Originally published in EdWeek Market Brief, May 29, 2026
K-12 accreditor Cognia plans to merge with English language arts curriculum provider EL Education, the nonprofit organizations announced, as they aim to address a wider range of students’ learning needs.
The merger is set to close by Sept. 1, pending regulatory approval. Terms were not disclosed.
In addition to its credentialing work, Cognia provides districts and schools with professional learning, statewide assessment programs, and accreditation improvement services. Its roots date back to 1895 when two accreditation organizations came together and later developed school evaluation standards and assessment systems.
EL was founded as a spinout from Harvard University and outdoor education provider Outward Bound in 1991 as Expeditionary Learning and has evolved to largely offer K-8 language arts curriculum based in the science of reading, along with professional development and coaching services. The company dropped the full name and condensed to EL Education in 2015.
By merging, the combined organization will be able to offer assessment and professional learning services that are aligned to Cognia’s performance standards, the companies said.
Following the merger, the organizations will operate under the Cognia name, but will retain the EL Education brand for its curriculum and professional development products. Its offerings will also now be made available to Cognia’s existing network that includes 40,000 schools in more than 100 countries, Cognia reports.
“This is a major step in Cognia’s ongoing evolution toward providing a single, comprehensive, and coherent improvement system for schools,” Cognia President and CEO Mark Elgart said in a statement.
The merger is somewhat similar to other combinations seen in the K-12 market in the past year, as curriculum providers increasingly team up with assessment and school systems providers. Many of the deals are part of an effort to increase coherence between its instructional materials and outcomes data, retain existing customers by providing new connected offerings, and increase market share.