Tag: CEO

  • New year’s honours knighthood for Cabot CEO Taylor

    New year’s honours knighthood for Cabot CEO Taylor

    A prominent academy trust leader will be knighted and a well-known professor of social mobility will be made a dame in the new year’s honours list.

    Dr Stephen Taylor and Professor Sonia Blandford are among 57 people working in or with the schools community in England recognised this year.

    Steve Taylor

    Taylor, the CEO of the 35-school Cabot Learning Federation and chair of the Queen Street Group of academy leaders will be knighted for services to education.

    “Since learning of this award, I have thought about all those colleagues in the Cabot Learning Federation and in the wider sector, whose work and successes have inspired me over the years to strive to do my best for the children we serve,” he said.

    “Anything I would count as an achievement has come about as the result of working in collaboration with great people I have had the privilege of knowing, in the CLF and beyond.

    “That includes a number of leaders in the Queen Street Group whose work in education has been recognised over the years, and I feel fortunate to have them as colleagues.”

    Professor Sonia Blandford
    Professor Sonia Blandford

    He added he was “extremely grateful for this honour and look forward to sharing the news with colleagues and sharing the experience with my family, whose support I never take for granted”.

    Blandford, professor of social mobility at Plymouth Marjon University and founder of the school improvement charity Achievement for All, will be made a dame.

    She said: “My thanks to all my colleagues, friends and family for your support and kindness throughout my career. I am proud to be a member of the teaching profession.”

    Leaders honoured

    Fifty-five other people who work in or with schools were recognised this year.

    Four will receive the CBE, 15 the OBE, 25 the MBE and 11 the British Empire Medal.

    Among those recognised are 17 current or former trust CEOs or school executive headteachers, nine heads, eight people from the charity or third sectors, six support staff, five council officials, three governors or trustees, two volunteers, two academics, a civil servant and an assistant head.

    Dr Nikos Savvas

    Dr Nikos Savvas, chief executive of Eastern Education Group, which runs nine schools, will receive the OBE.

    “This honour belongs to the whole of Eastern Education Group and to Suffolk,” he said.

    “What we have achieved here shows that world-class education doesn’t only happen in big cities.

    “Suffolk is leading the way, and this award is recognition of the people, partnerships and communities that make that possible. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished together.”

    Anita Bath

    Anita Bath, chief executive of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust has also been awarded the OBE.

    She said she was “deeply honoured and so happy to receive an OBE in the new year’s honours.

    “This recognition is not something I ever expected, and I accept it on behalf of the many dedicated colleagues I have worked alongside throughout my career.

    “I am particularly thankful for the opportunity to lead the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust since its inception and I am so grateful to the leaders and staff who made this possible.

    “It was a brave leap of faith to bring all 39 Catholic schools together in such a short time and the commitment shown by its people has been very humbling indeed.”

    ‘Highly respected’

    Anne Dellar
    Anne Dellar

    Anne Dellar, the former chief executive of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, will receive the MBE.

    Kathy Winrow, chair of the trust’s trustees, said: “During her time as our CEO, Anne always had an exciting vision for ODST.

    “She oversaw the MAT’s growth from two to 43 schools and her passion for ensuring every child had the opportunity to access the very best education was exemplary.

    “She is highly respected by trustees and headteachers within the MAT, and colleagues at national level. It was been a privilege to work with Anne over many years and see her ambition, generosity of spirit and care have a lasting and positive impact.”

    The full schools list

    Please note the spellings, titles and styles of each entry match what has been provided by government. If there’s a mistake or we’ve missed anyone out, please email [email protected].

    Please bear in mind we only cover the schools sector in England.

    Damehood

    Professor Sonia BLANDFORD, Professor of Social Mobility, Plymouth Marjon University. For services to Education. Wiltshire

    Knighthood

    Dr Stephen Peter TAYLOR Chief Executive Officer, Cabot Learning Federation. For services to Education. Somerset

    Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)

    Professor Teresa Mary CREMIN Professor of Education, The Open University. For services to Education. East Sussex

    Shazia Kauser HUSSAIN Director of Children’s Social Care, Department for Education. For services to Children and Families. Greater London

    Deborah Anna JONES Lately Executive Director Children, Families and Education Services, Croydon Council. For services to Children, Young People and Families. Oxfordshire

    Heather Ann SANDY Executive Director of Children’s Services, Lincolnshire County Council. For services to Education. Lincolnshire

    Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

    Anita Frances Maria BATH Chief Executive Officer, Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. For services to Education. County Durham

    Jonathan BISHOP Chief Executive Officer and Executive Headteacher, Cornerstone Academy Trust, Devon. For services to Education. Devon

    Simon ELLIOTT Chief Executive Officer, Community Schools Trust. For services to Education. Greater London

    Emma Kate ENGLISH Executive Director, British Educational Travel Association. For services to the Youth and Student Travel Industry. Greater London

    Clare Elizabeth FLINTOFF Lately Chief Executive Officer, Asset Education, Ipswich, Suffolk. For services to Education. Suffolk

    Linda Susan JONES Chief Executive Officer, Prospere Learning Trust. For services to Education. Cheshire

    Carolyn MORGAN Lately Chief Executive Officer, The Ascent Academies’ Trust, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. For services to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. County Durham

    Gaynor Alison RENNIE Lately Headteacher, All Souls Church of England Primary School, Heywood, Lancashire. For services to Education. Greater Manchester

    Paul Thompson RICKEARD Ecumencial Canon, Cathedral of Newcastle upon Tyne and Chief Executive Officer, Durham and Newcastle Diocesan Learning Trust, Tyne and Wear. For services to Education. Northumberland

    Dr Nikolaos SAVVAS DL Chief Executive Officer, West Suffolk College, West Suffolk Trust, and Eastern Education Group, and Principal Abbeygate Sixth Form College, Suffolk. For services to Further Education. Suffolk

    Timothy William SHERRIFF Vice-Chair, Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors. For services to Education. Lancashire

    William George Stewart SMITH Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Greenshaw Learning Trust. For services to Education. Oxfordshire

    Thomas Brendan TAPPING Chief Executive Officer, Bishop Chadwick Catholic Education Trust, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear. For services to Education. County Durham

    Victoria Ann WELLS Lately Director of Sport, Youth Sport Trust, Loughborough, Leicestershire. For services to Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. Worcestershire

    Rachel Emma WILKES Chief Executive Officer, Humber Education Trust. For services to Education. East Riding of Yorkshire

    Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)

    Olusola Oluronke Anike ALABI Director, Exam Success Education Centre. For services to Education. Essex

    Oluremi Morenike ATOYEBI Headteacher, Osmani Primary School, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. For services to Education. Greater London

    Helen Victoria BINGHAM Early Years Practitioner, Aspire Academy Trust, St Austell, Cornwall. For services to Early Years Education. Cornwall

    Rebecca Jane BOLLANDS Head Teacher, Earlson Primary School, Coventry. For services to Cultural Education in the West Midlands. Warwickshire

    Georgina BURROWS (Georgina Stafford) Senior Teacher, Rumworth School, Bolton, Greater Manchester. For services to Education. Greater Manchester

    Mervin CATO Head of Secondary Behaviour Support Service, Enfield Council. For services to Education. Greater London

    Judith Lesley CHARLESWORTH Lately Chair, Barnet Special Education Trust, London. For services to Education. Hertfordshire

    Eileen Gillian CLARK Vice-Chair, Pickwick Academy Trust Board and Chair, School Improvement Committee. For services to Education. Wiltshire

    Lucy CONLEY Lately Chief Executive Officer, South Lincolnshire Academies Trust. For services to Education. Lincolnshire

    Kathryn Anne CREWE-READ Lately Headteacher, Bishop’s Stortford College. For services to Education. Shropshire

    Edison DAVID Executive Headteacher, Granton Primary School, London Borough of Lambeth. For services to Education. Greater London

    Jacqueline Anne DELLAR Lately Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust. For services to Education. Berkshire

    Andrea ENGLISH Lately Executive Headteacher, North and South West Durham Learning Federation. For services to Education. County Durham

    Margaret Antoinette FISHER Lately Chair of Governors, Dorridge Primary School. For services to Education. West Midlands

    Fiona Mary GEORGE Trustee, Rumbletums Community Cafe, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire. For services to Special Educational Needs. Nottinghamshire

    Beth GIBSON Head of Attendance and Inclusive Pathways, Birmingham City Council, West Midlands. For services to Education. Warwickshire

    Vanessa Marie GRAUS (Vanessa Langley) Headteacher, Arbourthorne Community Primary School, Sheffield, South Yorkshire. For services to Education. South Yorkshire

    David John GURNEY Chief Executive Officer, Cockburn Multi- Academy Trust, Leeds, Yorkshire. For services to Education. West Yorkshire

    David William HUDSON Lately Headteacher, Royal Latin School, Buckinghamshire. For services to Education. Oxfordshire

    Amanda KING Early Years Strategic Lead, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council. For services to Early Years Education. Warwickshire

    Michael Andrew LONCASTER Lately Headteacher, Molescroft Primary School, Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire. For services to Education. East Riding of Yorkshire

    Karen RATCLIFFE Lately Headteacher, Harton Primary School, South Shields, Tyne and Wear. For services to Education. Tyne and Wear

    Kylie Melissa SPARK Chief Executive Officer, Inspiring Learners Multi-Academy Trust, Cheshire. For services to Education. Greater Manchester

    John Francis TOWERS Headmaster, Barrow Hills School, Godalming, Surrey. For services to Education. Surrey

    Rachael WARWICK Lately Chief Executive Officer, Ridgeway Education Trust, Oxfordshire. For services to Education. Oxfordshire

    Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)

    Jake Oliver ARMSTRONG Careers Leader, Addey and Stanhope School, London Borough of Lewisham. For services to Education. Greater London

    Amila BEGUMAHMED (Amila Ahmed) Teaching Assistant, Cyril Jackson Primary, London Borough of Tower Hamlets. For services to Education. Greater London

    Kelly CLARKE Inclusion Manager, Hanson Academy, Bradford. For services to Education. West Yorkshire

    Annabel Susan Alice GITTINS Chair, Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians. For services to Young People. Shropshire

    Frances Elizabeth HILL Caretaker, John Ruskin School, Coniston, Cumbria. For services to Education. Cumbria

    John Melvyn JOHNSON Volunteer, Wolverhampton Grammar School, West Midlands. For services to Education. West Midlands

    Susan Renee MARSHALL For services to Education and to the community in Weston-super-Mare. Somerset

    Bhajan MATHARU Assistant Headteacher, Deanesfield Primary School, London Borough of Hillingdon. For services to Education and Early Years. Greater London

    Lisa RIDING Head of the Speech and Communication Specialist Resource, St Thomas à Becket, Wakefield, West Yorkshire. For services to Education. West Yorkshire

    Cindy Marie SUTCLIFFE Inclusion Manager, Hanson Academy, Bradford, West Yorkshire. For services to Education. West Yorkshire

    Brenda Irene WRIGHT Volunteer, St Issey Church of England Primary School, Wadebridge, Cornwall. For services to Education. Cornwall

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  • School Specialty LLC Announces Acquisition of Nasco Education U.S.

    School Specialty LLC Announces Acquisition of Nasco Education U.S.

    Greenville, Wis – December 8, 2025 – School Specialty®, a leading provider of learning environments, supplies and science curriculum to the preK-12 education market, today announced the acquisition of Nasco Education U.S., a trusted name in specialized, curated education solutions for K-12 schools. This strategic acquisition enhances School Specialty’s ability to serve its core customers by enhancing its value proposition to schools across the country.

    “We estimate that nearly two-thirds of Nasco Education U.S.’s customers are already School Specialty buyers,” said Ryan Bohr, CEO of School Specialty. “Like School Specialty, Nasco Education U.S. has been an industry fixture of supplying schools for decades. Combining our companies will bring procurement efficiencies to our customers and expand the scope of products available to them.”

    School Specialty has more than 60 years of leadership in transforming classrooms into future-ready learning spaces for preK-12 educational institutions, serving five in every six school districts nationwide and curating products from hundreds of trusted brands. Nasco Education U.S.  offers a broad selection of specialized products, including hands-on, activity-based resources that support instruction across subjects like science, math, and the arts. Both companies share a deep commitment to providing high-quality, relevant resources that empower teachers and students.

    Both organizations will operate independently for the near term.  School Specialty expects to integrate the businesses gradually to ensure a seamless experience for the longstanding customers of both organizations. 

    “Together, we will be able to provide even greater support, innovation, and value to schools nationwide, helping them deliver the best possible learning experiences for their students,” said Ryan Bohr, CEO of School Specialty.

    About School Specialty, LLC 

    With a 60-year legacy, School Specialty is a leading provider of comprehensive learning environment solutions for the pre-K12 education marketplace in the U.S. and Canada. This includes essential classroom supplies, furniture and design services, educational technology, sensory spaces featuring Snoezelen, science curriculum, learning resources, professional development, and more. School Specialty believes every student can flourish in an environment where they are engaged and inspired to learn and grow. In support of this vision to transform more than classrooms, the company applies its unmatched team of education strategists and designs, manufactures, and distributes a broad assortment of name-brand and proprietary products. For more information, go to SchoolSpecialty.com.

    About Nasco Education U.S.

    Nasco Education U.S. is a leading developer and distributor of instructional materials, offering a wide range of hands-on learning products for the preK-12 education market with 80+ years of experience. Nasco Education U.S. provides schools and educators with the educational materials needed to create impactful classroom experiences that enhance student engagement and academic performance. For more information, go to NascoEducation.com.

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  • Most students, educators use AI–but opinions differ on ethical use

    Most students, educators use AI–but opinions differ on ethical use

    Key points:

    As generative AI continues to gain momentum in education each year, both its adoption and the attitudes toward its use have steadily grown more positive, according to a new report from Quizlet.

    The How America Learns report explores U.S. student, teacher, and parent perspectives on AI implementation, digital learning and engagement, and success beyond the classroom.

    “At Quizlet, we’ve spent nearly two decades putting students at the center of everything we do,” said Quizlet CEO Kurt Beidler. “We fielded this research to better understand the evolving study habits of today’s students and ensure we’re building tools that not only help our tens of millions of monthly learners succeed, but also reflect what they truly need from their learning experience.”

    AI becomes ubiquitous in education
    As generative AI solutions gain traction in education year over year, adoption and attitudes towards the technology have increased and improved. Quizlet’s survey found that 85 percent of respondents–including high school and college teachers, as well as students aged 14-22–said they used AI technology, a significant increase from 66 percent in 2024. Of those respondents using AI, teachers now outpace students in AI adoption (87 percent vs 84 percent), compared to 2024 findings when students slightly outpaced teachers.

    Among the 89 percent of all students who say they use AI technology for school (up from 77 percent in 2024), the top three use cases are summarizing or synthesizing information (56%), research (46 percent), and generating study guides or materials (45 percent). The top uses of AI technology among teachers remained the same but saw significant growth YoY: research (54 percent vs. 33 percent), summarizing or synthesizing information (48 percent vs. 30 percent), and generating classroom materials like tests and assignments (45 percent vs. 31 percent).

    While the emergence of AI has presented new challenges related to academic integrity, 40 percent of respondents believe that AI is used ethically and effectively in the classroom. However, students are significantly less likely to feel this way (29 percent) compared to parents (46 percent) and teachers (57 percent), signaling a continued need for education and guidelines on responsible use of AI technology for learning.

    “Like any new technology, AI brings incredible opportunities, but also a responsibility to use it thoughtfully,” said Maureen Lamb, AI Task Force Chair and Language Department Chair at Miss Porter’s School. “As adoption in education grows, we need clear guidelines that help mitigate risk and unlock the full potential of AI.  Everyone–students, educators, and parents–has a role to play in understanding not just how to use AI, but when and why it should be used.”

    Digital learning demands growth while equity gap persists
    Just as AI is becoming a staple in education, survey results also found that digital learning is growing in popularity, with 64 percent of respondents expressing that digital learning methods should be equal or greater than traditional education methods, especially teachers (71 percent).

    Respondents indicated that flexibility (56 percent), personalized learning (53 percent), and accessibility (49 percent) were the most beneficial aspects of digital learning. And with 77 percent of students making sacrifices, including loss of sleep, personal time, and missed extracurriculars due to homework, digital learning offers a promising path toward a more accommodating approach. 

    While the majority of respondents agreed on the importance and benefits of digital learning, results also pointed to a disparity in access to these tools. Despite nearly half (49 percent) of respondents agreeing that all students in their community have equal access to learning materials, technology, and support to succeed academically, that percentage drops to 43 percent for respondents with diagnosed or self-identified learning differences, neurodivergent traits, or accessibility needs.

    Maximizing success for academic and real-world learning
    While discussion around AI and education has largely focused on use cases for academic learning, the report also uncovered an opportunity for greater support to help drive success beyond the classroom and provide needed resources for real-world learning.

    Nearly 60 percent of respondents believe a four-year college degree is of high importance for achieving professional success (58 percent). However, more than one-third of students, teachers, and parents surveyed believe schools are not adequately preparing students for success beyond the classroom.

    “As we drive the next era of AI-powered learning, it’s our mission to give every student and lifelong learner the tools and confidence to succeed, no matter their motivation or what they’re striving to achieve,” said Beidler. “As we’ve seen in the data, there’s immense opportunity when it comes to career-connected learning, from life skills development to improving job readiness, that goes well beyond the classroom and addresses what we’re hearing from students and teachers alike.”

    The top five skills respondents indicated should be prioritized more in schools are critical thinking and problem solving (66 percent), financial literacy (64 percent), mental health management (58 percent), leadership skills (52 percent), and creativity and innovation (50 percent).

    This press release originally appeared online.

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  • CEO Reflects as the Common App Marks 50 Years

    CEO Reflects as the Common App Marks 50 Years

    Ever since 15 private colleges and universities teamed up to launch the Common App 50 years ago, the college admissions form has shifted practices and technology to meet the changing needs of institutions and students.

    For instance, the latest iteration of the application, which opened Aug. 1 for the 2026–27 academic year, has what the organization calls a “refreshed look” and a new question that allows students to share their experiences with working at a paid job or taking care of their siblings. Common App, the nonprofit that runs the portal, piloted the Responsibilities and Circumstances question over the last three years, which showed in part “the importance of giving students space—beyond the personal essay—to share how these factors have shaped their high school experience,” the organization wrote in its innovation guide.

    Common App is continuing to build out its Direct Admissions program, in which eligible students get an admissions offer before they actually apply. In its second year, 119 institutions have participated in the initiative and more than 700,000 students received offers.

    Nearly 1.5 million first-time applicants completed the Common App in the 2024–25 cycle, submitting more than 10 million applications, according to a report released this week. That included just over 571,000 first-generation students—a 14 percent increase compared to the previous cycle. The Common App is aiming to continue to increase the number of applicants who are first-generation and from low- or middle-income households as it seeks to close equity gaps.

    For this current cycle, more than 1,100 institutions are participating in the Common App, which includes 10 community colleges—yet another change for the organization aimed at ensuring students know about the available opportunities.

    As the organization marks its 50th anniversary, CEO Jenny Rickard sat down with Inside Higher Ed to talk about how the Common App has changed over the years and what’s next. The conversation has been edited for clarity and length.

    Q: How has the founding and the history of Common App influenced the organization today?

    Jenny Rickard has led Common App since 2016.

    A: The thing about Common App that is unique is how its mission actually has not changed over the 50 years of history. It still is an organization that is governed by our members. The mission has always been to simplify the admission process to enable more students to gain access to higher education. So the idea of trying to simplify the college application process by collaborating and working with all the different stakeholders in the admission process—that include students, applicants, school counselors and, obviously, admission officers—is how we go about developing this application, and it’s critically important that we listen to all of those different constituencies. Over the 50 years of Common App, what has changed is technology and the demand for higher education has continued to grow over that time. Just as the times have changed, we’ve expanded the types of institutions that we serve. As a result of that, the students and the different high schools or secondary schools that we’re able to reach.

    Q: As the demographics of who is attending college have changed, Common App has made an effort to adjust to that, such as working to better serve financially independent students. So what are the biggest demographic shifts happening now and that you see coming in the applicant pool over the next few years? And how are you looking to accommodate and invest in those changes?

    A: I think one of the main challenges over the past 50 years has actually been reaching different socioeconomic groups. So our moon shot that we launched to close our gap in the income bands of students using Common App shined a light on the access challenges that higher ed has faced. And some of the initiatives that we have launched are to address that gap—70 percent of the students using Common App to apply to college are from above the national median income and 30 percent are below. And that’s something that has been pretty constant in the college admissions space. We’re working through some of the initiatives that we’ve launched to reach out to more low- and middle-income students who may not think that college is something that’s possible for them, to let them know it is possible and you can go to college, and colleges would love to see you there.

    So it’s trying to go beyond addressing some of what I’d call the logistical barriers that students face to apply to college and get to some of the social and economic barriers that students face in applying to college. The main theme of what we’re trying to accomplish these days is expanding access to students who have felt that higher education may not be attainable for them.

    Q: One of those initiatives is direct admissions. Why is that something you wanted to invest in and how’s the program going?

    A: There are students who won’t even create a Common App account because they fear that rejection. And so one of the things that we’re working on is, how do we give students the positive reinforcement that you are going to be able to find a college? There are colleges that would love to enroll you. That can then inspire them to not only perhaps apply to some of the colleges that are reaching out to them, but also maybe think more broadly about where they might want to go to school and understand that they have some agency in this process.

    How we went about doing our direct admission work was inspired by the state of Idaho that had launched a program to let high school students know about the state institutions that they could get into. And we looked at that and thought, “Wow, what could Common App do nationally to help students in states that may not have a direct admission program, but also be able to expose them to the 1,100 colleges and universities that are members of this nonprofit membership association?”

    We did three different pilots to email students. We worked on the language and tried to understand from the student perspective what they were experiencing. We worked with our member colleges to understand the process from their vantage point as well as school counselors to see what might work best for their students and how to support them in this effort. And after the three pilots, we decided we could scale it and also enhance the technology so that we went beyond an email notification.

    Once they’re in Common App, they can now have a dashboard to see which schools would already admit them if they just continued in the process with those institutions. Every year, we make enhancements to the process as we learn from all the different stakeholders about which aspects are supporting students the best and which are supporting the institutions the best.

    Q: And the number of institutions participating in the direct admissions program is going to increase to more than 200 this fall, correct?

    A: I found it overwhelming, in a really great way, that we reached out to over 700,000 individual students with direct admission offers last year. Thinking about the scale that we have and being able to provide that positive reinforcement to help encourage students to continue in the admission process and be able to attain higher education is really exciting.

    Q: Certain elements of the admissions process are under scrutiny, such as concerns about standardized tests. I recently wrote about a report led by a Common App researcher that found letters of reference for some minority groups tend to skew shorter. What do you make of those debates and how do you think college admissions will change over the next several years?

    A: As technology changes and institutions look at their own way of doing their admission processes, we will continue to work with our members to understand what they are experiencing and what they are wanting in order to enroll the classes of students that they want and who will thrive on their campuses. We have a common platform, but there is also flexibility by institutional type, as well as a section for colleges to have their own questions beyond what’s on the common form. That format has provided the flexibility for us to be able to have a very diverse group of members, and also in welcoming associate’s degree–granting community colleges to the platform.

    We’ve been constantly evolving as the higher education environment has evolved, as technology has evolved. When you look back at Common App 50 years ago, its technology inspiration was the photocopier, and the idea was a really great idea of admissions deans seeing that they were asking some similar questions, maybe they could streamline this process for students. And then floppy disks came along, and admissions officers and college counselors said, “We need to move into this floppy disk area.” And they quickly pivoted when the internet came out, and in 1998 launched the first online application. So we will continue to evolve. Obviously, with artificial intelligence, we’re looking into how this can assist in the process.

    Q: Common App has reams of data about students’ applications, and the organization has worked to make that information more easily available. What do you see as Common App’s role in the world of higher ed research?

    A: We were very grateful to the Gates Foundation who, over five years ago, awarded us a grant to create a data warehouse so that we could share nationally about trends in the college application process and help shine a light on areas where there are differences across institutions and across students. So you pointed to that research about how recommendations for some populations of students aren’t as strong as others. What does that mean? And is that a reflection of the students? Is it a reflection of the secondary schools that they might attend?

    Because when you think about the great diversity of colleges, the diversity of secondary schools is that much more, and the opportunities that students have [are] so different, and being able to really highlight what that means from a student access perspective is critically important for all of us to try to make sure that students have the same level of opportunities.

    So investing in that data warehouse—and that investment from the Gates Foundation—is something that has really transformed us, not just only from the research reports that we’re able to do but also during COVID, we were able to see right away that first-generation college students’ applications had really dropped off. And we were able to alert all of our members that COVID was really having an impact on first-generation college students and [look into] what we could all do to try to mitigate that negative impact.

    It also has been important for us to be able to understand how students are persisting within the Common App, and to help us enhance the system to try to ensure that students are not only able to start an application but to complete the application. And we’ve been able to collaborate with organizations like the National Student Clearinghouse to see if students are persisting in college. We have been able to add the texture that the admission application provides to the clearinghouse data to understand more about student behavior, not only in Common App but also in college.

    I see that as all critical in terms of informing our broad community about the kinds of changes we might need to make or things that we might want to stop doing because it’s not helping the situation. The data has really just shined a light on a number of the challenges in the admission process and informed us about ways that we might be able to mitigate those challenges. Direct admission is one of those.

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  • Three Questions for Coursera’s New CEO, Greg Hart

    Three Questions for Coursera’s New CEO, Greg Hart

    For many institutions of higher education (including the one I work for), Coursera is an important online learning partner. Therefore, it was a big deal when Coursera announced earlier this year that Greg Hart was taking over as CEO from Jeff Maggioncalda. This space seemed like a good place to begin to get to know Greg, and he graciously agreed to answer my questions.

    Q: You’ve spent the majority of your career at Amazon, so education is a new space for you. What do you want universities to know about how you’ll approach partnerships, and how will your background influence how you lead Coursera? 

    A: My background is rooted in building and scaling technology-driven businesses that serve millions of customers. At Amazon, I led the creation and launch of Alexa and later served as the global head of Prime Video. Those roles shaped how I think about innovation, long-term customer value and meaningful experiences at scale. While higher education is a new sector for me, there are clear parallels: At Amazon, we solved enduring customer problems through technology. That same principle applies at Coursera—learners are seeking flexible, high-quality and job-relevant education, often in moments that define the trajectory of their lives. Both our university and industry partners are working with us to meet these evolving needs with world-class learning content, enabled by our platform’s ability to deliver personalized learning experiences at scale.

    What makes this work especially meaningful is the higher stakes involved. We’re not just helping people shop or stream content—we’re helping them transform their lives through access to learning. That sense of purpose is what drew me to Coursera. I approach our university partnerships with deep respect for the role higher education plays in society, and I see my responsibility as ensuring Coursera is a trusted, effective and mission-aligned partner for institutions around the world.

    Q: Can you update us on Coursera’s business, focusing on the biggest growth drivers and challenges? How confident can universities be in Coursera’s long-term financial resilience as a strategic partner?

    A: Coursera is where the world comes to gain new skills and learn from the most trusted institutions. Content is the engine of our business and the foundation of our ecosystem. Today, we partner with more than 350 leading universities and companies, offering job-relevant content across a wide range of domains, including technology, business, AI and data science.

    This catalog has attracted more than 175 million learners globally, including more than seven million new registered learners in the first quarter of this year alone. Many learners come to Coursera directly through our platform, while a growing number access content through institutional settings via our enterprise offerings. This entire ecosystem is powered by a unified platform that enables our partners to reach a global audience at scale, leverage data to inform content strategy and skills recommendations and harness advanced AI tools to drive personalized learning and discovery.

    Since going public in 2021, we’ve operated as responsible stewards of our capital, balancing disciplined cost management with long-term investments in growing our business and advancing our mission. Coursera is in an extremely stable position financially: We are growing, we generate positive free cash flow, we have a very healthy balance sheet and we have no debt.

    In Q1 2025, we delivered $179 million in revenue, up 6 percent year over year on growth in our consumer and enterprise segments and generated over $25 million in free cash flow, marking our strongest quarter of cash performance to date. Based on this strong start, we now expect full-year 2025 revenue to be between $720–730 million, with annual adjusted EBITDA margin improvement of 100 basis points to 7 percent—an outlook that reflects both durable demand and growing operating leverage. As of March 31, 2025, we have approximately $748 million in unrestricted cash and no debt, giving us both the stability and flexibility to invest in platform innovation, expand our content ecosystem and continue supporting our partners and learners around the world.

    Q: Given your background in industry, do you see more value in partnerships and content from businesses, like industry microcredentials? How do colleges and degrees factor into your long-term vision?

    A: Coursera was founded in 2012 by two Stanford professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Universities are, and will continue to be, central to Coursera’s mission and strategy—especially in an era shaped by generative AI, where enduring human skills and trusted credentials are more important than ever. University content is vital not only to degree programs, but also to our offerings for individuals, businesses and governments. Some of our most popular courses are from top university instructors—Jules White of Vanderbilt, Vic Strecher of Michigan, Laurie Santos of Yale and Sydney Finkelstein of Dartmouth.

    We do not view degrees and nondegree programs as competing priorities. Rather, we believe in building an interconnected ecosystem that gives learners the flexibility to start with entry-level microcredentials, build towards academic credit and ultimately stack into full degrees. Today, 90-plus entry-level professional certificates are offered by our industry partners, and a third of them carry credit recommendations, making them a natural on-ramp to higher education. Our degree portfolio has expanded to over 50 programs and remains a strategic component of our consumer offering.

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  • Kenneth C. Griffin Donates $2 Million to Nonprofit Achieve Miami’s Teacher Accelerator Program to Strengthen South Florida’s Teacher Pipeline

    Kenneth C. Griffin Donates $2 Million to Nonprofit Achieve Miami’s Teacher Accelerator Program to Strengthen South Florida’s Teacher Pipeline

    Miami – Achieve Miami, a nonprofit dedicated to equalizing educational opportunities for students throughout Miami-Dade County, has received $2.4 million from multiple philanthropic organizations and leaders, including a leadership gift of $2 million from Kenneth C. Griffin, founder and CEO of Citadel and founder of Griffin Catalyst. The funding, awarded over the past year, will further expand Achieve Miami’s transformative programs, reaching thousands of K-12 students through initiatives including Achieve Scholars, which prepares high schoolers for college success; Achieve Summer, a dynamic program combating learning loss through hands-on academics and enrichment; and the Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP), a groundbreaking effort to address Miami-Dade’s urgent teacher shortage.

    Kenneth C. Griffin’s $2 million leadership gift is specifically focused on supporting TAP in creating a pipeline of talent for the teaching profession through recruiting, preparing, and mentoring aspiring educators, including those who had not previously considered a career in education. This gift builds on Griffin’s $3.5 million gift to TAP in 2022, further strengthening Achieve Miami’s efforts to recruit and train qualified educators to teach in public, private and charter schools across Miami-Dade and close learning gaps in the city’s schools. Griffin has a longstanding commitment to improving education and has contributed more than $900 million to providing greater access to a high-quality education and pathways to success for students in Florida and across the country.

    Additional grants include:

    • $200,000 from the Bezos Family Foundation, which is a director’s gift supporting early and adolescent learning through grants and programs that advance the science of learning.
    • $100,000 from the Panera Bread Foundation, as part of its national initiative to support nonprofits that provide educational access to underserved youth.
    • $65,000 from Morgan Stanley, in support of Achieve Miami’s financial literacy and career readiness programs, which equip students in the organization’s Achieve Scholars program with essential money management skills for financial independence and future success. As part of its commitment, a team of Morgan Stanley employees guide students through financial literacy sessions across ten Miami-Dade County public schools, providing essential lessons on topics like budgeting, investing, entrepreneurship, savings, and credit.
    • $50,000 from City National Bank of Florida, as part of its long-term partnership with Achieve Miami in support of the Achieve Scholars program. City National Bank is planning financial literacy programming for students over the summer.

    “Every student deserves access to resources, mentors, and opportunities that can set them up for success,” said Leslie Miller Saiontz, Founder of Achieve Miami. “These generous grants, led by Ken Griffin, will enable us to expand our reach, empower more educators, and bridge opportunity gaps that are prevalent in Miami. By investing in students and teachers, we are building a stronger future for our community.”

    “Each of us has a story of how a teacher has changed our lives,” said Ken Griffin in February 2023 alongside his initial gift to Achieve Miami. “I care deeply about bringing more high-quality educators into Miami classrooms to help ensure the children of Miami will continue to enjoy the impact of life-changing teachers.”

    Despite being one of the fastest-growing states with the nation’s fourth-largest economy, Florida ranks #21 in per capita education funding. Achieve Miami’s initiatives aim to eliminate educational disparities by equipping students with the tools and support needed for success with a variety of diverse enrichment programs such as Achieve Scholars, Achieve Saturdays, and Achieve Music.

    Achieve Miami’s impact to-date includes support for over 10,000 Miami-Dade County students, college and career readiness programming for Achieve Scholars across ten high school sites, providing internet access to over 106,000 homes through Miami Connected, and the recruitment and training of nearly 200 new teachers through the Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) since the initiative’s launch in 2023.

    ABOUT ACHIEVE MIAMI

    Achieve Miami is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to fostering a transformational education ecosystem in Miami. Since its founding in 2015, the organization has supported over 10,000 K-12 students, bolstered programming for 60+ local schools, and engaged thousands of volunteers. Together with partners from the public and private sector, Achieve Miami designs and manages programs that bring together members from various parts of the community to extend learning opportunities for students, teachers, and community leaders. Learn more at www.achievemiami.org.

    ABOUT THE TEACHER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

    Teacher Accelerator Program (TAP) is a non-profit organization creating a pipeline of talent for the teaching profession through recruiting, preparing, and mentoring aspiring educators. TAP’s comprehensive and streamlined program equips college students and career changers with the skills, knowledge, and certification necessary to excel in the classroom. TAP addresses the nationwide teacher shortage crisis by providing a built-in path to teaching, inspiring a new generation of educators.

    TAP participants take a one-semester course, followed by a six-week paid summer internship, earn a certificate to teach, and begin instructing in a Miami-Dade County public, private, or charter school classroom. TAP is an initiative of Achieve Miami, supported by Teach for America Miami-Dade, and is offered by the University of Miami, Florida International University and Miami-Dade College. Learn more at www.teacheraccelerator.org.

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  • John Katzman · Founder & CEO, Noodle (Ed on the Edge)

    John Katzman · Founder & CEO, Noodle (Ed on the Edge)

    John Katzman is the founder and CEO of Noodle. Prior to Noodle, he founded and ran 2U, which is also involved in online learning, and The Princeton Review, which helps students find, get into, and pay for higher ed.

    ‍Katzman is the co-author of five books and has served as a director of several for- and non-profits, including Carnegie Learning, Renaissance Learning, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, and the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools.


     

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  • AI Support for Teachers

    AI Support for Teachers

    Collaborative Classroom, a leading nonprofit publisher of K–12 instructional materials, announces the publication of SIPPS, a systematic decoding program. Now in a new fifth edition, this research-based program accelerates mastery of vital foundational reading skills for both new and striving readers.

    Twenty-Five Years of Transforming Literacy Outcomes

    “As educators, we know the ability to read proficiently is one of the strongest predictors of academic and life success,” said Kelly Stuart, President and CEO of Collaborative Classroom. “Third-party studies have proven the power of SIPPS. This program has a 25-year track record of transforming literacy outcomes for students of all ages, whether they are kindergarteners learning to read or high schoolers struggling with persistent gaps in their foundational skills.

    “By accelerating students’ mastery of foundational skills and empowering teachers with the tools and learning to deliver effective, evidence-aligned instruction, SIPPS makes a lasting impact.”

    What Makes SIPPS Effective?

    Aligned with the science of reading, SIPPS provides explicit, systematic instruction in phonological awareness, spelling-sound correspondences, and high-frequency words. 

    Through differentiated small-group instruction tailored to students’ specific needs, SIPPS ensures every student receives the necessary targeted support—making the most of every instructional minute—to achieve grade-level reading success.

    “SIPPS is uniquely effective because it accelerates foundational skills through its mastery-based and small-group targeted instructional design,” said Linda Diamond, author of the Teaching Reading Sourcebook. “Grounded in the research on explicit instruction, SIPPS provides ample practice, active engagement, and frequent response opportunities, all validated as essential for initial learning and retention of learning.”

    Personalized, AI-Powered Teacher Support

    Educators using SIPPS Fifth Edition have access to a brand-new feature: immediate, personalized responses to their implementation questions with CC AI Assistant, a generative AI-powered chatbot.

    Exclusively trained on Collaborative Classroom’s intellectual content and proprietary program data, CC AI Assistant provides accurate, reliable information for educators.

    Other Key Features of SIPPS, Fifth Edition

    • Tailored Placement and Progress Assessments: A quick, 3–8 minute placement assessment ensures each student starts exactly at their point of instructional need. Ongoing assessments help monitor progress, adjust pacing, and support grouping decisions.
    • Differentiated Small-Group Instruction: SIPPS maximizes instructional time by focusing on small groups of students with similar needs, ensuring targeted, effective teaching.
    • Supportive of Multilingual Learners: Best practices in multilingual learner (ML) instruction and English language development strategies are integrated into the design of SIPPS.
    • Engaging and Effective for Older Readers: SIPPS Plus and SIPPS Challenge Level are specifically designed for students in grades 4–12, offering age-appropriate texts and instruction to close lingering foundational skill gaps.
    • Multimodal Supports: Integrated visual, auditory, and kinesthetic-tactile strategies help all learners, including multilingual students.
    • Flexible, Adaptable, and Easy to Teach: Highly supportive for teachers, tutors, and other adults working in classrooms and expanded learning settings, SIPPS is easy to implement well. A wraparound system of professional learning support ensures success for every implementer.

    Accelerating Reading Success for Students of All Ages

    In small-group settings, students actively engage in routines that reinforce phonics and decoding strategies, practice with aligned texts, and receive immediate feedback—all of which contribute to measurable gains.

    “With SIPPS, students get the tools needed to read, write, and understand text that’s tailored to their specific abilities,” said Desiree Torres, ENL teacher and 6th Grade Team Lead at Dr. Richard Izquierdo Health and Science Charter School in New York. “The boost to their self-esteem when we conference about their exam results is priceless. Each and every student improves with the SIPPS program.” 

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  • Three questions for Joe Diamond, CEO of AllCampus

    Three questions for Joe Diamond, CEO of AllCampus

    The reason that I wanted to do this Q&A with Joe Diamond, CEO of AllCampus, is that I don’t know too much about AllCampus. I’m frequently asked to speak about the status of the online program management industry, and my lack of knowledge about AllCampus is a blind spot.

    Q: Where does AllCampus fit in the OPM ecosystem? How many universities and online programs do you partner with? How is AllCampus differentiated from 2U, Noodle and other companies in this space?

    A: “OPM” has come to mean something negative to many because of the high revenue share and highly public shortcomings of the most prominent players in the space. We never felt the term fit us because we are so different from what people associate with OPM—high revenue shares, a one-size-fits-all model and the high up-front costs associated with fee-for-service (FFS) agencies. Yet, it’s fair to say we help schools with a similar range of services and sometimes compete for deals, but we are just so different, which I’ll explain below.

    We’re a mission-driven company that has quietly been making an impact for our university partners for 14 years. Our mission is to make education more affordable and accessible for all. We’ve been growing slowly and steadily all along. We didn’t raise hundreds of millions of capital and then go and spend it all on Google ads. We invested in our technology, our people, and prioritized servicing our clients really well. We’ve been highly disciplined and careful with our expansion.

    AllCampus offers a flexible and partnership-driven approach rather than a one-size-fits-all model. We help the partner select the best fit for them—from revenue share, fee-for-service and hybrid/co-investment options—and tailor the services to each institution’s unique needs. Our approach prioritizes affordability and accessibility for students and collaboration with our university partners to meet their mission and goals. Beyond supporting online programs, we also help drive campus enrollment through a wide range of media expertise, brand building, consultation and technology solutions that make us more efficient than if the university were to do this on its own. We know that if we aren’t more efficient than a school can be, we are out of business. So, our mission is also at the heart of our business case for our partners.

    We have built top-tier programs with schools like UCLA, Northeastern University, George Washington University, the University of Florida and dozens more. Our regional offerings include Indiana Wesleyan University; Middle Tennessee State University; University of Missouri, St. Louis; West Texas A&M and many others. In all, we have about 50 partners, with 25 universities and 140 programs in the bundle of services people think of as OPM.

    We service another 25 universities in our Workplace Network, which has over 1,200 programs. On this network, the aim is for low-cost or even no-cost degrees that their employer pays for. The platform gives employees access to programs that help them develop or expand their skill sets, reach career goals, and, for many, return to school to finish their degree. Employees and their employers gain access to a tool that simplifies the complex process of selecting the right program and navigating tuition reimbursement through hands-on guidance. Fourteen million people have student debt and no degree, so we’re certain our Workplace offering can help address that personal crisis for millions and help reduce the education divide in our country.

    In short, we’re content with who and where we are, and we don’t mind that we remained under the radar and even an insider like you doesn’t know much about us. It’s probably because we’re just different and less provocative than others that are classified as OPMs. I’m most proud that we have an impeccable reputation for integrity.

    Q: How much of the partnerships with universities for online programs are based on revenue share versus fee for service? One of the criticisms of the OPM industry is that the companies take a high percentage of tuition and require long contract lock-ins. How is AllCampus different?

    A: Just like OPMs, not all revenue-share agreements are created equal. AllCampus has the lowest tuition-sharing fees in the industry—typically between 25 and 35 percent compared to our competitors at 40 to 50 percent—which enables us to offer universities a cost-effective way to deliver online education.

    We are neutral to our partners’ preference between revenue share, FFS, co-investment, hybrid, etc. In fact, we share very detailed pro formas with our partners to transparently understand the trade-offs. Among those trade-offs are contract length and required up-front investment. Those are all levers that the university controls in setting up the agreement with us so that we arrive at a partnership that fits their needs and has their buy-in. As to which model is most popular, most universities opt for revenue share, and to be candid, it would be better for us if it were more balanced, because it would make managing cash easier.

    I believe the reason universities usually opt for revenue share is that fee-for-service models place the up-front financial burden on the university. FFS also carries the criticism that it’s a risk-free structure for the vendor (the OPM)—they get their money no matter what and have historically behaved accordingly. We’ve won many frustrated former FFS clients whose prior agencies overpromised and underdelivered. Revenue share has the benefit of pure alignment with student and program success. I will say that our hybrid and co-investment models have been gaining traction, as they seem to strike the right balance for some new partners.

    Counter to the narrative for OPMs, at AllCampus, we always advocate for affordable and accessible education for all students. We routinely provide data to help schools evaluate their pricing against the market, ensuring their programs remain accessible, affordable and attractive to students. We often recommend that our partner institutions lower the cost of tuition and have refused to sign partnerships with universities unless they agree to drop the price of their programs. In the end, it’s the ultimate win-win because the university gains in overall revenue, and more students get access to these fantastic programs at a more affordable price.

    Q: Where do you see the online degree market going in the next five years? What do you tell university leaders how they need to position their institutions to be competitive?

    A: I anticipate the online degree market growing significantly in the next five years. Pre-pandemic projections estimated the market would reach $74 billion by 2025, doubling from $36 billion in 2019. The pandemic accelerated this trajectory and will cause the market to grow well beyond this estimate.

    University leaders need to consider a variety of strategies to remain competitive:

    • Embracing flexibility and accessibility: With a plateau of traditional undergraduate students, universities should consider attracting adult learners through flexible, affordable and career-focused online programs. Students are demanding more offerings that accommodate a variety of schedules and learning styles. Offering a blend of synchronous and asynchronous courses can help cater to the needs of diverse learners.
    • Expanding nondegree and accelerated degree programs: Accelerated degree programs are on the rise due to their lower cost, increased flexibility and changing employer demands. There is also a growing demand for short-term, more skill-specific courses to help students in fields like AI and cybersecurity. Developing these types of programs can help universities attract professionals seeking targeted skill development.
    • Aligning education offerings with workplace needs: By carefully analyzing employee market trends and skill gaps, universities can design programs that directly address employer skill demands. Partnering with employers—either independently or through organizations like ours—ensures their new and existing programs attract a broader student base and their outcomes are relevant for the evolving workplace.

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  • Post-Bankruptcy, 2U Appoints New CEO

    Post-Bankruptcy, 2U Appoints New CEO

    Post-Bankruptcy, 2U Appoints New CEO

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