Renaissance mission

Our commitment to education

Since 1986, our mission has remained the same: To accelerate learning for all children and adults of all ability levels and ethnic and social backgrounds, worldwide.

Today, more than 40 percent of US schools rely on Renaissance solutions for data and insights to equitably move learning forward. As technology continues to change, and as teachers and students connect in new ways, our commitment to accelerating learning is unwavering—both inside and outside the classroom.

Renaissance at-a-glance

Over 1,200 employees in the United States, Canada, China, the United Kingdom, and Australia

More than 2.8 billion real-world data points about student learning drive product development

Numerous awards garnered in the education and technology industries

We are global

We’re proud to support educators and students both in the US and around the world. We opened our first international office in 1999, in the United Kingdom. Today, our products are used to accelerate learning in more than 100 countries across six continents.

Map showing where Renaissance software is used around the world

Map showing Renaissance office locations around the world

Our software is used in over 100 countries

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We recognize that to accelerate learning for all, we need to build a Renaissance for all. Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion shapes what we do each day—and drives a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization.

Renaissance's DEI mission

Diversity

To create a bias-free and equitable talent acquisition and employee development process.

Equity

To promote educational equity by ensuring our products adhere to strict guidelines for content appropriateness—and reflect the diversity of today’s classrooms.

Inclusion

To create an inclusive and attractive company culture for underrepresented employees.

Our history and milestones

More than thirty-five years ago, educator Judi Paul created Accelerated Reader to motivate her children to read over the summer months. From that modest beginning, Renaissance has grown to become a leader in the field of pre-K–12 education technology.

Milestones in Renaissance history

1986

Accelerated Reader

1996

Star Reading

2008

AR's wide reach

2015

International

2018

myON

2019

Product suite grows

2021

Nearpod & Lalilo

1986

Accelerated Reader

Judi Paul and her husband Terry form Advantage Learning Systems. Operating from the basement of the family home, they begin to sell Accelerated Reader to schools.

1986

Accelerated Reader

Judi Paul and her husband Terry form Advantage Learning Systems. Operating from the basement of the family home, they begin to sell Accelerated Reader to schools.

1996

Star Reading

Star Reading, a computer-adaptive assessment of students’ reading achievement, is released. This is followed by Star Math in 1998, Star Early Literacy in 2001, Star Custom in 2014, and Star CBM in 2020.

2008

AR's wide reach

For the first time, one million Accelerated Reader quizzes are taken in a single day, showing the wide reach of Renaissance products.

2015

International

Having operated in the United Kingdom since 1999, Renaissance opens its second international office, in Australia. Today, Renaissance products are used in more than 100 countries around the world.

2018

myON

Renaissance acquires myON, a digital literacy platform.

2019

Product suite grows

Renaissance acquires Early Learning Labs, creators of the myIGDIs for Preschool assessment; Freckle, a student-centered practice platform; and Schoolzilla, which provides data-based insights on students’ progress and growth.

2021

Nearpod & Lalilo

Renaissance acquires Nearpod, a collaborative instructional platform, and Lalilo, a foundational literacy solution for K–2 students.

Renaissance Team

Our people

Renaissance was founded on the belief that technology can play an important role in the service of learning.

Today, our team continues to build on this legacy, both in the US and around the world. We believe that children learn better when we all work together; that edtech should support—but never replace—the teacher; and that a commitment to quality, innovation, and teamwork results in the best products for both educators and students.