Education Northwest
Education Northwest is a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 1964 that provides education research, evaluation, technical assistance, and professional development services to K-12 districts, state agencies, tribal nations, and higher education institutions, primarily in the Pacific Northwest and select national networks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1964
- HeadquartersPortland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Education Northwest does
Education Northwest is a Portland, Oregon-based nonprofit education research and consulting organization founded in 1964 (also referenced as 1966 in source material) that delivers applied research, program evaluation, technical assistance, professional development, and learning design services to K-12 districts, state education agencies, higher education institutions, tribal nations, and community-based youth organizations. Its core offerings are organized around nine service lines — Applied Research, Continuous Improvement, Evaluation, Implementation & Coaching, Professional Development, Research Partnerships, State & Federal Technical Assistance, Training & Curriculum Development, and Virtual Learning Development — supplemented by proprietary methodologies including a four-phase Technical Assistance Approach, the Collaborative Analysis Process (CAP), the E3 MTSS equity framework, and a Framework for Tribal Pedagogy.
The organization operates as the backbone steward for several multi-year learning networks, most prominently the Limitless Learning Network (26 regional partnerships across Washington state supporting postsecondary transitions) and the State Action Collaborative for High School Alternatives (eight state teams nationally). Its underlying technology is methodology-driven rather than software-based; recent work includes large-scale eLearning development such as 13 self-paced child care provider courses delivered in three languages with full accessibility compliance. Named clients span Oregon Department of Education, Michigan Department of Education, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Edmonds School District, Astoria School District, Evergreen Public Schools, Wenatchee Valley College, and Blackfeet Community College, with funding sourced from federal contracts (U.S. Department of Education), major foundations (Wallace, Gates), and fee-for-service technical assistance engagements.
Education Northwest firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Education Northwest
- Legal name
- Education Northwest
- Website
- https://educationnorthwest.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1964
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Education Northwest is a Portland-based nonprofit founded in 1964 that provides education research, evaluation, technical assistance, and professional development services to K-12 districts, state agencies, tribal nations, and higher education institutions, primarily in the Pacific Northwest and select national networks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Education Northwest industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Research and Technical Assistance
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services (EDAGAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD), State/Provincial/Regional Education Departments (EDADAAAB)
Keywords
Where Education Northwest is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Education Northwest business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Federal and State Government Contracts: Education Northwest receives significant funding through contracts with federal agencies (U.S. Department of Education) and state education agencies for research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects.
- Foundation Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations supporting education initiatives, such as The Wallace Foundation for summer learning studies.
- Technical Assistance Services: Fee-for-service technical assistance and professional development delivered to districts, state agencies, and tribal nations seeking educational improvement support.
- Partnership and Membership Programs: Collaborative networks like the Limitless Learning Network operate through multi-year partnership commitments with regional educational entities.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Education Northwest product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Education Northwest provides applied research, evaluation, professional development, technical assistance, and learning design services to K-12 schools, districts, state education agencies, tribal nations, and higher education institutions. Their core offerings include research and evaluation, capacity building and training, technical assistance using a proprietary four-phase approach, curriculum and eLearning development, and strategic planning support to improve educational outcomes across the PK-20 pipeline.
Product overview
Education Northwest is an education research and consulting organization that offers a portfolio of professional services rather than a unified software product. The core services include Applied Research, Continuous Improvement, Evaluation, Implementation & Coaching, Professional Development, Research Partnerships, State & Federal Technical Assistance, Training & Curriculum Development, and Virtual Learning Development. Key methodology offerings include the Collaborative Analysis Process (CAP) for community-driven data analysis. The organization operates network programs including the Limitless Learning Network (postsecondary enrollment support in Washington state) and the State Action Collaborative for High School Alternatives. They provide frameworks such as the Equitable Learning Environments Framework and Framework for Tribal Pedagogy. Their services are delivered through direct consulting engagements, training programs, and developed eLearning content, rather than through a software platform or SaaS product.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Institute for Youth Success: A program focused on enhancing youth development and success initiatives.
- WASFEC
- Limitless Learning Network
- State Action Collaborative for High School Alternatives (AEPN)
Products and services
- Applied Research
Quantifiable outcome
- 112,000+ children served through summer reading programs evaluated by Education Northwest
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Education Northwest
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Education Northwest technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Education Northwest partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- State Action Collaborative for High School AlternativescoreWorks with eight state-level teams across the country (Minnesota, Kentucky, Arkansas, Oregon, Michigan, Rhode Island, California) to shift policy for students in alternative education. Provides technical assistance and peer learning opportunities through a model for policy change including coalition building, action planning, and implementation support.
- Edmonds School DistrictcorePartnership to improve equity, engagement, and student outcomes through implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). Goals included creating school improvement processes aligned with district strategic plan, developing MTSS tools and procedures, and establishing data-based decision-making tools.
- Oregon Department of EducationcoreMulti-year partnership to develop and implement a statewide strategic plan for supporting multilingual learners. Included over 60 focus groups, statewide surveys, and deep collaboration with the state's English Learner Advisory Group. Identified four priority areas: authentic community engagement, transformative educators, pathways to multilingualism, and systems improvement.
- Wenatchee Valley CollegecoreCollaborated on developing an equity and inclusion strategic plan. Facilitated a planning committee representing students, staff, and faculty to identify focus areas: students, staff/faculty/administrators, systems and culture, and community partnerships. Conducted needs assessment using early momentum metrics.
- Blackfeet Community CollegecorePartnered on strategic planning honoring Tribal values and ways of knowing. Facilitated leadership meetings, conducted community outreach, and developed a plan with clear goals, strategies, and implementation timeline co-created with students, faculty, and Tribal leaders.
- Astoria School DistrictcoreConducted districtwide equity review with funding from Northwest Regional Educator Network. Formed diverse advisory group including educators, students, staff, and community members. Culminated in full-day Collaborative Analysis Process session with 22 community members analyzing data and prioritizing areas for action.
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human ServicescoreDesigned and developed 13 self-paced eLearning courses for child care providers across the state. Courses cover licensing requirements, child development, health and safety topics totaling over 80 hours of learning in three languages: English, Somali, and Spanish.
- Michigan Department of EducationcoreCo-developed comprehensive educational package for Indigenous Education Initiative including curricular materials, introductory eLearning module, literature series highlighting Indigenous literature, maps, guides and infographics. Initiative shaped through meaningful engagement with all 12 federally recognized tribes in the state.
- Oregon Higher Education Coordinating CommissioncorePartnered to study how institutional planning efforts at universities across the state supported educator preparation programs. Facilitated community of practice for ongoing collaboration among programs.
- Educator Advancement CouncilcoreCollaborative partnership on institutional planning for educator preparation programs in Oregon. Education Northwest co-developed rubric, supported communication, and helped programs narrow focus to measurable goals.
- Limitless Learning NetworkcoreEducation Northwest serves as network steward for this initiative bringing together 26 regional partnerships across Washington state. Network supports student transitions from high school to postsecondary education. Partnerships represent 21 of Washington's 39 counties reaching over a quarter of all high school students.
- Northwest Rural Innovation and Student Engagement (NW RISE) NetworkcoreEducation Northwest serves as backbone organization for this cross-school network giving educators from different rural schools experience strengthening collective efficacy and shared learning.
- Alternative Education Policy Network (AEPN)coreMulti-tiered initiative to strengthen connections across the field of alternative education and foster collaborative learning nationwide. Education Northwest provides coordination and technical support.
- Washington State Family Engagement Coalition (WASFEC)coreCollaborates with partners to enhance family engagement efforts statewide through a five-year federal grant. Fosters culture of family engagement prioritizing all families' voices and experiences.
Scale indicators5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Education Northwest competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MDRC: Nonprofit social policy research organization conducting education and workforce program evaluations. Direct peer in evidence-based program evaluation and technical assistance for federal and state education initiatives.
- Westat: Large employee-owned research firm that conducts education evaluation, technical assistance, and survey research for federal and state agencies — directly overlapping with Education Northwest's core TA, evaluation, and applied research offerings. Education Northwest's CRO Allison Crean Davis previously served as VP at Westat.
- Education Development Center (EDC): Nonprofit organization focused on education, health, and economic opportunity research and program implementation. Direct peer in delivering technical assistance, professional development, and curriculum work to districts, state agencies, and federal clients.
- American Institutes for Research (AIR): Major nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization delivering education evaluation, TA, and policy work to federal, state, and district clients. Operates at substantially larger scale with national footprint, competing for the same federal TA and research contracts.
Broad incumbents
- Mathematica Policy Research: Major policy research organization delivering rigorous evaluation, TA, and data analytics to federal and state education agencies. Competes head-to-head for federal evaluation and TA contracts at significantly larger scale.
- SRI International: Large research institute with an education division delivering evaluation, TA, and applied research for federal agencies and foundations. Broader portfolio beyond education, but competes on federal education R&D contracts.
- RAND Corporation: Large, established think tank with a dedicated education research division conducting policy analysis, evaluation, and technical assistance. Broader portfolio beyond education, but a recurring competitor on federal education research and TA procurements.
- Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program: Federally funded network of ten regional research laboratories (including the REL that covers the Northwest region) providing research, TA, and professional development to state and district clients. Direct competitor on regional TA and applied research work.
Others
- Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): National nonprofit membership organization representing state education chiefs; not a direct competitor, but a key ecosystem partner and convener that Education Northwest engages through state TA contracts and peer networks.
Emerging players
- NWEA: Nonprofit assessment organization providing research-based assessments and professional development to schools and districts. Overlaps with Education Northwest's K-12 measurement and capacity-building work, particularly in the Northwest region.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Education Northwest social profiles
Digital presenceEducation Northwest financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Education Northwest leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Education Northwest funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Education Northwest 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 Education Northwest
What does Education Northwest do?
Education Northwest provides applied research, evaluation, professional development, technical assistance, and learning design services to K-12 schools, districts, state education agencies, tribal nations, and higher education institutions. Their core offerings include research and evaluation, capacity building and training, technical assistance using a proprietary four-phase approach, curriculum and eLearning development, and strategic planning support to improve educational outcomes across the PK-20 pipeline.
Is Education Northwest a public or private company?
Education Northwest is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Education Northwest founded?
Education Northwest was founded in 1964. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Education Northwest based?
Education Northwest is headquartered in Portland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Education Northwest make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Federal and State Government Contracts are the primary driver. The others are foundation Grants, technical Assistance Services and partnership and Membership Programs.
Who are Education Northwest's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MDRC, Westat, Education Development Center (EDC) and American Institutes for Research (AIR). Broad incumbents are Mathematica Policy Research, SRI International, RAND Corporation and Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program. Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is listed as an others. NWEA is listed as an emerging player.
Does Education Northwest have an API?
No public API is recorded for Education Northwest.
What industry is Education Northwest in?
Education Northwest's product category is Education Research and Technical Assistance. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAKAA, K–12 Instructional Design & Curriculum Development Services, with a secondary code of EDAJAFAB, Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.