Teachers College Press

What Teachers College Press does

Teachers College Press is the publishing arm of Teachers College, Columbia University, operating since approximately 1900 as a specialized academic publisher focused on education. The press operates two core product lines: (1) a catalog of educational books and curated book series covering early childhood education, language and literacy, multicultural education, social justice, educational leadership, mathematics, science, higher education, special education, teacher preparation, and teaching methods across K-12 and higher education levels, with contributions from leading scholars including James A. Banks, Gloria Ladson-Billings, and Linda Darling-Hammond; and (2) the Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Family of Products — a suite of research-based, standardized assessment instruments (ECERS-3, ITERS-3, FCCERS-3, SACERS, PAS, BAS) used to evaluate quality in early childhood programs. ERS tools are embedded in state QRIS systems, Universal Pre-K programs, and federal Head Start, with over 40 years of established reliability and validity.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time book and ebook sales priced between approximately $30 and $57 per unit. The press sells direct through its Shopify-powered e-commerce site (tcpress.com), with ebooks fulfilled via VitalSource Bookshelf across web, iOS, Android, Mac, and PC. Physical distribution is handled globally through Wiley (UK/Europe/MEA/APAC trade), University of Toronto Press (Canada), and Mare Nostrum (EMEA/APAC academic channels), while rights and coursepack permissions are processed through the Copyright Clearance Center. Customers are primarily K-12 educators, higher education faculty, and early childhood program administrators, with secondary reach into education policymakers and researchers. Marketing runs through email newsletters (with a 15% first-order discount), a TCP Blog, subject-specific catalogs, professional conferences such as the National Art Education Association convention, and active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky). The press is private, owned by Teachers College, Columbia University, with no external funding rounds and a headcount of 11–50 employees operating from New York, NY with returns processing in Dulles, VA.

Name

Teachers College Press

Legal name

Teachers College Press

Website

https://tcpress.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Teachers College Press is the publishing arm of Teachers College, Columbia University, producing scholarly books on education and the ERS Family of standardized early childhood program quality assessment tools for educators, faculty, and program administrators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills (EDAGABAN), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start) (EDACAJAN)

Keywords

• Academic book publishing
• Early childhood education
• Educational assessment tools
• Scholarly publishing
• Professional development resources

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Teachers College Press generates revenue primarily through the sale of academic books and educational resources. Books are sold as both physical print editions and ebooks through their website and distribution partners worldwide.
2. Ebook Sales: Ebooks are sold through the tcpress.com website and are fulfilled via VitalSource Bookshelf platform. Ebook purchases allow printing up to 20 pages and copying up to 2 full pages of text.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Teachers College Press publishes scholarly educational books and the Environment Rating Scale (ERS) family of observation and assessment instruments used by early childhood programs, K-12 schools, and university researchers. The catalog spans literacy, equity, leadership, teaching methods, and child development, supported by direct e-commerce and institutional distribution partners.

Product overview

Teachers College Press operates as an academic book publisher with two core product lines: (1) Educational Books and Publications covering diverse topics in education from early childhood through higher education, available in print and ebook formats, organized by subject areas and book series; and (2) the Environment Rating Scale (ERS) Family of Products—a suite of research-based assessment tools for evaluating quality in early childhood programs including ECERS-3, ITERS-3, FCCERS-3, SACERS, PAS, and BAS. These products work together to serve the early childhood education community with both content publications and standardized assessment instruments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Environment Rating Scale (ERS): A family of research-based assessment tools for evaluating the quality of early childhood programs, including ECERS, ITERS, FCCERS, and SACERS.

Products and services

• ECERS-3 (Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition) Standardized observation instrument assessing the quality of early childhood classrooms for preschool, kindergarten, and primary-grade programs serving children ages 3 through 5. Used by program administrators, coaches, and faculty in early childhood education.
• ITERS-3 (Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition) Observation instrument assessing program quality for center-based programs serving children from birth to 36 months of age. Used by early childhood program administrators and researchers.
• FCCERS-3 (Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale, Third Edition) Observation instrument assessing the quality of family child care programs serving children from birth through school age. Used by family child care providers, regulators, and program administrators.
• SACERS Updated (School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale) Observation instrument assessing the quality of school-age care programs serving children ages 5 through 12. Used by out-of-school-time program administrators and researchers.
• PAS (Program Administration Scale) Self-assessment instrument measuring the leadership and management practices of early childhood program administrators. Used by program directors and administrators.
• BAS (Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care) Self-assessment instrument measuring the business and professional practices of family child care providers. Used by family child care providers and program administrators.
• Educational Books Catalog Scholarly books on education topics including literacy, equity, leadership, teaching methods, and child development. Audience includes higher education faculty, graduate students, and professional educators.

Quantifiable outcome

• ERS tools are widely used for State and District-wide QRIS, Universal Pre-K Systems, and Head Start programs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Toronto Press DistributioncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Canada handling physical book distribution through their Toronto location at 5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario M3H 5T8
• WileycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTrade distribution partner for UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific through Wiley's European Distribution Centre in Bognor Regis, England. Handles standard orders, claims, cancellations, and trade enquiries.
• Mare NostrumcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic distribution partner for UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific for academics including professors, universities, schools, and researchers
• VitalSource BookshelfcoreTechnology or IntegrationEbook fulfillment platform partner providing digital delivery through their Bookshelf platform. Download links appear on confirmation page and are emailed after order placement. Platform available for web, iOS, Android, Mac, and PC.
• McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for training on PAS (Program Administration Scale) and BAS (Business Administration Scale) assessment tools for early childhood leadership
• Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCCC handles all coursepack permission requests to reproduce TC Press content through their rights platform
• Teachers College, Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeachers College Press is the official publishing arm of Teachers College, Columbia University - the world's leading institution for education. This affiliation provides direct access to leading education researchers and faculty for book authorship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Education Press: Publishing imprint of the Harvard Graduate School of Education producing scholarly books on education research, pedagogy, and policy. Closely comparable to TC Press as a university-affiliated scholarly education publisher serving similar academic and K-12 professional audiences.
• Corwin Press (SAGE Publishing): Specialist education imprint publishing professional development resources, teacher preparation books, and K-12 practitioner titles. Highly comparable to TC Press's K-12 and professional learning catalog and target audience of educators.
• Brookes Publishing: Publisher specializing in early childhood education, special education, and developmental disability resources. Direct overlap with TC Press's ERS franchise and early childhood assessment products serving similar program administrators and ECE practitioners.
• Guilford Press: Independent academic publisher with strong lists in education research, school counseling, and psychology. Comparably positioned as a niche scholarly publisher serving similar educator, counselor, and graduate-school audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Routledge (Taylor & Francis): Major academic publisher with one of the largest education and pedagogy catalogs globally. Overlaps with TC Press in higher-education textbooks and scholarly education titles, but operates at far greater scale across many disciplines.
• Jossey-Bass (Wiley): Wiley imprint focused on education, leadership, and nonprofit management publishing. Competes directly with TC Press in higher-education and professional learning titles but operates inside a much larger global publishing group.
• Cambridge University Press: University press publishing education research monographs and scholarly titles alongside its broader academic program. Overlaps with TC Press in education research publishing while operating across many other disciplines at significantly larger scale.
• Oxford University Press: Large university press with significant education and pedagogy publishing alongside reference and higher-education titles. Comparable to TC Press in scholarly education publishing but with substantially broader scope and global reach.
• Pearson Education: Largest global education publisher covering K-12, higher education, and assessment. Comparable to TC Press in publishing for educators but operates as a diversified incumbent with vastly larger scale, digital platforms, and assessment businesses.

Others

• National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): Professional association serving the early childhood education community that publishes standards-aligned resources and influences assessment adoption. Indirectly comparable to TC Press as an ecosystem participant shaping demand for ERS and ECE assessment tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClP2sxhWXcvQueJ9dyvqcBA
• Facebookfacebook.com/TCPress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/teachers-college-press
• Instagraminstagram.com/teacherscollegepress
• Xx.com/tcpress

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Teachers College Press