What Consortium for School Networking does

CoSN (Consortium for School Networking), founded in 1992 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit professional membership association serving K-12 education technology leaders in the United States. Its primary constituents are chief technology officers, CIOs, technology directors, and aspiring EdTech leaders in public school districts who use CoSN for professional community, benchmarking, certification, and policy advocacy. The organization operates no unified SaaS platform; instead it delivers a portfolio of membership services including the CETL (Certified Education Technology Leader) credential, an annual conference (CoSN2026 in Chicago, CoSN2027 in Orlando), the State of EdTech Leadership survey of approximately 600 CTOs, the Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal for student data privacy, CTO Clinics, the CTO Academy for early-career leaders, an online community (CoSN Network), state-chapter programming, and recently absorbed national frameworks — the K-12 Cybersecurity Rubric and CCRE Program — formerly run by ClassLink and the Cybersecurity Coalition for Education.

Revenue is generated through a subscription/recurring membership model with individual, corporate, and state-chapter tiers, augmented by conference registration, certification fees, and corporate partnerships. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; enrollment runs through the self-serve portal at my.cosn.org. Distribution is event- and community-driven: the annual conference, webinars, regional state chapters, podcasts, YouTube content, and a multi-platform social presence serve as the primary engagement channels. CoSN also operates as an advocacy body, joining coalitions on federal K-12 technology policy such as the 80+ organization opposition to the FCC's E-Rate competitive bidding portal proposal.

The organization is governed as an independent nonprofit with no parent company, venture capital, or private equity ownership disclosed. Leadership is led by CEO Keith Krueger, with a small staff (reported as 1-10 employees) supplemented by directors and membership specialists. CoSN does not develop AI products; rather, it serves as the primary professional body advising K-12 leaders on AI adoption, cybersecurity, interoperability (CIRCUITS), and student data privacy across US school districts.

Name

Consortium for School Networking

Legal name

Consortium for School Networking

Website

https://cosn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CoSN is a 1992-founded nonprofit professional association serving K-12 education technology leaders through membership tiers, the CETL certification, annual conferences, the State of EdTech research survey, cybersecurity and data-privacy frameworks, and federal technology policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services for K-12 Education Technology Leadership

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications (EDAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• K-12 education technology
• Professional certification programs
• Membership association services
• Cybersecurity assessment tools
• Annual industry conferences

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CoSN operates as a professional association generating revenue through membership dues. The organization offers various membership tiers including individual memberships, corporate memberships, and state chapter affiliations. Benefits include access to exclusive resources, professional development programs (CTO Academy, CETL Certification), networking events, and industry research reports.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CoSN is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers professional development, peer networking, certification, industry research, and policy advocacy to K-12 education technology leaders. Its sellable offerings include individual and corporate memberships, the CETL certification, the annual conference, the TLE Seal recognition program, the Cybersecurity Rubric assessment, and the State of EdTech Leadership report.

Product overview

CoSN is a professional association for K-12 EdTech leaders, not a technology product company. It does not offer a unified SaaS platform or software product. Instead, it provides a portfolio of membership services including professional certifications (CETL), annual conferences (CoSN2026, CoSN2027), standards and assessments (Trusted Learning Environment Seal, Cybersecurity Rubric), professional development programs (CTO Academy, CTO Clinics), and knowledge resources. The State of EdTech Report is their flagship annual publication based on surveying ~600 CTOs. The organization also maintains an online community (CoSN Network) and resource library for members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CETL Certification Standalone Certified Education Technology Leader credentialing program for K-12 technology leaders, including an exam, preparation resources, the Framework of Essential Skills, recertification, and a public certification directory.
• CoSN Annual Conference Annual flagship in-person conference (CoSN2026 in Chicago, CoSN2027 in Orlando) bringing together K-12 EdTech leaders for keynote presentations, breakout sessions, vendor exhibitions, and networking, with 3,000+ attendees at CoSN2026.
• Trusted Learning Environment (TLE) Seal Recognition seal program for K-12 school districts demonstrating commitment to student data privacy, including the full TLE Seal, the TLE State Partnership Program, and the TLE Mini Seal for Classroom Practice.
• Cybersecurity Rubric (CR) for Education and CCRE Program Nationally recognized free assessment tool and training program (CCRE) that schools use to assess and strengthen their district's cybersecurity posture, now led by CoSN as of June 2026.
• CTO Academy for K-12 Early Career and Aspiring CTOs Professional development training program for early-career and aspiring K-12 CTOs, providing structured curriculum and career advancement resources to grow the next generation of district technology leaders.
• State of EdTech Leadership Annual Report Annual industry report surveying approximately 600 K-12 chief technology officers to publish benchmarks and trends on EdTech adoption, AI guidelines, cybersecurity, and educational technology leadership.
• CoSN Membership (Individual and Corporate) Annual subscription membership offering for K-12 EdTech leaders (individual) and EdTech vendors (corporate), providing access to member-exclusive resources, the CoSN Network online community, state chapter participation, events, and the State of EdTech report.

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% of K-12 districts now have AI guidelines in place (up from 57% in 2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ClassLink and Cybersecurity Coalition for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026CoSN announced it will assume leadership of the K-12 Cybersecurity Rubric and CCRE (Cybersecurity Readiness for Education) Program, transitioning from ClassLink and the Cybersecurity Coalition for Education. This positions the framework and training for national scale and long-term sustainability.
• SHLB CoalitioncoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 April 2026CoSN joined a coalition of over 80 organizations including the SHLB Coalition and ALA to oppose the FCC's 'overly burdensome' E-Rate competitive bidding portal proposal. The coalition argued the new requirements could deter participation particularly among small and rural schools and libraries.
• Digital PromiseflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoSN is partnering with Digital Promise for an exclusive EdTech delegation to Lisbon, Portugal (November 16-20). The delegation will focus on digital access, AI readiness, and student wellness, visiting local schools and meeting with OECD and UNESCO policymakers.
• American Library Association (ALA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCoSN joined with ALA as part of the 80+ organization coalition opposing FCC's E-Rate competitive bidding portal proposal, representing the shared interests of schools and libraries in federal telecommunications policy.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• EDUCAUSE: EDUCAUSE is the dominant higher-education IT professional association with a similar membership, conference, research, and advocacy model; it is a useful comparator for CoSN's structure and growth playbook, though it serves higher ed rather than K-12.

Regional players

• Consortium of Networks of Information and Communication Technologies for Human Development: CoSN's own state chapters network (state-level EdTech associations) is a regional layer that extends CoSN's reach across the U.S. and provides comparable membership and programming at the state level.
• SREB (Southern Regional Education Board): SREB is a regional education compact serving southern U.S. states with programs in EdTech, leadership, and school improvement, making it a comparable regional peer that intersects with CoSN's K-12 technology leadership audience in its geography.

Direct peers

• NSBA (National School Boards Association): NSBA represents school board members and district governance leaders nationwide, running annual conferences and federal advocacy programs that intersect with CoSN's district-level technology leadership audience and policy agenda.
• AASA (American Association of School Administrators): AASA is the national professional association for school superintendents and district leaders, serving a closely adjacent K-12 leadership audience with overlapping conference, advocacy, and professional development offerings, and is a logical partnership and overlap competitor for CoSN.
• ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education): ISTE is the other major K-12 EdTech professional association, offering the ISTE Standards, certification, and an annual conference that directly overlaps CoSN's K-12 EdTech leadership audience, though with a stronger educator/instructional technology emphasis versus CoSN's CTO focus.
• ASCD: ASCD is a major professional association for educators and school leaders, providing conferences, publications, and certifications that overlap with CoSN's K-12 leadership audience and operate on a comparable membership-driven nonprofit model.
• SETDA (State Educational Technology Directors Association): SETDA is a direct peer association for state-level EdTech directors, operating with a closely aligned mission of advancing K-12 technology leadership through policy advocacy, resources, and peer networking — frequently co-advocating with CoSN on E-Rate and federal policy.

Emerging players

• Digital Promise: Digital Promise is a nonprofit that works on EdTech innovation and equity in K-12; it is currently a CoSN partner (Lisbon delegation) and an emerging peer shaping the same K-12 EdTech standards and adoption landscape.

Others

• EdSurge: EdSurge is an EdTech-focused media outlet that frequently cites CoSN's State of EdTech data; it serves as a complementary channel for CoSN's research rather than a direct competitor but is a key ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cosn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CoSNweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/mycosn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1198287
• Instagraminstagram.com/cosn_02

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Consortium for School Networking