EveryDay Labs

Based in Redwood City, California, EveryDay Labs develops behavioral science and data analytics software designed to reduce chronic absenteeism across K-12 school districts. Founded in 2015 by Harvard University professor Todd Rogers and Emily Bailard, the education technology company operates a software-as-a-service platform providing personalized, multilingual attendance nudges to families. By strengthening family partnerships to overcome attendance barriers, these strategic interventions have successfully prevented over 3,100,000 student absences and restored 1,100,000,000 minutes of classroom instruction. Prior to its acquisition, the enterprise secured $8 million in venture capital funding and maintained a workforce of approximately 70 employees while generating under $5 million in annual revenue. Serving more than 60 school districts and 4,000 individual schools nationwide, EveryDay Labs was acquired by the educational content platform Newsela to be integrated into its Schoolytics data management system.

High-Level Overview

EveryDay Labs is an education technology company that develops tools combining behavioral science, data science, and family engagement to combat chronic absenteeism in schools.[1][2][3] It serves school districts and educators by providing actionable analytics, automated communications, professional learning, and a 24/7 multilingual family support chatbot to strengthen family-school partnerships and optimize student supports districtwide.[2][4] The platform addresses the problem of poor attendance, which correlates with lower reading proficiency by third grade and reduced high school graduation rates, helping districts recover learning time—claiming to have prevented absences and recovered millions of minutes of engagement across over 60 districts nationwide.[2][4] With $8 million in total funding from one round, the company employs under 25 people in Redwood City, California, and demonstrates growth through expanding district partnerships and evidence-backed interventions rated "Strong Evidence" by Johns Hopkins’ Evidence for ESSA.[1][2][4]

Origin Story

EveryDay Labs emerged from groundbreaking research by co-founder and Chief Scientist Dr. Todd Rogers, a Harvard University professor, who developed "attendance nudges" using behavioral science to help families overcome barriers to student attendance.[2] This research directly inspired the company's formation, evolving into a full platform that leads with a restorative, human-centered approach rather than purely automated tactics.[2] The small team of nearly 30 includes former educators, school administrators, parents, and individuals with personal experiences in attendance challenges or perfect records, humanizing their mission to support busy educators.[2] Early traction built on this foundation, with the company now serving over 60 districts and highlighting successes like Monterey Peninsula Unified's post-pandemic recovery and Richmond Public Schools' improved test scores linked to reduced absenteeism.[2]

Core Differentiators

EveryDay Labs stands out in the edtech space through these key strengths:

• Evidence-based nudges and interventions: The only solution with "Strong Evidence" from Johns Hopkins’ Evidence for ESSA, leveraging behavioral science for personalized communications that reduce chronic absenteeism.[2][4]
• Comprehensive district-wide tools: Combines data analytics for attendance patterns, automated multilingual messaging (eliminating printing/mailing), collaboration features, and resource allocation insights to make attendance work efficient.[1][4]
• Human + AI family support: 24/7 chatbot and dedicated Family Support Team connect families to district/community resources, surfacing barriers by demographics/trends while recovering administrative time.[2][4]
• Professional development ecosystem: Quick onboarding, year-round training, and an exclusive user community build educator capacity, with a focus on restorative partnerships over punitive measures.[2][4]
• Proven scalability: Serves 60+ districts with measurable impact, including prevented absences and recovered learning minutes, backed by real-world media validations.[2]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

EveryDay Labs rides the post-pandemic surge in addressing chronic absenteeism, a persistent crisis where U.S. student absence rates remain elevated, hindering academic recovery and equity.[2][4] Its timing aligns with federal priorities like ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) evidence requirements and increased district focus on data-driven, family-engaged interventions amid teacher shortages.[4] Market forces favoring it include rising edtech demand for AI-enhanced tools that automate admin tasks while emphasizing human elements, plus behavioral science's growing validation in education (e.g., nudges proven in research).[2] By empowering districts to share best practices and target supports, it influences the ecosystem toward holistic attendance strategies, potentially boosting graduation rates and closing achievement gaps in underserved areas.[2][4]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

EveryDay Labs is poised for accelerated growth as districts prioritize attendance amid ongoing recovery efforts, with its evidence-backed model positioning it as a go-to partner for scalable, high-impact solutions.[2][4] Upcoming trends like AI-driven personalization and expanded ESSA-aligned tools could supercharge its platform, while partnerships with more districts may drive revenue beyond its current sub-$5M scale.[1] Its influence may evolve by setting standards for restorative edtech, inspiring competitors and policymakers to integrate behavioral insights—ultimately transforming how schools reclaim every learning day.[2] This positions EveryDay Labs as a quiet force in equitable education tech, uniting science and empathy for student success.