Pilot operations

One small cohort, measured honestly

The pilot exists to test whether the method does what we think it does. It is sized to be answerable, not impressive.

Cohort and timeline

Cohort size

Twelve students in the first cohort, ages roughly nine to fourteen, with a second adult track of no more than eight. Capped so every guide knows every student.

Ratio

One trained guide per four students for seated work; one music faculty member per ensemble block. The AI companion supplements, never replaces, the guide.

Schedule

Four instructional days per week, day-use only. Each day contains a seated block, an instrument block, an outdoor block, and a written revision block.

Phase 1 — Months 1 to 3

Guide training, companion configuration, baseline measurement design, regulatory filings, and family intake conversations.

Phase 2 — Months 4 to 12

Cohort instruction with rolling measurement. Mid-point interim report published at month 8, including anything that is not working.

Phase 3 — Months 13 to 15

Delayed-recall follow-up, transfer testing, full written report, and a public decision on whether to continue, revise, or stop.

Outcomes framework

We measure four things, and we state in advance what each measurement would have to show for us to conclude the method failed.

Durable recall: delayed retrieval at 30 and 90 days on material taught with and without melodic encoding. Failure condition: no reliable difference between conditions.
Transfer: performance on reasoning tasks in a domain the cohort was never taught. Failure condition: no advantage over a matched comparison group.
Argument quality: blind-scored written revisions across the year against a fixed rubric. Failure condition: flat trajectory across the cohort.
Voluntary engagement: unprompted continuation of work outside scheduled hours. Failure condition: decline over the year.

Method limitation stated up front

A single twelve-student cohort without randomization cannot establish causation. The pilot can tell us whether the effect is worth pursuing and how to design a controlled study. It cannot tell us the method works, and we will not report it as though it can.

First-year budget outline — $663,000

Socratic Guides first-year pilot budget outline
Guides and instructional staff	$286,000
Music faculty and ensemble time	$94,000
Facilities, utilities, and site preparation	$88,000
Measurement, evaluation, and reporting	$71,000
AI companion development and tooling	$52,000
Instruments, materials, and equipment	$34,000
Legal, regulatory, and insurance	$26,000
Contingency (approximately 2%)	$12,000
Total	$663,000

Planning figures for a single pilot year. Actuals will be restated line by line in the published pilot report, including overruns.

Contribution scenarios

Contributions are applied to named units of the pilot rather than to general operations, so a sponsor can see exactly what their money did in the final report.

The calculator is illustrative. It does not process payments; sponsor and donation arrangements are handled directly through a conversation.

Contribution scenario

Illustrative only. Unit costs are planning estimates for the first pilot year and will be restated against actuals in the pilot report.

$25,0003.8% of the $663,000 pilot budget

Student seat (full year)1× ($18,500 each)

Guide contact hours (one quarter)1× ($21,000 each)

Instrument inventory and maintenance2× ($12,000 each)

Get pilot updates

One short email when the pilot cohort opens, when a finding is published, or when a visit date is scheduled. No other use of your address.

We store your email address and nothing else you did not type here.