Policies

Inbloom

Context and Issue

The American education system was grappling with fragmented data storage and management across numerous school districts, which hindered the productive use of student information to inform instruction and improve learning outcomes. There was a persistent gap in academic achievement, depriving the U.S. economy of significant potential output, and schools were criticized for not meeting students' full potential. Amid this backdrop, a national push towards data-driven personalized learning emerged as a potential solution to these challenges.

Solution

The inBloom initiative aimed to address data storage and management fragmentation across American school districts, which hindered the productive use of student information to inform instruction and enhance learning outcomes. It was started in 2011 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in partnership with the Carnegie Corporation, with an initial investment of $100 million. Bloom was publicly launched in February 2013. The program sought to tackle the persistent academic achievement gaps affecting the U.S. economy and the need for data-driven personalized learning to meet students' potential better. It involved the development of a centralized platform for data sharing, learning apps, and curricula, as well as forming a multi-state consortium to co-develop the platform and share best practices. Key elements included the introduction of shared data standards, district-level user authentication to improve security, and partnerships with technology vendors. InBloom aimed to harmonize student data stored in various formats and locations into a single, accessible platform, providing real-time, standardized data on student performance and organizing this data into meaningful reports for teachers and administrators to inform personalized instruction. Despite its promising start, inBloom faced substantial public backlash over data privacy concerns, exacerbated by broader societal issues such as NSA surveillance revelations and high-profile data breaches. This ultimately led to its closure in 2014. However, its legacy includes introducing over 400 pieces of state-level student data privacy legislation and ongoing discussions about the best practices for data-driven education.

Impact

The inBloom initiative became unsuccessful in a remarkably short period of time. Funded in 2011 and publicly launched in February 2013, it faced fierce public backlash over data privacy concerns. The project struggled to communicate its benefits effectively and failed to build trust and buy-in from parents, educators, and school districts. Political and bureaucratic challenges and a misalignment between the agile culture of inBloom's developers and the slower, risk-averse nature of educational institutions hindered effective collaboration. Additionally, the high-visibility approach left little room for iterative development and quiet pilot testing, and suspicions about corporate motives further fueled opposition. By April 2014, just over a year after its public launch, inBloom announced its closure. Despite its failure, inBloom's legacy includes heightened awareness of student data privacy issues, significant legislation to protect student information, and improved data practices within the edtech industry.

Analysis

The inBloom initiative, despite its short lifespan and closure in 2014, significantly impacted the education technology landscape, particularly regarding student data privacy. It heightened public awareness and discussion around data security, leading to the introduction of over 400 pieces of state-level legislation aimed at protecting student data. The initiative also prompted the adoption of better industry practices, exemplified by the Student Data Privacy Pledge, signed by 323 companies as of January 2017. Although inBloom did not achieve its ambitious goals, it strengthened awareness of the need for transparent data practices and catalyzed national discussions about student data use, emphasizing the importance of building trust with stakeholders. InBloom's vision influenced subsequent edtech developments, highlighting the complexities of large-scale projects and the critical need to address privacy concerns and achieve stakeholder buy-in.