What Achieve does

Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization founded in 1996 by a bipartisan group of U.S. governors and business leaders. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 11-50 employees, Achieve works with state education agencies, districts, and schools to raise academic standards, strengthen graduation requirements, improve assessments, and reinforce accountability systems so that high school graduates are prepared for postsecondary education and careers.

The organization delivers its impact through a portfolio of policy frameworks, evaluation rubrics, and implementation tools rather than commercial software. Core products include the EQuIP peer-review system for instructional materials aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards; the Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts; the CCSS Implementation Rubric and Self-Assessment Tool; the Common Core Implementation Workbook; the ADP Benchmarks defining end-of-high-school expectations in mathematics and English Language Arts; the Outcomes Data Explorer for state-level readiness outcomes; and the Future Ready Project advocacy resource center. Achieve also convenes the American Diploma Project Network, which grew from 13 founding states to 35 states educating nearly 85 percent of U.S. public school students, and it co-led the development of the Common Core State Standards with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, subsequently being selected to manage the PARCC common assessment consortia.

As a 501(c)(3)-style nonprofit, Achieve is funded primarily through foundation grants and corporate sponsorships (for example, a $2.4 million William and Flora Hewlett Foundation grant funded the American Diploma Project) rather than commercial revenue. All publications, toolkits, and implementation resources are freely available through achieve.org, and the organization reaches state education leaders through research publications, webinars, summits, newsletters, and social channels. Distribution is direct: technical assistance, convenings, and downloadable resources are provided to state education agencies and districts at no cost.

Name

Achieve

Legal name

Achieve, Inc.

Website

https://achieve.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Achieve is an independent, nonprofit education reform organization founded in 1996 that works with state education agencies, districts, and schools to raise academic standards, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability for college and career readiness.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Education policy reform
• Academic standards frameworks
• K-12 assessment tools
• College readiness benchmarks
• Implementation toolkits

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Philanthropic Funding: Achieve operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through grants from foundations. The American Diploma Project was funded by a $2.4 million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The organization also receives support from other foundations and corporate partners for specific initiatives.
2. Partnership and Sponsorship Revenue: Corporate partnerships and sponsorships from organizations like the GE Foundation that support specific programs and resources for business engagement in education reform.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Achieve is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization that works with state education agencies, school districts, and educators to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability. It provides standards frameworks (Common Core, NGSS), evaluation rubrics, implementation toolkits, peer-review processes (EQuIP), and research-based publications to support college and career readiness. Its offerings are freely distributed and supported through grants and philanthropic funding.

Product overview

Achieve operates as an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization that offers a portfolio of advisory services, tools, and publications rather than a single software product. The core offerings include: (1) EQuIP - a peer-review system for evaluating instructional materials alignment to Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards; (2) the Student Assessment Inventory - a diagnostic tool for districts to evaluate their assessment systems; (3) the Toolkit for Evaluating Alignment - instruments for evaluating instructional and assessment material alignment to CCSS; (4) the CCSS Implementation Rubric and Self-Assessment Tool - for states to evaluate implementation plans; (5) the Common Core Implementation Workbook - guidance for states and districts; (6) the Outcomes Data Explorer - interactive data on state student performance; (7) Future Ready Project - advocacy and communications resources; (8) ADP Benchmarks - college- and career-ready standards in math and ELA; and (9) a publications library including research reports, newsletters, and surveys. These products and services work together as an integrated suite to help states raise academic standards, improve assessments, and strengthen accountability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EQuIP (Educators Evaluating the Quality of Instructional Products) A peer-review initiative designed to identify high-quality instructional materials aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards; targets educators, curriculum developers, and state education agencies.
• Outcomes Data Explorer An interactive data tool that allows users to explore publicly reported state data on student performance against eight indicators of college and career readiness; serves state education leaders, policymakers, and researchers.
• Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Resources Tools and resources supporting implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards for states, districts, schools, and teachers.
• Student Assessment Inventory for School Districts A diagnostic tool enabling district leaders to take stock of assessments administered throughout a school year and their purposes, helping districts streamline and improve assessment systems.
• Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards A set of freely available instruments for evaluating alignment of instructional and assessment materials to the Common Core State Standards; developed jointly by Achieve, CCSSO, and Student Achievement Partners for state education agencies and curriculum developers.
• CCSS Implementation Rubric and Self-Assessment Tool A tool developed by Achieve and Education First that helps states gauge the strength of their Common Core State Standards implementation plans, focusing on accountability for results, quality of services and products, and alignment.
• Common Core Implementation Workbook A practical workbook developed with the U.S. Education Delivery Institute using performance management methodology to provide clear action steps for states and districts implementing the CCSS.
• Future Ready Project An advocacy resource center providing research-based communications and advocacy materials to support the sustainability of the college- and career-ready agenda for state leaders and education advocates.
• College- and Career-Ready Standards Resources Comprehensive resources addressing standards, graduation requirements, assessments, and accountability to help states implement college- and career-ready policies.
• ADP Benchmarks End-of-high school expectations in mathematics and English Language Arts developed through the American Diploma Project research initiative to define what students must know and be able to do to succeed in credit-bearing college courses and high-growth jobs.
• Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma That Counts The culminating research report of the American Diploma Project defining English and math expectations for high school graduates to succeed in credit-bearing college courses and high-growth jobs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 78% of college faculty believe public high schools are not doing enough to prepare students
• +4 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Student Achievement PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2013Joint partnership to develop the Toolkit for Evaluating the Alignment of Instructional and Assessment Materials to the Common Core State Standards, along with Council of Chief State School Officers.
• PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Achieve was selected to manage the PARCC common assessment consortia for states implementing CCSS.
• National Governors Association (NGA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Achieve partnered with NGA on the Common Core State Standards Initiative. NGA co-led the initiative with CCSSO, and 48 states signed a memorandum of agreement in 2009 committing to the state-led process.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Achieve partnered with CCSSO on the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Achieve staff and consultants served on writing and review teams for the standards released in June 2010.
• American Diploma Project NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched in 2005 with 13 original states, grew to include 35 states educating nearly 85 percent of all U.S. public school students. State governors, education officials, postsecondary leaders, and business executives work together to improve postsecondary preparation.
• The Education TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three ADP sponsors working to restore the diploma's value by anchoring high school graduation standards to job and college demands.
• Thomas B. Fordham FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of three ADP sponsors working to set rigorous standards and hold schools accountable.
• Education FirstmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Achieve on the CCSS Implementation Rubric and Self-Assessment Tool for states to gauge implementation strength.
• U.S. Education Delivery InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Achieve to develop the Common Core Implementation Workbook using proven performance management methodology.
• College SummitsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Implementing the Common Core State Standards Action Briefs for school counselors, elementary school leaders, secondary school leaders, and school librarians.
• National Association of Secondary School PrincipalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on implementing CCSS action briefs targeting secondary school administrators.
• National Association of Elementary School PrincipalssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on implementing CCSS action briefs targeting elementary school administrators.
• Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on report Common Core State Standards & Career and Technical Education: Bridging the Divide to engage CTE community in CCSS implementation.
• National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education Consortium (NASDCTEc)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on CCSS-CTE report and developed shared vision for CTE standards aligned to Common Core.
• OER CommonssupportingTechnology or IntegrationLaunched tool with Achieve and ISKME for users to rate quality of open education resources and align them to CCSS.
• Advance CTEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduced Making Career Readiness Count report series (2014, 2016, latest) on states' use of career-ready indicators in accountability systems.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Making Career Readiness Count 3.0 report analyzing career readiness measures across states under ESSA.
• Education Strategy Group (ESG)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborator on Making Career Readiness Count 3.0 report.
• The Hunt InstitutesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated videos on Common Core implementation with CCSSO, many featuring remarks by lead writers of CCSS.
• America AchievessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatures videos of lessons focusing on instructional shifts within CCSS, editable lesson plans, and other instructional resources.
• Illustrative Mathematics ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides guidance to states, assessment consortia, and curriculum developers by illustrating the range and types of mathematical work in CCSS.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): CCSSO is a Core strategic partner of Achieve and co-led the Common Core State Standards Initiative. Both organizations convene state education leaders, shape standards adoption, and provide technical assistance to state agencies, making CCSSO the closest non-governmental peer in scope and mission.
• Student Achievement Partners: Student Achievement Partners co-developed the Toolkit for Evaluating Alignment with Achieve and CCSSO. It builds and stewards CCSS-aligned instructional resources, making it a direct peer in the standards-alignment product niche Achieve occupies.
• Thomas B. Fordham Foundation: An ADP co-sponsor and long-standing education policy and standards organization. Fordham publishes rigorous standards reviews and state-by-state report cards, overlapping with Achieve's standards quality-evaluation mission.
• The Education Trust: Co-sponsor of the American Diploma Project and a leading equity-focused education policy and advocacy organization. Education Trust engages the same state and federal education policy audiences as Achieve, with research and advocacy outputs that often complement or compete for the same philanthropic dollars.
• The Hunt Institute: An education policy organization founded by former Governor Jim Hunt that convenes governors and state policymakers on standards, assessments, and teacher quality. Hunt co-produced Common Core implementation video content with Achieve, marking it as a close policy convening peer.
• America Achieves: A Core partner of Achieve that hosts editable CCSS lesson plans and instructional-shift videos. America Achieves operates in the same CCSS implementation and educator-resource space and shares funders and policy ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• National Governors Association (NGA): NGA co-led the CCSS Initiative with Achieve and CCSSO and convenes governors on education policy. It is a much larger umbrella organization for governors with policy influence spanning many domains, including but not limited to K-12 education.
• WestEd: A large nonprofit education research and development organization that provides technical assistance, evaluation, and capacity building to states and districts — overlapping with Achieve's technical-assistance and assessment-alignment work at greater scale and across more content areas.
• Aspen Institute Education & Society Program: Operates the Education & Society Program which convenes state and district leaders on college and career readiness policy. It competes for the same philanthropic attention and policy convening audience as Achieve across a broader policy portfolio.
• Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching: A major education-focused foundation that funds networks on improvement science and pathways for student success. While broader in scope than Achieve, the Foundation is comparable as a similarly-aged, similarly-positioned national education policy intermediary drawing from the same foundation pool.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AchieveInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/achieve-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Achieve