About Us
What We Do and What Sets Us Apart
About Us
The quality of materials teachers use affect the quality of instruction students receive. Learning List was founded in December 2012 to help educators choose standards-aligned, high-quality materials and use them most effectively to help students learn. The rigor of our review process and the structure of our reviews also help publishers improve the alignment and quality of their materials.
Our hallmark service is our subscription-based instructional materials review service for schools and districts. This economical service gives educators access to independent, evidence-based reviews of thousands of widely used K-12 instructional materials and the ability to submit additional materials for review for free.
In response to subscriber requests over the years, we have developed a suite of add-on services, including our Selection Facilitation Service and Curriculum Alignment Services to meet districts’ needs.
What Makes Us Different
Other entities, including state education agencies review instructional materials. So, what distinguishes Learning List?
- Learning List expands districts’ choices and informs local control. Like Consumer Reports®, Learning List is a private company, independent from publishers and free from political influence. Many review entities rate and rank materials with the goal of narrowing districts’ choices. We do not. We provide three thorough, easy-to-read reviews to support districts’ local control over the selection and use of instructional materials. Our independent, evidence-based reviews and comparison tools empower educators to identify standards-aligned, high-quality materials that will meet their students’ needs best.
- Learning List reviews the materials subscribing districts request: While states and other review sites review the materials publishers submit, requests from subscribing districts drive our review process. Consequently, our library is filled with reviews of the materials districts are most interested in. Subscribers have immediate access to all published reviews and can submit additional materials for review for free. We also assist districts in finding answers to selection-related questions and help facilitate local adoption processes. In short, Learning List is a review service, not just a website with reviews.
- Learning List delivers reviews in a timely manner: Most review entities take months to review a material. Our thorough, yet efficient review process enables us to publish three different reviews of each material within six weeks of the material’s submission. We hire and train experienced educators to review materials under the supervision of our management team. Each product is reviewed sequentially by multiple subject matter experts, and the publisher has one week to provide feedback before the reviews are published.
- Learning List has reviewed many more and a greater variety of materials than other review entities. While other entities review materials aligned to specific state or national standards, Learning List has reviewed materials aligned to multiple state and national standards, including the Common Core, Next Generation Science, and Advanced Placement standards. We have reviewed more than 3,300 materials published by almost 200 publishers, including both core and supplemental materials in print and digital. We have reviewed materials across the four core subjects, Career & Technical Education, Health Education, Technology Applications, and Advanced Placement courses. No other review entity has the equivalent breadth or depth of experience reviewing materials.
- Learning List’s reviews and tools are useful beyond the selection process. Other entities’ reviews are designed to help educators select materials. Learning List’s reviews inform educators’ selection decisions. Then, once a reviewed material has been selected, teachers can use our detailed alignment report to identify standards-aligned content in the material to support their lessons or remediation.