Bloom is committed to nurturing a diverse group of learners who can be successfully supported in inquiry-based processes within the school's unique environment.

Bloom Community School has a no-grades, no-testing policy as an important component of Bloom's philosophical approach to education as part of rethinking schools. This decision was made by our founding board - made up of diverse educators including teacher education professors and early childhood through high school teachers, administrators, and parents - after careful consideration of research-based studies into the efficacy of grades and standardized testing for true measurement of learning and academic success. Instead of standardized tests, our teachers look at the myriad ways in which children learn as they scaffold skill-building and inquiry activities. Our teachers provide expertly nuanced feedback to parents throughout the school year, including at two designated parent-teacher meeting times in mid-autumn and late spring.

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While our unique academic program most often meets or exceeds common educational standards within age and grade levels, inquiry-based learning with a 21st century skills framework looks different from that of traditional schools. This requires a paradigm shift in how we as parents and educators think about and appraise a child's growth and progress. Bloom focuses on cultivating the learner traits, fundamental math thinking and literacy skills, and social-emotional growth needed to success in educational, family, and community settings. We ask that families consider these learner readiness markers, which teachers also use to track learner growth: