been tasked with finding new ways to make sense of this data abundance, and to aptly apply the latest tools and technologies for providing quality education to students. Rob Mancabelli, a lifelong educator, renowned author, and mission-driven thought leader, helped establish a groundbreaking organization called BrightBytes to fill this widening gap between research, analysis, and the improvement of learning. “BrightBytes provides a unique, research-driven platform that enables educators to gauge the effectiveness of certain programs and tools and to assess the impact of their spending. This platform, called Clarity, helps educational leaders track the results of their decisions and see whether adjustments are making a difference in learning. Best of all, it makes this analysis extremely intuitive, and fun,” says Mancabelli.

Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, BrightBytes focuses on improving the ways that students learn and grow. Its team of researchers and statisticians uses in-depth analysis to strengthen business intelligence, and creates decision-support frameworks based on decades of analysis, practitioner feedback, and the input of millions of schools worldwide. First, to address problems like student drop-out rates and the literacy of young children, the company provides research-based predictions and analysis through BrightBytes Labs in partnership with the world’s best research organizations. Second, it analyzes a variety of success indicators defined by these frameworks, enabling educators to dive deeply into their individual strengths and gaps. Finally, the company delivers evidence-based recommendations to address the gaps that most impact student learning outcomes.

BrightBytes delivers many of its solutions through Clarity, which is used to translate these research findings into educative, engaging, and actionable recommendations. Clarity contains many modules that address the most pressing pain-points faced by schools, including risk prediction and prevention as well as the impact of technology on learning.

We try to provide solid evidences to help our clients make ideal decisions

Like many educational institutions today, one of BrightBytes’ clients in Pennsylvania wanted to more accurately measure the effectiveness of using technology in the classroom to improve learning. In search of a solution, the client discovered the BrightBytes CASE framework, available in Clarity, which provided a clear analysis of the impact of their programs alongside recommendations for improvement. As a result, student access to new technologies increased by 60 percent and 55 percent more students Started using technology to collaborate and change the way they learn.
BrightBytes has formed a leadership team of mission-driven educators, gifted innovators, Emmy Award-winning visualization experts and world-class statisticians. Moving forward, BrightBytes plans on expanding its footprint in the areas of research and analysis both nationally and internationally. “It’s a phenomenal time at BrightBytes,” says Mancabelli. “Our growth in the majority of U.S. states and our impact on millions of students have paved the way for exciting, soon-to-come research tools and modules.”