Multilingual Learning Research Center
The Multilingual Learning Research Center (MLRC) is a UW-Madison nonprofit research center that operates a global membership network of 130+ international schools across 60 countries, providing research-based resources, action-research coaching, and professional development programs for educators serving multilingual learners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Multilingual Learning Research Center does
The Multilingual Learning Research Center (MLRC) is a nonprofit research center established in 2023 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, housed within the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER). It advances educational outcomes for multilingual learners in international school contexts by operating as a research-practice partnership rather than a commercial vendor. The organization focuses on bridging academic research and classroom practice through collaborative action research, curated resources, and professional development programs, serving a global network of more than 130 international schools across 60 countries.
MLRC's core offering is the MLRC School Network, an annual membership program that provides unlimited faculty access to the online Member Hub (research summaries, annotated bibliographies, teacher workshops, infographics, and discussion boards), eligibility to attend in-person Research Symposia, and the ability to participate in coached action-research projects with capstone-report deliverables. Adjacent services include a fee-based MLRC Program Review — a 4–5 day on-site evaluation producing actionable recommendations across four nested levels (student, classroom, program, school) using a 60+ descriptor framework — and a free monthly virtual Speaker Series. The organization's intellectual capital is concentrated in proprietary frameworks (School Improvement Framework, Inventory, Playbook, Guided Review, Program Review) and in its partnerships with WIDA (assessment tools), WASC (accreditation), CIS, SENIA, AAIE, and iSP, which collectively embed MLRC across the international-school ecosystem.
MLRC generates revenue through three streams: enrollment-scaled annual membership subscriptions, Research Symposium registration fees ($450 Early Bird / $550 Regular per participant), and bespoke Program Review engagements priced per school context. The organization acquired WIDA's International School Consortium in February 2023 as its founding membership base, has since grown to 130+ member schools and 270+ engaged educators, and operates with a core team of 8 personnel supplemented by academic researchers, action-research coaches, and a Communications Intern.
Multilingual Learning Research Center firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Multilingual Learning Research Center
- Legal name
- Multilingual Learning Research Center
- Website
- https://mlrc.wisc.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Multilingual Learning Research Center (MLRC) is a UW-Madison nonprofit research center that operates a global membership network of 130+ international schools across 60 countries, providing research-based resources, action-research coaching, and professional development programs for educators serving multilingual learners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Multilingual Learning Research Center industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Research Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships (EDADALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships) (EDAIABAC), Education Partnerships for Equity, Inclusion & Gender (EDADALAF)
Keywords
Where Multilingual Learning Research Center is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Multilingual Learning Research Center business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- School Network Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for the MLRC School Network, with pricing varying based on school enrollment. Membership runs from January 1 to December 31 each year with prorated rates for schools joining mid-year.
- Research Symposia Registration: Revenue from in-person two-day workshops: Early Bird pricing at $450 and Regular pricing at $550 per participant.
- Program Review Services: Fee-based comprehensive data-based review process providing schools with actionable recommendations for improving programs serving multilingual learners. Involves on-site engagement over 4-5 days plus pre- and post-visit analysis.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Research Symposium - Early Bird |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Research Symposium - Regular |
| Subscription | Annual | School Network Membership |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Multilingual Learning Research Center product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A research-practice partnership providing international schools with membership-based access to research resources, action research coaching, in-person symposia, a virtual speaker series, and program review services focused on multilingual learner education. The center also maintains school improvement tools, a member hub platform, and convenes research dissemination groups (DIG) for educators.
Product overview
The MLRC operates as a research-practice partnership within the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. Its portfolio includes the MLRC School Network as the core member program, supported by the online Member Hub platform providing research resources and professional development tools. Key services include Research Symposia (in-person workshops), the Speaker Series (monthly virtual presentations), MLRC Program Review (school evaluation service), and Action Research support with coaching. Additional offerings include school improvement tools, the WIDA Toolkit for assessment support, and the Dissemination and Implementation Group (DIG) for research dissemination. The MLRC also conducts its own research through initiatives like VisionLab and publishes work on dual language bilingual education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MLRC School Network: A global research-practice partnership for international schools committed to improving outcomes for multilingual learners, with member schools across 60 countries.
- MLRC School Network Hub
- MLRC Speaker Series
- MLRC Research Symposia
- MLRC Program Review
Products and services
- MLRC School Network Membership Annual membership program that gives international schools access to the MLRC School Network, including the MLRC School Network Member Hub, Research Symposia, the Virtual Speaker Series, action research coaching, and curated research outputs on multilingual learner education.
- MLRC Program Review Structured review service applying the MLRC Program Review Framework to assess and improve multilingual learner programming at international schools.
- MLRC Research Symposia In-person research convening where MLRC researchers and member-school educators present and discuss research findings, with early-bird and regular registration pricing.
- MLRC Virtual Speaker Series Virtual webinar/speaker program delivering ongoing professional learning on multilingual learner topics to member schools and partners.
Quantifiable outcome
- 176 educators across 59 teams participated in Research Symposia during 2024-2025 academic year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Multilingual Learning Research Center
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Multilingual Learning Research Center technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Multilingual Learning Research Center partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Council of International Schools (CIS)coreCIS is a global membership community shaping the future of international education with more than 1,600 member schools and higher education institutions in 121 countries. Both CIS and MLRC work to advance educational outcomes for multilingual learners through innovative and research-informed practices.
- SENIA InternationalcoreSENIA International is a global network dedicated to supporting international schools in developing inclusive and responsive systems for diverse learners. Through professional learning, collaborative networks, and practical resources, SENIA works with educators and school leaders to strengthen how schools identify and respond to learning variability.
- Association for the Advancement of International Education (AAIE)coreAAIE is a nonprofit organization that connects and develops leaders across the global international school community. Founded in 1966, AAIE advances excellence in international education by promoting innovative, research-informed practices and strengthening leadership in international schools.
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)coreWASC and MLRC partnership strengthens multilingual practices in schools across the globe. WASC serves as a major international accreditation agency, and this partnership supports ALL schools—whether or not they offer formal multilingual programs. The collaboration integrates MLRC resources into WASC accreditation processes, helping schools recognize linguistic diversity and implement multilingual-friendly practices.
- International Schools Partnership (iSP)coreiSP is a network of over 111 schools worldwide that centers Multilingualism as one of its five core learning pillars. Multiple iSP schools have joined MLRC as part of a larger partnership, with iSP leadership supporting schools' efforts to create innovative and research-based strategies for multilingual learners.
- Shamya Karumbaiah - TRAIL LabsupportingDr. Shamya Karumbaiah, Assistant Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at UW-Madison, leads the TRAIL Lab conducting interdisciplinary research at the intersection of learning sciences, learning analytics, AI, and human-centered design focused on developing scientific understanding of learning.
- WIDAcoreWIDA is a separate entity housed alongside other research organizations in the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research at UW-Madison. MLRC provides member schools that use WIDA assessments with access to a WIDA Toolkit including learning resources and unlimited staff enrollment in WIDA Virtual Institute. WIDA International School Consortium transitioned to MLRC School Network in 2023.
- Neighborhood House Community CentersupportingMariana Castro, MLRC Qualitative Research Director, presented at the White House Every Day Counts Summit about comprehensive approaches to engaging English learners and creating partnerships with families and community.
- Wisconsin Center for Educational Research (WCER)coreThe MLRC is housed within WCER at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, providing institutional infrastructure and academic credibility.
- Glocal Scholars (Various Universities)supportingMLRC partners with researchers worldwide through the Glocal Scholar series, integrating local and global contexts. Includes scholars from University of Jaén (Spain), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Beijing Normal University, Vietnam National University, and others.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Multilingual Learning Research Center competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- WIDA Consortium: Also housed at UW-Madison's WCER, WIDA develops standards and assessments for English learners. MLRC's WIDA Toolkit access and direct consortium lineage make WIDA its closest institutional and topical peer in multilingual-learner education.
- SENIA International: Global network supporting international schools with diverse-learner practice. SENIA is a strategic partner of MLRC and a peer in building practitioner communities and resources for inclusive multilingual education.
Broad incumbents
- WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges): Major international accreditation agency partnering with MLRC. WASC overlaps with MLRC by influencing school-improvement priorities and is an institutional counterpart in the international-school quality ecosystem.
- Council of International Schools (CIS): Global membership community of 1,600+ schools in 121 countries. CIS is a strategic partner of MLRC but also a broad incumbent serving overlapping international-school audiences with accreditation and member services.
- AAIE (Association for the Advancement of International Education): Nonprofit connecting international-school leaders globally. AAIE is both a strategic partner of MLRC and a comparable organization advancing research-informed practice in international education.
- ECIS (European Council of International Schools): Membership organization for international schools in Europe and beyond. ECIS addresses overlapping educator professional-development needs and competes for member mindshare in the same international-school segment.
- TESOL International Association: Professional association for English-language teaching with global reach. TESOL is comparable as a multilingual-education membership and conference community that international-school educators also engage with.
- International Baccalaureate (IB): Operates globally recognized curricula in international schools. IB overlaps with MLRC's audience and language-and-learning frameworks, though IB's remit is curricular rather than research-based.
Emerging players
- Imagine Learning: EdTech provider with products for English-language learners and multilingual students. Imagine Learning is an emerging commercial player addressing overlapping practitioner needs with a more productized, scalable model than MLRC.
Regional players
- EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools): Membership organization for international schools across East Asia. EARCOS serves a geographically narrower audience but operates comparable professional-learning and community programs for international educators.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Multilingual Learning Research Center social profiles
Digital presenceMultilingual Learning Research Center financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Multilingual Learning Research Center leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Multilingual Learning Research Center funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Multilingual Learning Research Center 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 Multilingual Learning Research Center
What does Multilingual Learning Research Center do?
A research-practice partnership providing international schools with membership-based access to research resources, action research coaching, in-person symposia, a virtual speaker series, and program review services focused on multilingual learner education. The center also maintains school improvement tools, a member hub platform, and convenes research dissemination groups (DIG) for educators.
Is Multilingual Learning Research Center a public or private company?
Multilingual Learning Research Center is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Multilingual Learning Research Center founded?
Multilingual Learning Research Center was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Multilingual Learning Research Center based?
Multilingual Learning Research Center is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Multilingual Learning Research Center make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. School Network Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Symposia Registration and program Review Services.
Who are Multilingual Learning Research Center's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are WIDA Consortium and SENIA International. Broad incumbents are WASC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges), Council of International Schools (CIS), AAIE (Association for the Advancement of International Education), ECIS (European Council of International Schools), TESOL International Association and International Baccalaureate (IB). Imagine Learning is listed as an emerging player. EARCOS (East Asia Regional Council of Schools) is listed as a regional player.
Does Multilingual Learning Research Center have an API?
No public API is recorded for Multilingual Learning Research Center.
What industry is Multilingual Learning Research Center in?
Multilingual Learning Research Center's product category is Educational Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAK, Research, Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL) Partnerships, with a secondary code of EDAIABAC, Research Collaboration & Joint Labs (International Partnerships). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.