What Actively Learn does

Actively Learn is a cloud-based digital curriculum platform that serves US K-12 schools and districts, primarily for grades 3-12 instruction in English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. The platform ingests third-party content — articles, Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, and videos — and overlays interactive scaffolds, embedded coaching prompts, annotation tools, and real-time student performance data to help teachers differentiate reading instruction and monitor comprehension. Its core architecture combines a content-agnostic reading layer with a growing catalog of standards-aligned, culturally relevant texts across three subject modules (Actively Learn ELA, Actively Learn Science, Actively Learn Social Studies), and integrates tightly with Google productivity tools as the primary teacher content ingestion path.

The business model operates on two tracks. At the enterprise level, Actively Learn is sold as a quote-based subscription to schools and districts through McGraw Hill's PreK-12 sales force, with sign-in integrated into mheducation.com and multiple tiered "Plan Options" available. At the long tail, individual teachers, administrators, and students can sign up for free accounts and free trials on read.activelylearn.com, creating a bottom-up adoption funnel that feeds district-wide expansion. Founded in 2012 in Seattle with 11-50 employees, Actively Learn has been integrated into McGraw Hill's PreK-12 platforms lineup alongside Achieve3000, ALEKS, and ConnectED, and is recognized by the SIIA CODiE Awards and Common Sense Education. Revenue mechanics rely on institutional subscription licenses with annual billing cadence, supplemented by the freemium onboarding layer; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is obtained via "Request a Quote" or "Contact a Rep."

Name

Actively Learn

Legal name

Actively Learn

Website

https://activelylearn.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Actively Learn is a cloud-based digital curriculum platform for US grades 3-12 ELA, Science, and Social Studies, sold via McGraw Hill to schools and districts with a freemium self-serve funnel for individual teachers and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School/District subscriptions via McGraw Hill: Recurring institutional licensing sold by McGraw Hill to schools and districts through 'Request a Quote' and 'Contact a Rep' flows, with tiered 'Plan Options' available on the program site. Subscription/license-based B2B education revenue.
2. Free teacher/student accounts (freemium onboarding): Free individual teacher, administrator, and student account signup on read.activelylearn.com with a free trial path, used as a land-and-expand motion that funnels adoption into paid district-wide plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Actively Learn is a cloud-based digital curriculum platform for grades 3-12 that delivers standards-aligned ELA, Science, and Social Studies content with interactive reading scaffolds, real-time performance data, and collaboration tools. Teachers can upload their own articles, Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, and videos to create interactive assignments with embedded supports, monitor student comprehension in real time, and provide in-text feedback to students.

Product overview

Actively Learn is a single, unified digital curriculum platform offered by McGraw Hill for grades 3-12, organized as a core platform with three subject-area content modules: Actively Learn ELA, Actively Learn Science, and Actively Learn Social Studies. All three subject modules share the same underlying platform capabilities — embedded scaffolds, collaboration/annotation tools, real-time student performance data, and the ability for teachers to upload their own articles, Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, and videos to create interactive assignments aligned to their scope and sequence. The platform is sold and supported as part of McGraw Hill's PreK-12 program suite, with sign-in handled via read.activelylearn.com, and was recognized by a SIIA CODiE Awards judge as "Extremely effective. One of the best products I've seen."

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Actively Learn Cloud-based digital curriculum platform for grades 3-12 covering ELA, Science, and Social Studies, combining standards-aligned content with teacher-uploaded articles, Google Docs, Google Slides, PDFs, and videos, embedded scaffolds, collaboration/annotation tools, and real-time student performance reporting; sold to schools and districts through McGraw Hill with a freemium signup for individual teachers and students.
• Actively Learn ELA English Language Arts content module within the Actively Learn platform, providing standards-aligned ELA reading material and interactive assignments for grades 3-12.
• Actively Learn Science Science content module within the Actively Learn platform, providing standards-aligned science reading material and interactive assignments for grades 3-12.
• Actively Learn Social Studies Social Studies content module within the Actively Learn platform, providing culturally relevant and standards-aligned social studies reading material and interactive assignments for grades 3-12.

Quantifiable outcome

• Common Sense Education endorsement highlighting 'boundless options for what students can do inside a text' and the ability to open up 'high-quality communication among teachers and students.'
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship / core distribution and operating partner, core content integration and mid-tier review/validation partner.

• McGraw Hillflagship / core distribution and operating partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerActively Learn is featured as a PreK-12 platform within McGraw Hill's product portfolio at mheducation.com, with sign-in integrated into the McGraw Hill platform account system and positioned within McGraw Hill's intervention/supplemental product line. McGraw Hill handles sales motions including 'Request a Demo', 'Request a Quote', and 'Contact a Rep', and Actively Learn is operated under McGraw Hill's K-12 marketing, content, and platform infrastructure.
• Google (Google Docs and Google Slides)core content integrationTechnology or IntegrationActively Learn enables teachers to upload Google Docs and Google Slides directly to create interactive assignments, indicating integration with Google's productivity/document ecosystem as a primary content ingestion path alongside PDFs and videos.
• Common Sense Educationmid-tier review/validation partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCommon Sense Education is quoted on the Actively Learn microsite as an independent educator-facing endorsement, describing the product as offering 'boundless options for what students can do inside a text' and able to 'open up high-quality communication among teachers and students alike.' This serves as third-party validation surfaced as earned-media-style social proof.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• CommonLit: CommonLit provides a free, standards-aligned reading library for grades 3-12 with built-in formative assessments and annotation tools. It competes directly with Actively Learn on grade 3-12 ELA/Social Studies reading comprehension and annotation.
• Amplify Reading: Amplify Reading is a K-5 (and expanding) adaptive literacy program that provides differentiated reading instruction with embedded scaffolds. It competes with Actively Learn in the digital reading instruction category for grades 3-12 and is sold into the same district buyers.
• Newsela: Newsela is a K-12 reading platform offering differentiated, standards-aligned nonfiction content at multiple Lexile levels with embedded assessments. It directly competes with Actively Learn in grades 3-12 ELA, Science, and Social Studies, and uses a similar district-license + teacher self-serve motion.
• Lexia Learning: Lexia Learning provides adaptive literacy instruction for grades PK-12 with a strong focus on reading skills, scaffolds, and teacher data dashboards. It directly overlaps with Actively Learn's embedded-scaffold and real-time-data approach to reading instruction.
• ReadWorks: ReadWorks offers a K-12 reading comprehension platform with curated nonfiction and literary passages, question sets, and teacher tools. It directly overlaps with Actively Learn's ELA/Social Studies reading comprehension use case for grades 3-12.
• Achieve3000 (McGraw Hill): Achieve3000 is a McGraw Hill sister product offering differentiated reading and literacy instruction for K-12. It competes with Actively Learn in the same intervention/literacy category and is sold via the same McGraw Hill K-12 sales force.

Broad incumbents

• Renaissance Learning: Renaissance Learning offers a broad K-12 portfolio including Accelerated Reader, myON, and Freckle for literacy, assessment, and practice. It competes with Actively Learn as a literacy-focused incumbent, though it is broader in scope and includes assessment.
• Imagine Learning: Imagine Learning is a broader PreK-12 digital curriculum provider with strong literacy and intervention products. It competes with Actively Learn in the K-12 supplemental/intervention reading category but offers a wider subject portfolio.
• Khan Academy: Khan Academy is a broadly adopted free K-12 learning platform with content across ELA, math, science, and social studies. It overlaps with Actively Learn as a free, self-serve option for individual teachers and classrooms feeding into district adoption.
• Curriculum Associates (iReady): Curriculum Associates offers iReady, a widely adopted K-12 adaptive diagnostic and instructional platform covering both reading and math. It competes with Actively Learn in reading instruction for grades 3-12, and its full-stack scope gives it cross-subject wallet share advantages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/activelylearn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/schooleducationgroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/activelylearn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcgraw-hill-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/mheducation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/mcgrawhilled

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors2 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 Actively Learn