What Rocketship Education does

Rocketship Education (legally Rocketship Public Schools) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) network of public charter elementary schools serving predominantly low-income and underserved communities. Founded in 2006-2007 by Preston Smith and Maricela Guerrero in San Jose, California, the network operates 22 tuition-free schools across four states — California (13), Tennessee (3), Wisconsin (3), and Washington D.C. (3) — and has served 33,567 lifetime students. Schools target grades TK-5 and admit students through state-specific random lotteries via the SchoolMint platform, with no tuition or fees.

The core operating model is a personalized learning rotation in which students move through four daily content blocks — Humanities, STEM, Learning Lab (adaptive online learning), and Enrichment — supported by teacher-led differentiated instruction, small-group tutoring, and data-driven decision making anchored in NWEA MAP assessment results. The organization layers three pillars — Personalized Learning, Talent Development (weekly PD, coaching, residency programs), and Community Power (home visits, parent organizing committees, leadership roles) — to drive student outcomes. Outcomes are validated externally: the 2023 Stanford CREDO study identified Rocketship as a "gap-busting" network, with students demonstrating 5-7 months of additional learning per year and NWEA MAP growth of 1.3-1.6 years.

Rocketship's business model is per-pupil public funding from state and federal charter authorizers, supplemented by philanthropy and grants. The organization is governed by a national board plus regional boards, with a C-suite led by co-founder/CEO Preston Smith and regional Executive Directors in each state. There is no equity ownership, no public listing, and no disclosed equity funding; expansion is funded through operating cash flow and donations.

Name

Rocketship Education

Legal name

Rocketship Public Schools

Website

https://rocketshipschools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Rocketship Education is a non-profit network of 22 tuition-free public charter elementary schools (TK-5) in California, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C., serving underserved communities with a personalized learning rotation model and lottery-based admissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Charter Elementary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter School Networks (Multi-Site) (EDAJACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Charter Schools (Single-Site) (EDAJACAB), Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Public charter schools
• Elementary education
• Personalized learning
• Charter school network
• K-5 education

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Per-Pupil Public Funding: As a non-profit network of public charter schools, Rocketship receives per-pupil funding from state and federal governments based on enrollment. Schools are tuition-free and open to all students, funded through public education dollars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rocketship Education operates a non-profit network of 22 tuition-free public charter elementary schools (TK-5) across California, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington DC. The schools deliver a personalized learning model combining teacher-led instruction, adaptive online learning programs, small group tutoring, enrichment classes, and data-driven student assessment. Admissions are conducted via free lottery-based applications through the SchoolMint platform.

Product overview

Rocketship Public Schools is a non-profit network of public charter elementary schools (TK-5) operating 22 schools across California (13 schools), Wisconsin (3 schools), Tennessee (3 schools), and Washington D.C. (3 schools). The network offers a unified educational model centered on Personalized Learning, which combines teacher-led whole group and differentiated instruction, rotation through Learning Lab blocks with adaptive online learning programs, small group tutoring, and diverse enrichment classes (art, music, STEM, etc.). The network's three-pillar approach includes Personalized Learning, Talent Development (for teachers), and Community Power (parent engagement). Academic progress is measured using NWEA MAP assessments, with schools reporting 1.3-1.6 years of student growth annually. The network serves approximately 33,567 lifetime students and operates tuition-free, open to all students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rocketship Public Schools Network A national network of 22 high-performing public elementary charter schools (TK-5) operating tuition-free in underserved communities across California, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Washington DC, serving over 33,567 lifetime students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain 5-7 months of additional learning per school year (Stanford CREDO 2023 study of 3 million students)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Stanford CREDOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) conducted a 2023 study of over 3 million public school students that highlighted Rocketship as one of the charter sector's 'gap busting' networks. The study provided third-party validation of Rocketship's academic outcomes.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• KIPP Public Schools: National non-profit network of college-preparatory public charter schools serving underserved communities. Most direct comparable: similar mission, multi-state footprint, lottery admissions, and focus on closing achievement gaps.
• Uncommon Schools: Non-profit charter management organization operating K-12 schools in multiple states with a college-prep mission for low-income students. Comparable in model rigor, multi-state expansion, and academic outcomes focus.
• Achievement First: Non-profit charter school network operating schools in Connecticut, New York, and Rhode Island. Comparable as a regional charter network targeting underserved communities with a data-driven, extended-day model.
• IDEA Public Schools: One of the largest non-profit charter networks in the U.S., serving primarily Texas with expansion into other states. Comparable in scale and college-prep mission for underserved students.
• YES Prep Public Schools: Non-profit charter management organization operating public schools in the Houston area. Comparable as a regional, outcomes-focused charter network with personalized learning elements.
• Green Dot Public Schools: Non-profit charter operator running public charter schools across California and Tennessee, including Los Angeles. Comparable as a California-rooted, multi-state charter network.
• Aspire Public Schools: Non-profit charter management organization headquartered in California with TK-12 schools across multiple states. Strong regional overlap with Rocketship in California and shared college-prep, personalized-learning approach.
• Success Academy Charter Schools: Large non-profit charter network in New York City known for data-driven instruction and high academic outcomes. Comparable in rigorous, technology-supported instructional model targeting underserved students.
• National Heritage Academies: For-profit charter management organization operating public charter schools nationwide. Comparable as a large multi-state charter network, though it operates as a for-profit CMO versus Rocketship's non-profit structure.

Emerging players

• BASIS Charter Schools: Charter and independent school network focused on advanced academics. Compares on outcomes-driven mission and technology-enabled instruction, though more affluent-student skewed than Rocketship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RocketshipEd
• Facebookfacebook.com/RocketshipEd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/361369

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

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 Rocketship Education