What Ellevation does

Ellevation is a Boston-based K-12 education software company (operating as a business division of Curriculum Associates, LLC) that builds a unified English Language Development (ELD) SaaS platform for U.S. public school districts serving English Learners (ELs). The platform combines program management (identification, placement, planning, compliance), benchmark assessment, research-based instructional strategies, professional learning modules, and family communication tools. The core Ellevation Platform is complemented by four products: Ellevation Benchmark (a 20-minute domain assessment covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing, deliverable up to three times per year), Ellevation Strategies (a library of 100+ research-based instructional activities), Ellevation Math (mathematics instruction for ELs), and a Family Communication add-on module launched in 2025. Technical architecture includes integrations with leading K-12 identity, data, and assessment ecosystems (Clever, ClassLink, WIDA, LAS Links, NWEA MAP, i-Ready, eSchoolData, TestHound) and is delivered via cloud-based SaaS with FERPA, COPPA, and FAR compliance.

The company monetizes via quote-based annual SaaS subscriptions priced by district size and module scope, sold through an enterprise field sales motion targeted at district EL coordinators, curriculum directors, and procurement offices. Ellevation reports serving more than 1,900 school districts across all 50+ U.S. states, supporting over 2.5 million EL students and claiming reach to more than 50% of the nation's EL student population. The platform is bundled with the parent Curriculum Associates distribution footprint (which includes i-Ready), giving Ellevation an unusual embedded sales channel relative to standalone EL specialists. Ellevation was founded in 2006 by former EL educators and technology professionals; the leadership team includes co-founders Teddy Rice (President) and Jordan Meranus (CEO), with CFO Dennis Morgan, CTO Dan Milstein, and Chief Academic Officer Seija Surr.

Name

Ellevation

Legal name

Ellevation, LLC

Website

https://ellevationeducation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ellevation is a K-12 EdTech SaaS platform serving English Learner programs in 1,900+ U.S. school districts, providing unified student data management, benchmark assessment, instructional strategies, and family communication tools to support 2.5 million+ EL students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 English Language Development (ELD) Software

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) & Inclusive Classroom Support Platforms (EDAFAKAI)

Keywords

• K-12 ELD software
• English learner education
• Language proficiency assessment
• Instructional strategy platform
• EdTech SaaS

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Ellevation Platform Subscription: SaaS subscription model for K-12 school districts accessing the unified ELD platform including student data management, compliance workflows, instructional tools, and professional learning modules. Sold on a per-district basis with licensing tied to district size and scope of services.
2. Ellevation Benchmark Assessment: English language proficiency benchmark assessment integrated into the unified platform, providing three administrations per year with domain-level insights for instructional planning.
3. Family Communication Add-on: Optional add-on module to Ellevation Platform for early access to enhanced family communication features including digital outreach tracking and translated correspondence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Ellevation provides a unified, cloud-based English Language Development (ELD) SaaS platform for K-12 school districts. It combines real-time student data management, benchmark English language proficiency assessment, research-based instructional strategies, compliance workflow tools, professional learning modules, and multilingual family communication. The solution is sold on a per-district subscription basis and serves more than 1,900 U.S. school districts and 2.5 million+ English Learner students.

Product overview

Ellevation offers a unified English Language Development (ELD) solution for K-12 education, comprising a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core Ellevation Platform provides comprehensive EL program management including student data, compliance workflows, and instructional planning. It integrates with four specialized products: Ellevation Benchmark (English language proficiency assessment with 20-minute domain tests up to 3x/year), Ellevation Strategies (professional learning with 100+ instructional activities), Ellevation Math (mathematics instruction), and Family Communication (add-on for digital family outreach). Ellevation Forms, a sub-module within the Platform, handles compliance workflows. All components share data and insights through the unified platform to drive student growth and program excellence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ellevation Benchmark: English language proficiency assessment providing benchmark insights for progress monitoring up to three times per year with 20-minute assessments covering speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
• Ellevation Math
• Ellevation Strategies
• Ellevation Platform

Products and services

• Ellevation Platform Core unified ELD platform for K-12 educators to oversee EL program progress, manage real-time student data, compliance workflows, instructional planning, and drive language growth. Encompasses identification, placement, planning, measurement, instruction, professional learning, and family communication.
• Ellevation Benchmark English language proficiency benchmark assessment measuring student progress across reading, writing, listening, and speaking domains. Provides timely checkpoints up to three times per year with 20-minute domain assessments, Ellevation-scored results, and proficiency levels matched to state frameworks such as WIDA and LAS Links. Fully integrated with Ellevation Platform.
• Ellevation Strategies Professional learning solution providing research-based instructional strategies and activities for educators supporting multilingual learners. Includes a library of over 100 activities with best-practice content, data-driven dashboard recommendations, and guided learning modules.
• Ellevation Forms Compliance workflow management module within the Ellevation Platform for EL program tasks including identification, placement, monitoring, and reclassification. Features configurable form cycles, multi-student views, document review, signature collection, and automated status tracking.
• Family Communication Add-on module for Ellevation Platform that streamlines family outreach by enabling digital delivery and collection of parent letters, signatures, and input. Supports translated communications in family home languages and tracks outreach status for compliance documentation.
• Ellevation Math Mathematics instruction and learning platform for English learners. Students interact directly with the product, submitting text or audio responses as they progress through learning modules. Uses Google SSO for student authentication.

Quantifiable outcome

• Districts can measure student proficiency growth three times per year instead of waiting for annual summative results
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ClevercoreTechnology or IntegrationSingle sign-on (SSO) integration partner allowing students to log in through platforms they already know, removing friction and preventing testing disruptions during benchmark assessments.
• ClassLinkcoreTechnology or IntegrationSSO integration partner enabling seamless, secure student access to Ellevation Benchmark through existing district authentication systems.
• WIDAcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssessment consortium partnership ensuring Benchmark results align to WIDA proficiency framework used by many states, with cross-consortia analysis mapping proficiency descriptors to language tasks.
• Curriculum AssociatesflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerEllevation Education is a business division of Curriculum Associates, LLC. Ellevation operates as part of the Curriculum Associates family of education solutions including i-Ready, leveraging shared distribution, research, and operational resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning offers a dedicated English Learner program (Imagine Learning English) for K-12 districts alongside its broader supplemental curriculum. Directly comparable to Ellevation as a competing ELL-focused SaaS platform sold into U.S. school districts, with overlapping assessment, instruction, and family-engagement capabilities.
• Lexia Learning: Lexia (a Cambium Learning Group brand) provides literacy and language-learning SaaS for K-12, with explicit support for English Learners and multilingual students. Closely comparable in product category (adaptive ELA/ELL instruction and assessment), customer base (U.S. school districts), and SaaS delivery model.
• iStation: iStation delivers adaptive reading, ELL instruction, and formative assessment to K-12 districts. Directly comparable as a competing ELL/reading SaaS vendor targeting the same district buyers, with overlapping instruction and assessment features.

Emerging players

• Newsela: Newsela provides differentiated instructional content at multiple reading levels, frequently used for EL differentiation in K-12 classrooms. Comparable to Ellevation Strategies in targeting EL/multilingual differentiation, though narrower in scope (content only, no program management or compliance workflows).
• Benchmark Education Company: Benchmark Education provides leveled readers, ELL instructional materials, and K-5 literacy programs sold to U.S. districts. Comparable in ELL content focus and K-12 district GTM, though primarily a print/digital publisher rather than a unified SaaS platform.

Broad incumbents

• Renaissance Learning: Renaissance offers a broad K-12 edtech portfolio (Star Assessments, Accelerated Reader, Lalilo for early literacy/ELL) sold into the same U.S. district procurement channels as Ellevation. Comparable as a large incumbent with overlapping ELL-adjacent products, though its core focus is broader literacy and assessment rather than ELL program management specifically.
• PowerSchool: PowerSchool is the dominant U.S. K-12 SIS and unified classroom/operations platform, increasingly bundling instructional and compliance tools. Comparable as a broad incumbent competing for the same district-level EdTech wallet, with risk of platform-level displacement of standalone EL tools like Ellevation.
• NWEA: NWEA provides MAP Growth assessments and a growing instructional suite used widely across U.S. districts; Ellevation integrates with NWEA MAP data. Comparable as a large incumbent in K-12 assessment whose product roadmap increasingly overlaps with Ellevation Benchmark's progress-monitoring positioning.
• Frontline Education: Frontline sells district-wide K-12 administration, HR, and program management software to U.S. school districts. Comparable as an incumbent vendor competing for the same district-level EdTech budget and procurement cycles, though focused on operational rather than instructional workflows.

Others

• Curriculum Associates (i-Ready): Curriculum Associates is Ellevation's parent company and the vendor of i-Ready, a major K-12 adaptive diagnostic and instruction platform. Listed as an ecosystem participant rather than peer — i-Ready is a sister product within the same family — but is highly relevant because it dictates Ellevation's distribution leverage and competitive context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ELLevationED
• Facebookfacebook.com/EllevationED
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ellevation-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/ellevationed

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors7 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ellevation