Southern Regional Education Board

What Southern Regional Education Board does

Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan interstate compact founded in 1948 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. SREB serves as a policy advocate and operational platform for public education across 16 member states: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. The organization delivers a diversified portfolio of programs organized around five pillars: (1) data and research — including the Fact Book on Higher Education, the SREB-State Data Exchange, the Labor Market Data Hub, and the Educator Compensation Dashboard; (2) tuition reciprocity and interstate access — via the Academic Common Market (covering 2,200+ degree programs across 15 states), the Regional Contract Program for health professions, and administration of the nationwide State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA); (3) K-12 school improvement — anchored by the Making Schools Work school improvement process, the Powerful Practices Framework, the Advanced Career curricula, and professional development/coaching services; (4) doctoral scholar and faculty development through the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program (2,300+ scholars supported, 1,300+ graduates since 1993); and (5) crisis recovery support via the Crisis Recovery Network using the PREPaRE model (targeting 640 counselors across 16 states).

The organization employs 51-100 staff and operates a consultative, government-focused go-to-market model. Revenue is generated through three streams: annual state membership dues from the 16 member states, program and service fees (e.g., for the Doctoral Scholars Program, Academic Common Market, Regional Contract Program), and conference and event revenue (annual Making Schools Work Conference, Institute on Teaching and Mentoring). SREB publishes a peer-reviewed journal (SREB Journal of Education Practices and Trends), distributes a weekly podcast, and convenes annual policy forums. It partners with Lumina Foundation, Trellis Foundation, the Jed Foundation, the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, and three other regional compacts (NEBHE, MHEC, WICHE) to administer SARA. SREB is governed by a Board, Legislative Advisory Council, and commissions representing member states, with no parent company, no external shareholders, and no public listing. The firm's key competitive position rests on its 75-year tenure, its franchise role in SARA administration, and the cross-state data assets that no individual state education agency could replicate independently.

Name

Southern Regional Education Board

Legal name

Southern Regional Education Board

Website

https://sreb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Southern Regional Education Board is a nonprofit interstate compact serving 16 Southern and Eastern states with education data infrastructure, tuition reciprocity programs, K-12 school improvement services, doctoral scholar support, crisis recovery coordination, and SARA administration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy and Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial/Regional Education Departments (EDADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public School Districts (K–12) (EDADABAA)

Keywords

• Interstate education compact
• Tuition reciprocity programs
• School improvement services
• Education data analytics
• Policy research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Membership Dues: SREB operates as a nonprofit interstate compact funded through annual dues from its 16 member states. States collaborate to share resources and leverage collective purchasing power.
2. Program and Service Fees: Fees for programs including the Doctoral Scholars Program, Academic Common Market, Regional Contract Program, and professional development services.
3. Conference Revenue: Revenue from the annual Making Schools Work Conference and Institute on Teaching and Mentoring, including registration fees and sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Southern Regional Education Board operates as a nonprofit interstate compact delivering education programs and services across 16 member states. Its offerings include tuition-savings reciprocity programs (Academic Common Market, Regional Contract Program), K-12 school improvement services via the Making Schools Work framework, comparative education data products (Fact Book, SREB-State Data Exchange), crisis recovery counseling support, doctoral scholar fellowships, state authorization reciprocity for online education (SARA), and legislative/policy tracking.

Product overview

The Southern Regional Education Board operates as a nonprofit interstate compact offering a diverse portfolio of education-focused programs and services across 16 states. The portfolio is organized into several core areas: (1) Tuition reciprocity programs including the Academic Common Market and Regional Contract Program for health professions; (2) School improvement services centered on the Making Schools Work process with associated curricula (Advanced Career, Middle Grades STEM, Readiness Courses) and professional development/coaching; (3) Data and research services including the Fact Book on Higher Education and SREB-State Data Exchange; (4) Crisis recovery support through the Crisis Recovery Network; (5) Doctoral scholar support via the Doctoral Scholars Program; (6) Policy and legislative tracking through Legislative Reports; (7) State Authorization via SARA for online education; and (8) Annual conferences and the Making Schools Work Podcast. The architecture is platform-plus-modules, with the Making Schools Work school improvement framework serving as the core offering, supplemented by specialized curricula, coaching services, and the SREB Journal of Education Practices and Trends for research dissemination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Making Schools Work: SREB's school improvement process for grades K-12, grounded in research showing increased achievement starts with motivating students to succeed.
• Crisis Recovery Network
• SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program
• SREB Journal of Education Practices and Trends

Products and services

• Academic Common Market

Quantifiable outcome

• States saved $10.5 million on technology purchases in FY2023 through collaborative agreements
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lumina FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Lumina Foundation partnered with SREB and Trellis Foundation to convene nearly 100 leaders from higher education, public health, and student advocacy for a two-day policy convening on student well-being in Salt Lake City, June 16-17, 2026. The collaboration established shared policy priorities including comprehensive suicide prevention, student voice inclusion, and behavioral health workforce development.
• Trellis FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Trellis Foundation co-convened with Lumina Foundation and SREB the policy convening bringing together all four national regional education compacts representing 47 states and territories to advance student behavioral health policy.
• The Jed Foundation (JED)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026The Jed Foundation (JED) partnered with Lumina Foundation and Trellis Foundation to unite U.S. regional education compacts to chart a new course for postsecondary student well-being, establishing collaborative policy agenda for student behavioral health.
• Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSREB partners with MHEC to bring cost containment strategies including collaborative insurance and technology purchasing agreements to SREB states. This partnership enabled states to save $10.5 million on technology purchases in fiscal year 2023.
• National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSREB serves as one of four regional compacts administering SARA nationwide, alongside NEBHE, MHEC, and WICHE. SARA broadens offerings for students, saves institutions from case-by-case approvals, and allows states to focus on oversight of their own institutions.
• New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of four regional higher education compacts that collectively administer the nationwide State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) system for interstate postsecondary education.
• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of four regional higher education compacts that collectively administer the nationwide State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) system for interstate postsecondary education.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Institutes for Research (AIR): A large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization that conducts education evaluation and policy research for federal, state, and local clients. SREB's research and evaluation work overlaps with AIR's K-12 and higher ed practice areas.
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): Bipartisan organization serving all state legislators. SREB's VP Lee Posey spent 17 years at NCSL before joining SREB, and SREB's legislative tracking services are a regionalized analog of NCSL's national legislative education work.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): A nationwide nonpartisan organization representing state education agency chiefs. SREB works with CCSSO member agencies across its 16 states on shared K-12 improvement initiatives and policy alignment.

Regional players

• WestEd: A nonprofit research, development, and service agency serving primarily Western states with K-12 school improvement, professional development, and research services. Directly comparable to SREB's Making Schools Work school improvement process for a different regional market.
• Southern Education Foundation (SEF): A nonprofit focused specifically on equity and excellence in Southern education. SREB's Doctoral Scholars Program (minority faculty development) and SEF's racial equity work overlap on mission and regional focus on the same 16-state footprint.

Direct peers

• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): A regional higher education compact serving Western states, and the fourth co-administrator of nationwide SARA alongside SREB, MHEC, and NEBHE. Operates the Western Academic Leadership Forum and similar interstate policy and tuition reciprocity programs.
• Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC): One of the four U.S. regional higher education compacts, MHEC serves Midwestern states and partners with SREB on collaborative purchasing agreements that delivered $10.5M in FY2023 tech savings. MHEC and SREB co-administer national SARA alongside two other compacts.
• Education Commission of the States (ECS): A national nonpartisan interstate compact that tracks education policy and provides comparative data across all U.S. states. SREB's policy/legislative tracking work and Fact Book research overlap directly with ECS's core functions at a national level.
• New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE): A regional higher education compact serving New England states and one of four SREB's partner compacts co-administering SARA. Operates similar interstate tuition reciprocity, policy research, and academic collaboration programs for its member states.

Emerging players

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): A national nonprofit driving transformation of education and workforce systems, with overlap on SREB's career pathways, dual enrollment, and workforce development work. Smaller direct overlap but aligned mission around postsecondary success.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/srebeducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SREBvideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/121126717984877
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southern-regional-education-board
• Instagraminstagram.com/srebeducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Southern Regional Education Board