What Center For Educational Effectiveness does

Center For Educational Effectiveness (CEE) is a private K-12 education consulting firm headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, that helps school districts improve student outcomes through evidence-based data analytics, stakeholder surveys, and strategic planning services. Founded in 1999, the firm serves primarily Pacific Northwest school districts with select out-of-region accounts, partnering with superintendents, principals, and school boards to translate stakeholder feedback into actionable district strategy. The company positions itself around the thesis that schools need better data infrastructure and decision-making systems rather than isolated programs.

CEE's core product portfolio centers on its CEE EES Surveys (Staff, Student, and Family versions) and the Student Universal Wellness Screener (SUWS), which together surface stakeholder voice and student wellness signals. These are paired with a Leadership 360 perceptual assessment that feeds one-on-one leadership coaching engagements, a Culture and Climate offering backed by validated research, and a Strategic Planning service bundled with a custom Data Dashboard refreshed three times annually for boards, principals, families, and staff. Complementary offerings include Professional Development (workshops, webinars, asynchronous courses, the Whole Educator Series, and Mastermind peer sessions) plus a Research program that grants external academic researchers access to CEE datasets. Distribution is direct-to-district via partnerships with educational service associations and state-level bodies including the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

The business model is services-led and recurring: districts contract for multi-year engagements that combine assessment, consulting, coaching, and dashboard access on what the firm characterizes as a subscription-recurring basis. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated per engagement. CEE reaches customers primarily through case studies, peer referrals, association partnerships, and the Outliers in Education podcast. The firm has no external funding, no parent company, and reports only 1-10 employees, indicating a partner-led boutique operating model despite its 25-plus-year track record and twelve-plus named district customers.

Name

Center For Educational Effectiveness

Legal name

The Center for Educational Effectiveness

Website

https://effectiveness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Center For Educational Effectiveness (CEE) is a K-12 education consulting firm delivering survey-based assessments, data dashboards, leadership coaching, and strategic planning services to school districts, primarily in the Pacific Northwest with select national accounts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Consulting Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

Keywords

• K-12 education consulting
• School climate surveys
• Student wellness screening
• Leadership coaching services
• Education data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellevue

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, Others

Revenue model

1. District Services and Consulting: CEE provides strategic planning, leadership coaching, culture and climate assessment, and professional development services to K-12 school districts on a contractual basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Center For Educational Effectiveness (CEE) provides K-12 school districts with data-driven consulting, survey-based assessments (EES Surveys and SUWS), strategic planning paired with a customizable data dashboard, leadership coaching using Leadership 360 perceptual data, and professional development services. The firm delivers evidence-based research, stakeholder feedback tools, and ongoing support to help districts enhance school climate, student wellness, and administrative leadership.

Product overview

Center For Educational Effectiveness offers a platform of interconnected K-12 education consulting services centered on data-driven decision making. The core portfolio includes CEE EES Surveys (Staff, Student, and Family survey tools), the Student Universal Wellness Screener (SUWS) for universal screening, Strategic Planning and Data Dashboard for district-wide planning with visual progress tracking, and Leadership Coaching using the Leadership 360 assessment tool. These are complemented by Professional Development offerings (including the Whole Educator Series and Mastermind Sessions), Culture and Climate assessment services, and Student Wellness and Achievement programs. The Learning Center provides educational resources, while the Research program enables external data access for academic studies. This modular approach allows districts to select individual services or combine them for comprehensive transformation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EES Surveys: Evidence-Based Efficacy System (EES) surveys for staff, students, and families to gather data on school climate and stakeholder voice.
• Student Universal Wellness Screener (SUWS)
• Whole Educator Series
• Mastermind Sessions
• Leadership 360

Products and services

• District Services Comprehensive K-12 education consulting and support services for school districts, including district-wide assessment, strategic planning, and continuous improvement frameworks. Designed for superintendents, district leadership, and school boards seeking to improve student outcomes districtwide.
• Leadership Coaching One-on-one coaching for educational leaders to enhance strategic thinking, decision-making, and communication skills, leveraging Leadership 360 perceptual data. Delivered by former educators and school/district administrators and intended for principals, superintendents, and district administrators.
• Culture and Climate Evidence-based research and assessment services focused on how schools and districts enhance culture and climate, including survey administration and focus group facilitation. Designed for K-12 schools and districts seeking to improve stakeholder voice and school environment.
• Student Wellness and Achievement Programs building equitable student culture through relational trust, academic rigor, and social support, anchored by the Student Universal Wellness Screener (SUWS). Designed for K-12 districts and schools to identify and address student mental health, wellness, and achievement needs.
• Strategic Planning and Data Dashboard K-12 strategic planning service paired with a customized data dashboard that translates strategic goals into visual progress indicators, updated three times annually and accessible to board members, principals, families, and staff. Targets school districts seeking measurable, stakeholder-visible accountability.
• Professional Development Customized professional learning for educators and leaders, including executive coaching, in-person workshops, virtual trainings, webinars, and asynchronous online courses. Intended for K-12 teachers, principals, and district administrators.
• CEE EES Surveys Suite of surveys (EES Staff, Student, and Family) designed to gather stakeholder feedback on school climate, culture, and educational experience. Sold to K-12 schools and districts as a standalone survey solution or part of broader consulting engagements.
• Student Universal Wellness Screener (SUWS) Universal screening tool for K-12 students that helps staff make data-based decisions around student needs, mental health, and wellness. Used by districts such as Gwinnett County Public Schools and Port Angeles School District.
• Leadership 360 Leadership assessment tool that leverages perceptual data from stakeholders (staff, peers, supervisors) to develop actionable strategies and document evidence of leader effectiveness. Sold to K-12 school and district leaders, typically paired with Leadership Coaching engagements.
• Learning Center Educational resources, professional development content, and learning materials for educators and administrators. Functions as a supplementary resource hub alongside CEE's consulting and assessment services.
• Research Research data sharing program allowing external researchers to request access to CEE's educational research datasets, supporting academic studies on K-12 educational improvement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly half of schools in CEE's study transformed from low to high performing

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AESD (Association of Educational Service Districts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner that expands CEE's reach and boosts impact in the K-12 education sector through collaborative initiatives.
• AWSP (Association of Washington School Principals)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner supporting leadership development initiatives for school principals in Washington State.
• Western Washington UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution partnership supporting research and development in K-12 education improvement.
• WASA (Washington Association of School Administrators)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Washington State school administrator association for leadership development.
• WSASCD (Washington State Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting curriculum and supervision improvement in Washington State schools.
• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Washington State's primary education agency for state-level educational improvement initiatives.
• SDNet (School Data Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational data network supporting school improvement through data analysis.
• City UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education partnership supporting educator preparation and professional development.
• Innovia FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional foundation supporting educational initiatives in the Pacific Northwest.
• Washington State Education ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch organization supporting evidence-based practices in education.
• WSSSDA (Washington State School Directors Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation supporting school board directors in Washington State.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Battelle for Kids: Nonprofit that partners with K-12 districts and state agencies on leadership development, culture/climate work, and student success frameworks. Comparable mission, customer base, and service mix to CEE, including partnerships with state education agencies.
• Marzano Resources: Provides K-12 professional development, instructional frameworks, and leadership coaching for teachers and administrators. Comparable on the professional development and educator-effectiveness offerings CEE delivers through coaching and the Whole Educator Series.
• Panorama Education: Provides K-12 stakeholder surveys (student, staff, family), SEL screeners, and data analytics dashboards for school districts. Highly comparable on survey instruments and data-driven decision support, although Panorama operates as a scaled software platform versus CEE's consulting-led model.
• Education Elements: K-12 consulting firm that partners with districts on strategic planning, leadership development, and personalized learning implementation. Closely comparable to CEE's district-services and leadership-coaching offerings for similar district buyers.
• Hanover Research: Subscription research and analytics provider serving K-12 districts and other education organizations. Comparable on the recurring, district-funded research and data-services model CEE uses, though Hanover is broader and serves higher-ed and other verticals.

Emerging players

• Learning Forward: Professional association focused on K-12 educator professional development and coaching standards. Comparable audience and PD content focus, but operates as a membership/professional association rather than a paid consulting provider.

Broad incumbents

• Gallup Education: Operates the Gallup Student Poll and education stakeholder surveys used by districts for climate and engagement measurement. Comparable product overlap on stakeholder survey instruments and benchmarking, but operates as part of a much larger research organization.
• American Institutes for Research (AIR): Large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization that conducts K-12 program evaluation, assessment, and technical assistance for districts and state agencies. Comparable on the research-driven, evidence-based methodology CEE applies to its surveys and program.
• NWEA: Major K-12 assessment and data analytics provider serving districts with formative assessments and growth dashboards. Comparable on the data-driven decision making value proposition, though NWEA's core is adaptive assessment rather than climate/wellness surveys.
• Curriculum Associates: K-12 publisher offering iReady diagnostic assessments plus professional development and data tools for districts. Comparable on the intersection of assessment data and instructional decision support sold to district administrators.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ceeffectiveness
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecenterforeducationaleffectiveness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-educational-effectiveness-cee-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Center For Educational Effectiveness