Deans For Impact
Deans for Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that works with educator-preparation programs, K-12 districts, and state and federal policymakers to redesign teacher preparation around cognitive science and evidence-based practice.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAustin, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Deans For Impact does
Deans for Impact (DFI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, that works to improve the quality of teacher preparation in the United States by translating cognitive-science research into educator-preparation practice. The organization operates as an intermediary between learning-science researchers, educator-preparation programs (EPPs) at universities, K-12 school districts, and state/federal policymakers. Its flagship initiative, the Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) Network, currently encompasses 14 EPPs across three cohorts, supported by professional development, instructional modules, coaching tools, and a community of practice. DFI also runs the Tennessee HQIM Network with the Tennessee Department of Education, the Aspiring Teachers as Tutors Network (ATTN), the Common Indicators System Network for cross-institutional data collection, and an Early Literacy Network, and it co-authored National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teacher Apprenticeships with the U.S. Department of Labor in December 2025.
DFI's product portfolio is content- and program-based rather than software-based. Core offerings include the LbSD Instructional Modules, Science of Learning Coaching Tools, Teacher Action Anchor Charts, HQIM Lesson Internalization Protocols (math and ELA), Early Literacy Foundational Skills Modules, and a substantial publication catalog including The Science of Learning (second edition released May 2026), The Science of Early Learning, Practice with Purpose, and Building Blocks. Policy products include Pathways that Deliver (federal and state action guides), Mobilizing Aspiring Teachers as Tutors (policy framework), and advocacy support for the PATHS to Tutor Act. Distribution is free of charge through deansforimpact.org, with deeper engagement delivered via multi-year network participation that requires direct DFI staff involvement in convening, coaching, and assessment administration.
The organization's business model is grant- and donation-funded. Revenue streams consist of foundation grants supporting specific networks and policy initiatives, plus individual donations. No pricing is charged for resources or programmatic participation. GTM motion is community-led rather than sales-led: DFI engages EPPs, K-12 districts, and state education agencies through convenings, coaching, professional learning communities, and policy partnerships. Per the source material, DFI has supported 261 EPPs, 184 educator-preparation leaders, and 110,138 future teachers across 45 U.S. states, with documented outcomes including a +18 percentage point average gain on HQIM assessment scores (58% to 76%) and a +32 percentage point increase in candidates endorsing instructional decisions supporting access to rigorous instruction (45% to 77%). Leadership comprises founder Benjamin Riley, Executive Director Valerie Sakimura, VP of Program Amber Willis, and Senior Policy Director Patrick Steck.
Deans For Impact firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Deans For Impact
- Legal name
- Deans for Impact
- Website
- https://deansforimpact.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Deans for Impact is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2015 that works with educator-preparation programs, K-12 districts, and state and federal policymakers to redesign teacher preparation around cognitive science and evidence-based practice.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Deans For Impact industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Teacher Preparation Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs (EDANAJAF)
Keywords
Where Deans For Impact is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Austin
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Deans For Impact business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: DFI accepts individual donations through its website to support programming and operations.
- Foundation Grants: The organization receives funding from foundations to support specific networks and initiatives like the Learning by Scientific Design Network and policy advocacy work.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Deans For Impact product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Deans For Impact (DFI) is a nonprofit that partners with educator-preparation programs, K-12 school districts, and state policymakers to redesign teacher preparation around cognitive-science evidence. Its core deliverables are cohort-based collaborative networks (notably the Learning by Scientific Design Network and the Tennessee HQIM Network), practice-based instructional modules, coaching tools, formative assessments, and federal/state policy frameworks — all delivered through direct engagement with institutional clients.
Product overview
Deans For Impact (DFI) is an education organization that works with educators, leaders, and policymakers to improve teacher preparation through evidence-based practices grounded in cognitive science. Rather than a single software product, DFI offers a portfolio of programs, networks, instructional resources, publications, and policy frameworks. The core programmatic offerings include the Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) Network (14 educator-preparation programs redesigning coursework around cognitive science), the Tennessee HQIM Network (4 programs focused on high-quality instructional materials), and the Early Literacy Network. DFI produces instructional resources including Learning by Scientific Design Instructional Modules, Science of Learning Coaching Tools, Teacher Action Anchor Charts, and HQIM lesson internalization protocols for math and ELA. Major publications include The Science of Learning (now in its second edition), The Science of Early Learning, Practice with Purpose, and Building Blocks. Policy offerings include Pathways that Deliver (federal and state action guides), Mobilizing Aspiring Teachers as Tutors policy framework, and support for the PATHS to Tutor Act legislation. DFI also maintains the Common Indicators System Network for cross-institutional data collection on teacher preparedness.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Learning by Scientific Design (LbSD) Network A collaborative multi-year network of educator-preparation programs and K-12 district partners that redesigns coursework and clinical experiences around cognitive-science principles, with professional development, instructional resources, coaching, and community of practice for teacher-educators.
- Tennessee HQIM Network A state-specific collaborative network of four educator-preparation programs that prepares future teachers to evaluate, use, and implement High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) and to deliver consistent standards-aligned instruction.
- Aspiring Teachers as Tutors Network (ATTN) Network supporting educator-preparation programs that mobilize aspiring teachers as tutors in K-12 schools, providing policy frameworks and convenings to scale and sustain tutoring initiatives.
- Common Indicators System Network A cross-institutional data network that collects and analyzes common indicators to measure teacher-candidate preparedness across multiple educator-preparation programs.
- Early Literacy Network Network preparing future teachers to plan and enact foundational skills and lessons grounded in scientifically-informed reading instruction.
- Learning Science Consortium An EPP-district collaborative that supports aspiring and early-career teachers to ground their instructional practice in the science of learning.
Quantifiable outcome
- 261 educator-preparation programs supported
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Deans For Impact
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Deans For Impact technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Deans For Impact partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- U.S. Department of LaborcorePublished National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards for K-12 Teacher Apprenticeships, providing comprehensive guidelines for high-quality educator apprenticeship programs.
- K-12 School Districts (Third Cohort LbSD)coreDistrict partnerships including Frederick County Public Schools and Hood College (MD), Worcester County Schools (MD), Cherokee County Schools (NC), Hopewell City Schools (VA), Lincoln Preparatory School and Bienville Parish Schools (LA) - serving over 16,000 students.
- Tennessee Department of EducationcorePartnership to facilitate the Tennessee HQIM Network, bringing together four educator-preparation programs to make instructional effectiveness a priority for new teachers. The network created instructional modules, conducted assessments, and held convenings.
- 14 Educator-Preparation Programs (LbSD Network)corePrograms including Temple University, Louisiana Resource Center for Educators, American University, National Louis University, University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Sam Houston State University, Texas Christian University, and others participating in Learning by Scientific Design Network redesigning teacher preparation around cognitive science.
- University of Notre DamemajorTutorND initiative through Notre Dame's Institute for Educational Initiatives, placing students and faculty in local schools for evidence-based tutoring, contributing to DFI's Aspiring Teachers as Tutors Network policy work.
- Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)minorPartner referenced in PATHS to Tutor Act for national service educational awards that tutoring placements could qualify for.
- Illinois State Board of EducationcoreOversees Illinois Tutoring Initiative (ITI), a statewide high-impact tutoring effort organized into six regions, each overseen by a local educator-preparation program, serving K-12 students across 27 districts.
- Illinois State Board of Higher EducationcoreCo-oversees Illinois Tutoring Initiative with ISBE, managing operations, funding, and standards for tutor training.
- Dallas Independent School District (DISD)majorPartnership with Dallas College School of Education to mobilize aspiring teachers as tutors in high-need schools through the Vetted Texas Tutor Corps.
- T.L.L. Temple FoundationminorInvests in early literacy education in East Texas with DFI and other partners, supporting strategic plans for rural schools.
- PATHS to Tutor Act SupportersminorCoalition of 30+ organizations including AACTE, AASA, Education Trust, Teach For America, NCTR, and others supporting the PATHS to Tutor Act legislation.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Deans For Impact competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TNTP: TNTP is a national nonprofit focused on teacher recruitment, preparation, and development — closely comparable to DFI's mission of ensuring every child has an effective teacher. It runs teacher residency and training programs and partners with districts and EPPs, overlapping DFI's educator-preparation network.
- National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR): NCTR is a national nonprofit that supports and accredits teacher residency programs, directly comparable to DFI's work redesigning educator-preparation pathways. Both organizations convene networks of EPPs to improve clinical preparation and policy conditions for new teachers.
- Learning Forward: Learning Forward is a nonprofit professional association focused on professional learning for educators, similar to DFI's professional development, coaching, and convening work with teacher-educators. Both translate research into practice for the educator workforce.
- Instruction Partners: Instruction Partners is a nonprofit that works alongside educators and school systems to strengthen instruction, with a parallel focus on evidence-based practice and coaching. It overlaps with DFI's coaching tools, HQIM module work, and district partnerships.
- TeachingWorks (University of Michigan): TeachingWorks advances high-leverage teaching practices and clinical preparation in teacher education, comparable to DFI's Learning by Scientific Design framework translating research into teacher actions. Both shape how EPPs prepare novice teachers.
- New Teacher Center: New Teacher Center is a nonprofit that supports new teacher induction, mentoring, and professional development — closely comparable to DFI's coaching tools and networks for early-career and aspiring teachers.
Broad incumbents
- Teach For America: Teach For America is a much larger nonprofit focused on teacher recruitment, preparation, and policy advocacy, overlapping DFI's alternative-pathways and policy work. It operates at significantly greater scale and brand recognition than DFI.
- American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE): AACTE is the leading national association for educator preparation, convening colleges of education and influencing policy — overlapping with DFI's work with EPPs and its support for legislation like the PATHS to Tutor Act.
- Student Achievement Partners: Student Achievement Partners focuses on standards-aligned instructional materials and assessment, comparable to DFI's HQIM modules and lesson internalization protocols. Both are nonprofit intermediaries translating research into classroom-ready tools.
Emerging players
- EdReports: EdReports is a nonprofit that evaluates instructional materials for quality, aligning with DFI's HQIM-focused modules that train teachers to evaluate and use high-quality materials. Both occupy the evidence-based-instruction intermediary space.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Deans For Impact social profiles
Digital presenceDeans For Impact financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Deans For Impact leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Deans For Impact funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
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Deans For Impact M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Deans For Impact
What does Deans For Impact do?
Deans For Impact (DFI) is a nonprofit that partners with educator-preparation programs, K-12 school districts, and state policymakers to redesign teacher preparation around cognitive-science evidence. Its core deliverables are cohort-based collaborative networks (notably the Learning by Scientific Design Network and the Tennessee HQIM Network), practice-based instructional modules, coaching tools, formative assessments, and federal/state policy frameworks — all delivered through direct engagement with institutional clients.
Is Deans For Impact a public or private company?
Deans For Impact is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Deans For Impact founded?
Deans For Impact was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Deans For Impact based?
Deans For Impact is headquartered in Austin, United States, in the North America region.
How does Deans For Impact make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants.
Who are Deans For Impact's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TNTP, National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), Learning Forward, Instruction Partners, TeachingWorks (University of Michigan) and New Teacher Center. Broad incumbents are Teach For America, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) and Student Achievement Partners. EdReports is listed as an emerging player.
Does Deans For Impact have an API?
No public API is recorded for Deans For Impact.
What industry is Deans For Impact in?
Deans For Impact's product category is Teacher Preparation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDANAJAF, Alternative Education & Dropout Prevention / Re-Engagement Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.