The Center for Literacy and Learning

What The Center for Literacy and Learning does

The Center for Literacy and Learning (legal name: Louisiana Children's Research Center for Development and Learning, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1992 and headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana, with an additional office in Baton Rouge. The organization delivers evidence-based literacy professional development, coaching, and certification services to K-12 and early childhood educators across Louisiana and nationally, operating as a Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE)-approved vendor. Its portfolio of core programs includes the Literacy Coach Program (currently serving 64 LEAs and 262 schools with 180+ coaches and 4,000+ hours of coaching delivered), the Cornerstones CDA/BESE-approved early-childhood certification track, the Growing Reading Brains® Science of Reading curriculum, CLSD (Comprehensive Literacy Innovations Support), Lit Academy, the Louisiana Reads!™ family engagement program, and the annual Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning® national conference.

The Center's technology footprint includes the Louisiana Reads!™ mobile app, the Literacy Lightbulb SMS texting service (LAREADS to 833-460-0546), and an Instructure-based eLearning catalog hosting on-demand courses such as Growing Reading Brains Elementary Virtual and Vocabulary Word Work. Programs are delivered through a hybrid model combining on-site coaching, virtual live training, and asynchronous self-paced modules, with documented student-achievement outcomes tied to DIBELS benchmarks and state-level results (Louisiana rose from 50th to 16th nationally in fourth-grade reading over six years, ranking first in the nation for reading growth in May 2026).

Revenue is generated across four streams: professional development service contracts with school districts, conference registration fees (Plain Talk tiered at $699–$899 with group discounts), federal and foundation grants (including the USDOE-funded LA-SFEC, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation award, and the $2.2M LDOE Literacy Coach Pilot), and on-demand course fees (e.g., $20 per Vocabulary Word Work enrollment). Customer segments span K-12 educators, early-childhood professionals, families, policymakers, and corporate partners, with the LDOE serving as the largest institutional customer and Plain Talk as the primary national-acquisition channel.

Name

The Center for Literacy and Learning

Legal name

Louisiana Children's Research Center for Development and Learning, Inc.

Website

https://mycll.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Center for Literacy and Learning is a Louisiana-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers evidence-based literacy professional development, coaching, and certification programs to K-12 and early childhood educators, schools, and families across Louisiana and nationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literacy Education Professional Development

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy & Reading Intervention Technology (EDAJAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA), Reading Comprehension & Close Reading Enrichment (EDAMAJAB)

Keywords

• Literacy professional development
• Evidence-based reading instruction
• Teacher coaching services
• Early childhood literacy
• Family engagement education

Headquarters

HQ city

Metairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Development Services: The Center generates revenue through fees for professional development programs, workshops, and training sessions delivered to educators, schools, and districts. This includes customized professional learning sessions, coaching services, and specialized training programs like Growing Reading Brains and Lit Academy.
2. Conference Registration Fees: Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning® conference generates revenue through registration fees. Pricing tiers: $699 before June 30, 2026; $799 after through October 28, 2026; $899 after October 28, 2026. Group discounts of $30 per person for 5+ educators registering together.
3. Grants and Donations: As a Louisiana-based national nonprofit organization, The Center receives funding through grants (including federal grants like the Louisiana SFEC funded by USDOE) and charitable donations to support programs and operations.
4. On-Demand Course Fees: Self-paced professional development courses such as Vocabulary Word Work are offered for $20 per enrollment, providing revenue for specialized training content.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Center for Literacy and Learning is a nonprofit organization that develops and delivers evidence-based literacy professional development, on-site coaching, early childhood certification, and family engagement programs to educators, schools, districts, and families. Its core products include the Literacy Coach Program, Growing Reading Brains teacher training, Cornerstones CDA certification, CLSD school mentoring, Lit Academy workshops, and the Plain Talk national literacy conference, supported by an eLearning Platform, mobile app, and SMS texting service.

Product overview

The Center for Literacy & Learning operates as a multi-product literacy education nonprofit offering a portfolio of professional development services, coaching programs, certification pathways, digital learning platforms, and community engagement initiatives. The core offerings include Early Childhood Coaching, the Cornerstones CDA Certificate Program, the Science of Reading Learning Academy, the Literacy Coach Program, Lit Academy, Professional Development Sessions, Louisiana Reads! family engagement program, CLSD mentoring model, and The Reading League Louisiana. These are complemented by the eLearning Platform which hosts on-demand courses including Growing Reading Brains Elementary Virtual and Vocabulary Word Work. The organization also hosts the annual Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning® conference and Plain Talk About Dyslexia Summit. Programs are delivered through a combination of in-person coaching, virtual training, self-paced online modules, and community events, serving educators, families, and policymakers across Louisiana and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Louisiana Reads!: Family engagement program that promotes at-home reading through literacy awareness, book distribution, and direct service to families
• Growing Reading Brains
• Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning
• Cornerstones
• Lit Academy
• The Reading League Louisiana
• CLSD

Products and services

• Early Childhood Coaching Face-to-face or virtual coaching delivered by Early Childhood Literacy & Learning Specialists to early childhood educators, developing skills in instructional practices, teacher-child interactions, and data collection through the Practice Based Coaching Model.
• Cornerstones CDA Program A National CDA, BESE-Approved Early Childhood Ancillary Certificate Program providing 120 hours of training in early childhood education with 30 hours of applied practice and intensive coaching for teachers completing their CDA portfolio within 5 months, 100% virtually. Free for eligible lead teachers in Type III childcare centers through the Louisiana Pathways Ancillary Certificate Program Scholarship.
• Literacy Coach Program A hybrid, job-embedded professional development model empowering PreK-12 literacy coaches, teachers, and leaders through Science of Reading and evidence-based instructional practices. Currently serves 64 LEAs and 262 schools with 180+ coaches empowered and 4,000+ hours of direct coaching delivered.
• CLSD (Comprehensive Literacy Innovations Support) PreK-12 hybrid, high-impact mentoring model that builds capacity of school-based literacy mentors through direct job-embedded support from expert Literacy Specialists, delivering 94 hours of support per site over 10 months (64 hours on-site, 24 hours virtual, 6 hours asynchronous).
• Science of Reading Learning Academy Professional learning program including the Growing Reading Brains course series that equips educators with research-based strategies grounded in the Science of Reading to build strong foundational reading skills across age groups from birth through grade 12. Delivered as five-day courses with in-person or virtual delivery options.
• Lit Academy A two-day intensive learning event for Pre-K through 12 educators providing hands-on workshops across three specialized tracks to strengthen literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading, with year-long support including quarterly virtual meetings and access to an online platform.
• Professional Development Sessions Customizable professional learning programs focusing on language and literacy, including literacy needs assessments, interactive learning sessions, observations with feedback, mentoring, coaching, and lesson modeling. Delivered in-person or virtually to schools and districts.
• Louisiana Reads! Family Engagement Program A family engagement program that promotes at-home reading opportunities through literacy awareness, book distribution, the Louisiana Reads! mobile app, the Literacy Lightbulb texting service, and the Family Literacy Engagement Framework, targeting families and caregivers of children from birth through high school.
• Plain Talk About Literacy & Learning Conference A premier annual national literacy conference held in New Orleans, attracting PreK-12 teachers, literacy coaches, school leaders, and education professionals to engage with evidence-based reading research and real-world practice. Tiered pricing: $699 early bird (by June 30, 2026), $799 standard, $899 late, plus $30 group discount per person for 5+ registrants.
• eLearning Platform and On-Demand Courses An online learning platform hosted on Instructure/Canvas offering free and paid self-paced professional development courses including Growing Reading Brains Elementary On-Demand and Vocabulary Word Work (priced at $20 per participant), plus Literacy Deep Dives mini professional development modules.
• Louisiana Statewide Family Engagement Center (LA-SFEC) A federally funded program operated by The Center, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, that develops a statewide family engagement framework to improve student outcomes and empower parents with at-home literacy strategies.
• Book Distribution Programs Various book distribution initiatives including book vending machines deployed at hospitals (e.g., Ochsner LSU Health, St. Mary Medical Center, New Orleans East Hospital/LCMC Health), community events, and partnerships to increase access to books and reading materials for children.

Quantifiable outcome

• Louisiana jumped from 50th to 16th nationally in fourth-grade reading scores over six years
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Southeastern Louisiana UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support collaborative literacy initiatives. The Center has a new campus office at Southeastern Louisiana University Teacher Education Center to expand literacy programs and support educator training in the region.
• Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLDOE-approved vendor for literacy coaching and professional development. The Center partnered with LDOE to create the Literacy Coaching Program and expand statewide with $2.2M Literacy Coach Pilot Program. Also partnered to launch Louisiana Chapter of The Reading League.
• National Governors Association (NGA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured at NGA's Governors' Education Policy Advisors Institute presenting on high-impact tutoring as an effective strategy. Contributed to national dialogue on literacy reform and early literacy policy.
• Ochsner LSU HealthmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to launch book vending machines at hospital pediatric units, bringing literacy directly into healthcare settings. Similar partnerships with St. Mary Medical Center and other healthcare facilities.
• Louisiana Statewide Family Engagement Center (LA-SFEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center operates the LA-SFEC, a federal grant program funded by USDOE working with local partners to develop systemic family-engaged infrastructure improving student outcomes and empowering parents with at-home literacy strategies.
• The Reading LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center launched and hosts The Reading League Louisiana, empowering Louisiana educators to advance the Science of Reading through collaboration and professional development.
• Louisiana PathwayscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide free CDA certification for eligible lead teachers in Type III childcare centers through the Ancillary Certificate Program Scholarship.
• New Orleans East Hospital / LCMC HealthmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBook vending machine partnership bringing literacy resources directly to hospital pediatric units and families.
• The Slone GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization represented on The Center's Board of Trustees, contributing governance and strategic direction.
• WillScotminorOthersCorporate partner supporting The Center's mission and programs through corporate sponsorship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Language Training: Long-standing literacy intervention publisher with structured K-12 programs and extensive PD offerings. Comparable in literacy intervention focus and educator training, with broader distribution and product depth.
• Lexia Learning: Large, well-capitalized literacy edtech publisher serving K-12 districts nationwide. Comparable as a Science of Reading-aligned literacy provider to schools, but at much greater scale and with proprietary digital products.
• Amplify Education: Major K-12 literacy/curriculum publisher with extensive Science of Reading-aligned offerings and PD. Comparable in targeting the same K-12 literacy PD market, with materially larger resources and district reach.
• Heggerty: Established literacy curriculum publisher specializing in phonological and phonemic awareness. Comparable as a Science of Reading-aligned K-12 provider, but distributes core instructional products rather than custom PD services.

Direct peers

• International Literacy Association (ILA): The largest global literacy professional organization, focused on literacy research, instruction, and educator development. Comparable as a mission-aligned literacy professional development and advocacy organization serving educators across the U.S.
• Reach Out and Read: National nonprofit focused on child literacy through family engagement and pediatric partnerships. Highly comparable in combining literacy promotion with innovative non-school distribution (e.g., via healthcare), paralleling the Center's hospital book vending machines.
• Reading Is Fundamental (RIF): Long-standing children's literacy nonprofit focused on book access and family engagement. Comparable nonprofit literacy mission, focus on underserved communities, and book-distribution programs that overlap with Louisiana Reads!
• ProLiteracy: National adult and family literacy nonprofit with PD and direct-service programs. Comparable nonprofit literacy model serving multiple age ranges across the U.S. through grants and program revenue.
• The Reading League: National nonprofit advancing the Science of Reading through professional development. Highly comparable mission and methodology — the Center even hosts The Reading League Louisiana, indicating direct overlap in approach and audience.
• Reading Recovery Council of North America: Literacy intervention organization providing professional development for early-grade reading teachers. Closely comparable model of training and coaching educators in evidence-based reading instruction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cll_teach
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-literacy-and-learning-cll

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 The Center for Literacy and Learning