What Learning Forward does

Learning Forward is a private nonprofit professional membership association, founded in 1969 (per firmographic records; other sources cite 1974) and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio, focused exclusively on educator professional learning. The organization serves K-12 educators, district and school leaders, state education agencies, and external partners (technical assistance providers, regional centers, vendors, university faculty) through a portfolio centered on the Standards for Professional Learning, a research-based framework the organization has stewarded for more than 30 years. Complementary offerings include the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI), The Learning Professional journal (six issues per year), the Learning Forward Academy (a 2.5-year inquiry-based program), the Leadership Team Institute, Mentor Academy, the Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL) Network, and an annual conference.

The technology footprint is a typical association stack rather than a proprietary platform: a digital storefront, an Instructure-powered LMS for online courses, webinar delivery, conference management, single sign-on across member services, and a national network of 30+ state, provincial, and international affiliates for regional distribution. Selected customers include the School District of Philadelphia, Montgomery County Public Schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools, and the Louisiana Department of Education (1,600+ mentor teachers trained).

Learning Forward monetizes through a diversified mix: recurring membership and journal subscriptions, one-time conference registrations and bookstore sales (with bulk discounts on orders of 25+), subscription-based online courses, and higher-margin professional services and consulting engagements. Revenue and pricing are not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is community-led, combining direct membership engagement, regional affiliates, an annual conference, and direct consulting/services to districts and state agencies.

Name

Learning Forward

Legal name

Learning Forward

Website

https://learningforward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Learning Forward is a private nonprofit membership association that develops and stewards the Standards for Professional Learning and delivers consulting, programs, journals, and an annual conference to K-12 educators, district and state leaders, and external partners across 30+ U.S. and international affiliates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms (BPAMAJAL), Digital Learning & Course Subscriptions (CRAFAIAD)

Keywords

• Professional learning
• Educator professional development
• Standards for professional learning
• Teacher training programs
• Education leadership development

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership: Annual membership providing exclusive access to journals, member discounts in the bookstore, special pricing for events, networking with other learning professionals, and access to resources and professional learning communities.
2. Annual Conference: Annual conference revenue from registration fees. Next conference scheduled for Dec. 6-9, 2026 in Dallas, TX with 'Unite for Learning' theme.
3. Bookstore/Resource Sales: Sales of Standards for Professional Learning publications, action guides, and professional learning resources. Includes bulk discounts for orders of 25 or more.
4. Professional Services/Consulting: High-impact professional services providing school and system leaders with tools to transform professional learning, including Mentor Academy, coaching programs, and customized consulting engagements.
5. Journal Subscriptions: The Learning Professional magazine published six times per year for members, featuring articles on professional learning, coaching, leadership, and educator development.
6. Online Courses: Online professional development courses delivered through Instructure platform, shared with user ID, password, name and general course information.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Learning Forward is a nonprofit professional membership association that provides standards, publications, conferences, training programs, and consulting services focused on educator professional learning. Its flagship product is the Standards for Professional Learning, a research-based framework the organization has stewarded for more than 30 years, supplemented by assessment tools (SAI), the Learning Forward Academy, the Learning Professional journal, and customized consulting for districts and state agencies.

Product overview

Learning Forward is a professional association devoted exclusively to educator professional development. Their product portfolio centers on the Standards for Professional Learning (the core framework stewarded for 30+ years) and the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) for evaluation. They publish The Learning Professional journal (6x/year), provide online and in-person courses, webinars, research reports, and toolkits. Their programs include the Learning Forward Academy (2.5-year inquiry-based learning), Leadership Team Institute, Learning Studio, Mentor Academy, and various Networks including the Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Network. They host the Annual Conference and a Symposium on curriculum-based professional learning. Additional offerings include an Affiliates program (30+ state/international partners), Consulting Services, Bookstore with standards-based publications and action guides, and Membership with exclusive access to resources and discounts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI): An assessment tool for evaluating professional learning against the Standards for Professional Learning.
• Mentor Academy
• Leadership Team Institute
• Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Network

Products and services

• Standards for Professional Learning Research-based standards that provide educators with knowledge and guidance to design, implement, and sustain high-quality professional learning. Learning Forward has stewarded these standards with periodic updates for more than 30 years.
• Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) An assessment tool that helps educators and organizations evaluate their professional learning against the Standards for Professional Learning, providing insights for continuous improvement.
• The Learning Professional A bimonthly journal (formerly known as JSD) published for Learning Forward members, featuring articles on professional learning, coaching, leadership, and educator development. Six issues per year covering topics like coaching, learning science, and AI in education.
• Learning Forward Annual Conference Annual professional learning conference bringing together education leaders for sessions, networking, and learning. The 2026 conference is scheduled for December 6-9, 2026 in Dallas, TX under the theme 'Unite for Learning'.
• Learning Forward Academy A 2.5-year inquiry-based learning experience centered on solving challenges in participants' districts or schools. Includes ten face-to-face learning days, four virtual events, ongoing coaching, conference registration, and graduation at the Annual Conference.
• Leadership Team Institute Year-long vertical leadership team program for principals, assistant principals, teacher leaders, and principal supervisors focused on implementing evidence-based policies and practices to address key challenges and improve educator practices.
• Learning Studio: Supercharge Your Adult Learning Professional learning program focused on adult learning principles and techniques for educators.
• Curriculum-Based Professional Learning (CBPL) Network A network launched in 2023 focused on supporting educators' knowledge of how to utilize high-quality, standards-aligned curricula. Participating districts include School District of Philadelphia, Montgomery County Public Schools, and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools.
• Professional Learning Networks Professional learning networks that create opportunities for educators to collaborate, share best practices, and work together on educational improvement initiatives.
• Mentor Academy Program that provides expert teachers with tools and skills to effectively support novice teachers through their first years of teaching, based on a cycle of inquiry and support.
• Learning Forward Services/Consulting Professional services supporting school and system leaders with customized professional learning support for teachers, coaches, and leaders. Includes customized engagements and contact-based support.
• Membership Annual membership program providing exclusive access to journals (The Learning Professional), member discounts in the bookstore, special pricing for events, networking with other learning professionals, and access to resources and professional learning communities.
• Learning Forward Bookstore Online store offering Standards for Professional Learning publications, action guides for various roles (coach, principal, system office, external partner), mentoring resources, and journal issues. Includes member discounts and bulk order options for orders of 25 or more.
• Curriculum-Based Professional Learning Symposium Annual symposium focused on curriculum-based professional learning topics.
• Action Guide for the Principal: IC Maps for Standards, 2025 Edition Hands-on resource helping principals implement Standards for Professional Learning. Describes steps for implementing each of the 11 standards from entry-level to ideal implementation.
• Action Guide for the External Partner: IC Maps for Standards, 2025 Edition Action guide for partners external to school systems (technical assistance providers, regional centers, vendors, university faculty) to implement Standards for Professional Learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of participating mentors in Louisiana Mentor Teacher Academy reported feeling 'prepared and confident to mentor resident and novice teachers'
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Collaborated on national guide 'Improving Professional Learning Systems to Better Support Today's Educators' addressing the gap between technology access and effective instructional use in schools. The guide was developed with FullScale, ISTE+ASCD, and Learning Forward with support from Google.org.
• FullScaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SETDA and Learning Forward on the national guide for professional learning in the AI era.
• ISTE+ASCDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SETDA, FullScale, and Learning Forward on professional learning guide addressing educator development for AI and digital tools.
• Louisiana Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSelected Learning Forward to design and facilitate an instructionally focused professional learning program for mentors. The program was completed in February 2020 with more than 1,600 mentor teachers participating.
• EL EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Learning Forward to plan and provide professional learning for local school coaches in Gwinnett County Public Schools, including learning walks and curriculum implementation support.
• Wallace FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research reports on professional learning for school principals. Vanderbilt University report commissioned by Wallace Foundation found principals generally satisfied with content and quality of professional learning.
• Learning Policy InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublished research on developing effective principals and state teacher shortages used by Learning Forward for advocacy and professional learning program development.
• Open Up ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearning Forward's CBPL Network collaborates with Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools' Open Up Resources (OUR) Network to advance curriculum-based professional learning.
• National Coalition for Technology in Education and TrainingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJon Bernstein serves as co-chair of this coalition and helps lead the Principals Group focused on professional development funding.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Corwin Professional Development: Publisher and PD provider serving K-12 educators with books, online courses, coaching, and conferences; competes with Learning Forward for district training budgets and membership-style resources.
• AASA (The School Superintendents Association): Professional membership association for school superintendents and district leaders; competes with Learning Forward for district-level leader attention, events, and PD dollars on the same buyer segment.
• TNTP (formerly The New Teacher Project): National nonprofit providing teacher training, coaching, and instructional support services to districts; directly competes in PD consulting and pipeline development with Learning Forward Services.
• PDK International (Phi Delta Kappa): Education professional association publishing Kappan and offering educator resources and awards; comparable nonprofit membership model addressing educators and serving as a parallel professional community.
• WestEd: Nonprofit research and development organization providing professional development, evaluation, and consulting to schools and states; competing consulting arm in the same K-12 capacity-building space.
• ASCD (now part of ISTE+ASCD): Long-standing direct competitor: ASCD runs conferences, journals (Educational Leadership), PD programs, and Standards-aligned publications serving the same K-12 educator audience as Learning Forward, with overlapping consulting and membership offerings.
• Solution Tree: K-12 professional development company offering conferences, books, and on-site PD around PLCs and response-to-intervention; directly competes with Learning Forward Academy, Mentor Academy, and consulting services.
• ISTE (now ISTE+ASCD): Direct peer in educator professional development, now merged with ASCD; ISTE focuses on educational technology standards and PD for teachers, sharing overlapping conferences, standards, and district consultancy buyers with Learning Forward.

Emerging players

• Edutopia (George Lucas Educational Foundation): Nonprofit publishing free videos, articles, and resources on best teaching practices; overlaps with Learning Forward's content and webinar offerings but is primarily media rather than membership/standards.

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): Largest U.S. educator union/professional association with publications, training, and conferences; broad incumbent operating across the same educator base but with a union/advocacy mandate rather than PD-standards focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/learningforward
• Facebookfacebook.com/learningforward
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learning-forward
• Instagraminstagram.com/learningforward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Learning Forward