ACASE

What ACASE does

ACASE (legally Saratoga Institute, Inc., doing business as The Association for the Cooperative Advancement of Science and Education) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit founded circa 1990 by Paul Zachos, Ph.D., and headquartered at 110 Spring Street, Saratoga Springs, New York. The organization develops and disseminates its proprietary methodology, "Practical Educational Science," a framework for dissecting NGSS and NYSSLS performance expectations into discrete, measurable Practical Learning Goals, designing rubric-based assessment activities aligned to those goals, and measuring student attainment with specificity rather than aggregated scores.

ACASE's product surface combines (i) a free library of 60+ NGSS/NYSSLS assessments for grades 1-12 released under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, (ii) two web-based software tools — PlanBook (a curriculum planning and scope-and-sequence tool launched July 2026 with Personal, School, and Commercial licensing tiers) and Chrono (a learner-first information system for monitoring student attainment of Practical Learning Goals, currently limited to internal consulting clients), and (iii) a professional development portfolio anchored by the year-long Institute in Practical Educational Science (IPES) at $8,000 per participant, plus fellowships, hourly consulting, and one-day site visits.

ACASE monetizes through a mix of district-contracted professional services (often BOCES CoSer-billable or Title 2-funded in New York State), annual software subscriptions, and free-content-led funneling from the assessment library. Go-to-market is relationship-driven enterprise field sales to school districts and institutions, supplemented by direct website subscription for PlanBook. Its principal distribution asset is its CoSer recognition with Capital Region BOCES; its principal community asset is the IPES alumni network that contributes back to the assessment library and generates downstream advocacy.

Name

ACASE

Legal name

The Association for the Cooperative Advancement of Science and Education

Website

https://acase.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACASE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps K-12 science teachers and school districts implement NGSS/NYSSLS through its Practical Educational Science methodology, delivered via free assessment libraries, IPES professional development, and PlanBook curriculum planning software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Science Education Professional Development

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Open Educational Resources (OER) & Curriculum Repositories (EDAFACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Open Lesson Plans & Teaching Units (K–12) (EDAGAJAI), OER Quality Review, Alignment & Certification (rubrics/standards) (EDAGAJAN)

Keywords

• NGSS professional development
• K-12 science assessment
• Curriculum planning software
• Teacher training services
• Educational science research

Headquarters

HQ city

Saratoga Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Development Services: ACASE offers a portfolio of professional development services including IPES (year-long intensive program at $8,000/participant), hourly consulting, one-day site visits, fellowships, and the Building a Community of Science Fellowship. Revenue is generated through direct district/school contracts, BOCES CoSer billing, and Title 2 funding.
2. Software Subscriptions: PlanBook is offered as a subscription product with multiple tiers: Personal ($200/year), School License (contact for pricing), and Commercial Licensing (contact for pricing). Chrono is currently for internal ACASE use by consulting clients. A free 3-day trial is available for PlanBook.
3. Free Assessment Library (Lead Gen): ACASE provides over 60 NGSS/NYSSLS assessments free of charge under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. The free resource library serves as a top-of-funnel lead generation mechanism for driving districts toward paid professional development and software services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACASE delivers fee-based professional development services and web-based software built on its proprietary Practical Educational Science methodology for K-12 science educators implementing NGSS and NYSSLS standards. Core offerings include the year-long IPES institute ($8,000/participant), shorter fellowships, hourly consulting, one-day site visits, PlanBook curriculum planning software (subscription tiers), and the Chrono student attainment information system used by consulting clients. A library of 60+ free NGSS-aligned assessments and supporting Google Docs templates are provided as content marketing and educator support.

Product overview

ACASE offers a platform of educational tools centered on Practical Educational Science methodology, consisting of two primary software products (PlanBook and Chrono) and a comprehensive assessment library of over 60 free NGSS assessments. PlanBook serves as the curriculum planning module for teachers to build NGSS-aligned scope and sequence, while Chrono functions as the student learning outcome monitoring system for tracking Practical Learning Goal attainment. Professional development offerings include the flagship IPES year-long institute, hourly consulting services, one-day site visits, and two fellowship programs—all built around the Practical Educational Science methodology for developing discrete learning goals and systematic assessment practices. Supporting resources include the NGSS Glossary, Assessment Design Templates, PLD Unpacking Templates, Evaluation Grid Templates, and Micro-Reliability Study Templates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACASE PlanBook: Web-based curriculum planning tool launched July 2026 to help teachers build scope and sequence for NGSS-aligned courses. Available through monthly and annual subscriptions ($200/year).
• Chronicles of Learning (Chrono)
• Institute in Practical Educational Science (IPES)

Products and services

• ACASE PlanBook Web-based curriculum planning software that helps K-12 science teachers make sense of NGSS to build scope and sequence for the year and develop new NGSS-aligned courses. Enables planning at the Practical Learning Goal level, monitoring pacing, evaluating existing lessons for alignment, and sharing PlanBooks with colleagues as templates or collaborators. Sold via Personal ($200/year), School License, and Commercial Licensing tiers.
• Chronicles of Learning (Chrono) Educational information system for monitoring student attainment of Practical Learning Goals. Provides multiple data entry methods, rapid analysis of results, easy-to-interpret reports for educational decision-making, and the ability to generate reports for individual students, classes, target groups, schools, and larger systems.
• ACASE NGSS Assessments Library Library of over 60 free NGSS assessments for grades 1-12, most also aligned to NYSSLS standards. Assessments are developed by practicing classroom teachers using Practical Educational Science methodology, based on Practical Learning Goals, and fully aligned to their respective standards. Rated for validity and reliability, iteratively improved, and freely available under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.
• Institute in Practical Educational Science (IPES) Year-long intensive professional development program for educators to build community and develop foundational skills in Practical Educational Science. Includes a one-week in-person summer workshop in Saratoga Springs, NY, followed by mentor-supported asynchronous work and monthly whole-group Zoom meetings. Participants learn to build valid and reliable assessments aligned to NGSS and NYSSLS. Priced at $8,000 per district participant; BOCES aidable in NYS.
• Hourly Consulting Services Hourly consulting services for school districts or educational institutions specializing in implementation of Practical Educational Science for evaluating, designing, and implementing curriculum, assessment, and instruction in Science, Math, and ELA. Particularly helpful for evaluating existing programs and planning NGSS/NYSSLS implementation in K-12 districts.
• One-Day Site Visit One-day on-site training for groups of up to 30 teachers covering basics of Practical Educational Science, including concepts of Practical Learning Goals, polyguity, and misaggregation. Recommended as an introduction to Practical Educational Science before future collaboration.
• Fellowship in Practical Educational Science Two- to three-month professional development experience for up to 30 teachers. Begins with a three-hour in-person on-site training after school, followed by mentor-supported asynchronous work and four whole-group Zoom meetings. Participants learn to unpack NGSS or NYSSLS standards into Practical Learning Goals and evaluate labs or lessons.
• Building a Community of Science Fellowship One-year professional development experience for up to 30 teachers focused on building a community of science. Includes an initial full-day meeting, mentor-supported asynchronous work, and monthly whole-group Zoom meetings. Participants improve reliability and validity of assessment activities through conducting micro-reliability studies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ NGSS Assessments developed and freely available for grades 1-12
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Capital Region BOCEScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorACASE is recognized as a cooperative service provider (CoSer) with Capital Region BOCES in New York State. This enables school districts across NYS to engage ACASE's professional development and consulting services through CoSer purchasing relationships.
• Greater Capital Region Teacher CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACASE partners with the Greater Capital Region Teacher Center for stipend payment to IPES participants. Participants who meet all program milestones can receive up to a $5,000 stipend, paid in collaboration with this teacher center.
• Partner School Districts (TC, SC, NC1, SBCS, CRB logos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACASE collaborates with a number of associates and school districts on projects, long-term initiatives, and professional development programs related to science and education. Five partner logos are displayed (abbreviated as TC, SC, NC1, SBCS, CRB), representing school district and institutional partners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Activate Learning: Activate Learning provides K-12 STEM curriculum, teacher professional development, and instructional materials — directly comparable to ACASE's NGSS-aligned professional development, curriculum planning, and assessment offerings for science teachers and districts.
• Great Minds: Great Minds' PhD Science is a K-12 NGSS-aligned science curriculum with associated PD — a direct competitor in K-12 science curriculum and teacher training serving district procurement processes.
• Lab-Aids: Lab-Aids provides K-12 science kits and NGSS-aligned curriculum with teacher professional development — a directly comparable K-12 science education and PD provider serving similar school district buyers.
• STEMscopes (Accelerate Learning): Accelerate Learning's STEMscopes is a K-12 STEM curriculum and PD platform with strong NGSS alignment — competing for the same district curriculum and teacher training budgets ACASE targets in K-12 science.
• OpenSciEd: OpenSciEd is a nonprofit initiative producing open-source, NGSS-aligned middle and high school science curricula with associated teacher PD — a close analog to ACASE's open assessment library and Practical Educational Science methodology.
• Defined STEM (Defined Learning): Defined STEM/Defined Learning provides K-12 STEM curriculum and PD with NGSS-aligned lessons and performance tasks — directly comparable to ACASE's NGSS assessment and PD offerings for science teachers.
• Flinn Scientific: Flinn Scientific offers K-12 science curriculum, lab kits, and teacher resources targeting science educators — directly comparable to ACASE's K-12 science PD and assessment focus.
• Carolina Biological Supply: Carolina Biological Supply supplies K-12 science instructional materials, kits, and PD resources — competing in the same K-12 science education market as ACASE, particularly for science teachers and district science programs.

Broad incumbents

• Savvas Learning Company: Savvas Learning is a major K-12 publisher with NGSS science programs and PD — a broad incumbent offering science curriculum alongside other subjects at district scale and with far larger marketing reach.
• Discovery Education: Discovery Education is a broad K-12 digital learning platform with NGSS-aligned science content, PD services, and district-wide contracts — a larger incumbent operating across multiple subjects rather than specializing in science.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acaseorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/acaseorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-the-cooperative-advancement-of-science-&-education-acase-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ACASE