National Council on Teacher Quality

Name

National Council on Teacher Quality

Legal name

National Council on Teacher Quality

Website

https://nctq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Research

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Initial Teacher Certification & Licensure Boards (EDADAJAA), Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)

Keywords

• Teacher preparation review
• Education policy research
• Teacher workforce policy
• School district data tools
• Education policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Philanthropic Support: NCTQ operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily by foundation grants and charitable donations from supporters including Anschutz Foundation, Arthur & Toni Rembe Rock, Barr Foundation, Gates Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, and approximately 20 other funders. The organization states these partners make their mission possible.
2. Donations: NCTQ accepts donations from individuals and organizations to support their mission of strengthening and diversifying the teacher workforce. The donate page encourages support to ensure every child has access to a well-prepared, diverse teacher workforce.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) is a nonpartisan nonprofit research and policy organization that evaluates elementary teacher preparation programs against research-based standards, maintains comparative databases on state and district teacher policies, and publishes data dashboards and policy guides. The organization engages with states, school districts, and teacher preparation programs to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce through evidence-based policy advocacy.

Product overview

NCTQ offers a portfolio of data tools, dashboards, and action guides focused on teacher quality research and policy. The core offerings include the Teacher Prep Review (which evaluates teacher preparation programs), the State Teacher Policy Database, District Policy Pathfinder (formerly Teacher Contract Database), and the Reading Materials Database. Additional tools include the Reimagining the Teaching Role interactive resource, Clinical Practice Action Guide, Teacher Diversity Dashboard, Paid Parental Leave Calculator, and Licensure Pass Rates dashboard. These products work together to provide research-backed data and recommendations to states, districts, and teacher preparation programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Teacher Prep Review: NCTQ's flagship program that reviews elementary teacher preparation programs against research-based standards
• District Policy Pathfinder
• Teacher Diversity Dashboard
• Paid Parental Leave Calculator

Products and services

• Teacher Prep Review Reviews elementary teacher preparation programs against research-based standards to evaluate their quality and effectiveness in preparing teachers for classroom success. Since 2006, NCTQ has evaluated over 1,244 undergraduate and graduate elementary programs offered by education schools in 1,053 public and private institutions.
• State Teacher Policy Database Database that allows users to compare states' teacher policies, laws, and regulations, and view national trends to determine whether they align to policies that show the most promise in strengthening teacher quality.
• District Policy Pathfinder Formerly the Teacher Contract Database, this tool showcases teacher policies from more than 100 school districts and offers evidence-based answers to human capital management questions across 112 metrics and 7 policy topics.
• Reading Materials Database Expert reviews of over 1,000 textbooks and educational resources used by teacher preparation programs in their required reading coursework, searchable by rating, intended use, or component coverage.
• Reimagining the Teaching Role Interactive resource with state policy scans, case studies, and guidance on implementing strategic staffing models to improve teacher hiring, retention, and ultimately student outcomes.
• Clinical Practice Action Guide Resource containing case studies and resources to help states, districts, teacher prep programs, and advocates build stronger student teaching experiences.
• Teacher Diversity Dashboard Interactive dashboard showing how the diversity of the teacher workforce compares to the broader population in each state and across the country, providing actionable benchmarks for states and districts.
• Paid Parental Leave Calculator Calculator that estimates the total annual cost and per-taxpayer cost of providing paid parental leave to all teachers in a state.
• Licensure Pass Rates Dashboard Dashboard exploring each state's teacher licensure pass rate data to identify institutions successful in getting aspiring teachers across the finish line.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 states adopted legislation aligned to NCTQ's recommendations for strengthening reading and math instruction in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered major and notable.

• National Governors AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on 2026 Governors' Education Policy Advisors Institute bringing together 34 leaders from 21 states to discuss early literacy, tutoring, and education finance policy.
• Bipartisan Policy CenternotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCTQ President Heather Peske contributed to the Bipartisan Policy Center's Commission on the American Workforce blueprint for a modern federal role in developing teacher talent.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (CAEP): The recognized accreditation body for teacher preparation programs in the U.S. Directly comparable to NCTQ's Teacher Prep Review in evaluating and rating teacher prep programs against standards.
• Learning Policy Institute: A research and policy organization focused on educator preparation, teacher shortage, and evidence-based education policy. Comparable to NCTQ in producing rigorous research that informs state and federal policy on teacher workforce quality.
• TNTP (The New Teacher Project): A nonprofit focused on teacher recruitment, preparation, and policy that publishes influential reports on teacher effectiveness and works with districts to improve teacher quality. Directly comparable to NCTQ in policy focus and stakeholder engagement with districts and states.
• The Education Trust: A national nonprofit that conducts research and advocates for equitable access to effective teachers and high-quality education, particularly for underserved students. Highly comparable to NCTQ in mission, research/advocacy model, and policy focus on teacher quality and opportunity gaps.

Broad incumbents

• Teach For America: A nonprofit that recruits and trains teachers while advocating for systemic education equity. Operates a national teacher pipeline and policy shop that overlaps with NCTQ's teacher workforce mission.
• RAND Corporation Education Division: Conducts rigorous, peer-reviewed education research including studies on teacher effectiveness and preparation programs. Larger, broader research portfolio but overlapping methodology and policy audience with NCTQ.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): The membership organization for state education chiefs that drives state-level policy collaboration and produces its own teacher quality and policy frameworks. Broader in scope than NCTQ but operates in the same state-policy advocacy space.
• American Institutes for Research (AIR): A large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization that conducts K-12 education policy and evaluation work. Comparable in producing evidence-based research used by states and districts to improve teacher quality and student outcomes.

Emerging players

• Brown Center on Education Policy at Brookings: A think tank that produces research and analysis on K-12 education, including teacher quality. Operates with a similar research-to-policy dissemination model but with broader academic framing than NCTQ's advocacy-driven approach.
• Teach Plus: A nonprofit that develops teacher leaders and advocates for teacher-driven policy reform. Smaller and more teacher-leadership focused than NCTQ, but overlapping policy and advocacy themes around teacher quality and retention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/teacherquality
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-council-on-teacher-quality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Council on Teacher Quality