Multilingual Learning Research Center

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.

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

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

• Multilingual education research
• International school networks
• Action research coaching
• School improvement programs
• Professional learning communities

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

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. 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.
2. Research Symposia Registration: Revenue from in-person two-day workshops: Early Bird pricing at $450 and Regular pricing at $550 per participant.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Council of International Schools (CIS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026CIS 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 InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026SENIA 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026AAIE 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025WASC 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025iSP 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 LabsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Dr. 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.
• WIDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023WIDA 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 CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMariana 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)coreOthersThe MLRC is housed within WCER at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education, providing institutional infrastructure and academic credibility.
• Glocal Scholars (Various Universities)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMLRC 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

Direct 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/61550939814404
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/multilingual-learning-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Multilingual Learning Research Center