Elevate K-12 Review: Services, Costs, Terms and Reviews

Elevate K-12 is a live, online education service provider that works with hundreds of school districts across the US. Available services include core and elective instruction, special ed classes, supplemental instruction, and summer school teaching. Since its establishment in 2015, the company has served more than 350,000 students in public schools in various states. But is Elevate K-12 really worth it?

This Elevate K-12 review provides a company overview, services description, teaching staff background, pricing structure, terms of use, and software requirements. Moreover, it looks at what existing and past customers think about the platform and highlights its biggest pros and cons. Finally, the article offers the top 3 Elevate K-12 alternatives for different users and situations.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for comprehensive e-learning services used by school districts and schools across the nation, check out Fullmind.

Elevate K-12 Overview

Elevate K-12 is an e-learning platform that provides a number of live, online education services to school districts across the US. Products include core and elective instruction, special education teaching, supplemental instruction, and summer school classes. In this way, the company helps address the growing problem of teacher shortages and insufficient course diversity in public schools.

Shaily Baranwal founded Elevate K-12 in 2015 building on her experience as a former classroom teacher and launching two other companies including a chain of preschools for low-income students in rural areas of India. The company has its headquarters in Chicago, IL but serves over 600 districts in 46 US states. The Elevate K-12 goal is to enable high-quality, live teaching for every learner in the US in order to receive the education they need to find out and pursue their passion in life.

To date, Elevate K-12 has taught more than 350,000 students in over 2,000 schools across the US.

Elevate K-12 Services

Elevate K-12 offers a number of services to school districts across the US. These include:

• Online instruction of core and elective courses for districts
• Special education teaching for districts
• Supplemental instruction for districts
• Summer school for districts

Following is a detailed description of the Elevate services available to districts:

Tier 1 LIVE

Elevate K-12 provides core and elective instruction services that help districts solve issues with hard-to-fill vacancies in core subjects and offer new learning opportunities to students through electives. LIVE Teachers are state-certified and provide live online instruction. Core and elective instruction is available for K-12 grade covering elementary school, middle school, and high school.

Elevate offers more than 80 LIVE courses including core, elective, and special ed in the following subject areas:

• ELA
• Math
• Social studies
• Science
• World languages including Spanish, French, and German
• STEM
• Career readiness
• Test prep

Tier 1 LIVE uses standardized curriculum which is aligned to CCSS, NGSS, and ACTFL as well as state-aligned in more than 30 US states. Moreover, the curriculum is approved by NCAA and accredited by WASC.

Available formats include full-year, live instruction, interim live instruction, and small group instruction.

Special Ed LIVE

Elevate provides special education LIVE teaching that helps address the severe special ed teacher shortage across the country. The Special Ed LIVE Classroom offers a solution for students with mild to moderate disabilities which comprises a LIVE certified US-based special education teacher, adapted state-aligned content, accommodation and modifications coverage, and data reporting. To bring optimal results, an Elevate K-12 Inclusive Learning Manager partners with districts to make sure that students’ needs and IEP requirements are met.

There are three different formats of Special Ed LIVE:

• Traditional Resource Pull Out: Using Special Ed LIVE as an additional source of grade level content to meet instructional minutes for IEPs and improve performance in general ed classes
• Core Instruction: Using Special Ed LIVE standards-aligned content as a core/credit course for students with EIPs who need a slower pace and additional support
• Alleviate Caseloads: Using Special Ed LIVE to alleviate caseloads for on-the-ground special education teachers so that they can focus on inclusion, individual intervention, progress monitoring, and IEPs

Elevate can deliver special ed instruction in two settings:

• Classroom set-up: Small groups of up to 12 students with IEPs are pulled out from general education classes 3-5 days/week to attend a class period in the Special Ed LIVE classroom.
• Cluster seating: Clusters of 2-4 students sit with their Special Ed LIVE teacher on a large screen at the front of class with an in-person Classroom Coach providing needed support.

Supplemental LIVE

Elevate K-12 Supplemental LIVE helps schools support students who could benefit from small-group instruction. This service can be used to fill learning gaps, support differentiation, and offer enrichment. Supplemental LIVE classes are taught by live, US-based, state-certified teachers who operate in a real classroom setting.

Small-group supplementation instruction helps with:

• Remediation: Supporting students who have fallen behind with 1-3 years to reach grade-level standards as part of an MTSS/RTI tiered support
• Reinforcement: Helping students who are at grade level but can benefit from increased depth of content to reinforce learning
• Enrichment: Offering opportunities to extend learning or accelerate knowledge in new areas like Coding, American Sign Language, Foreign Language, ACT/SAT prep, or others

Supplemental LIVE classes are conducted in small groups of no more than 20 students.

Summer School LIVE

Elevate K-12 Summer School Live offers a range of summer options to help students catch up, get ahead, or explore personal interests.

Summer class formats include:

• Reinforcement & Readiness: Supporting students in bridging the gap between one grade and the next to start the new school year prepared
• Acceleration: Providing advanced content to challenge ready students to get ahead of their grade level
• Enrichment: Offering enrichment classes, such as Coding, Cyber Security, Computer Science, Personal Finance, and French, to spark student interest
• ACT/SAT Prep: Delivering high-quality test preparation instruction to give students competitive edge on standardized tests

Summer School LIVE classes can be customized to meet the needs and interests of students, whether focusing on academics, enrichment, or a mix of the two.

Standard summer classes meet for one session of up to 60 minutes per day, 4 days/week. There are up to 35 students per class. Available options include 4-week, 5-week, and 6-week packages.

Elevate K-12 Staff

All Elevate K-12 LIVE teachers hold a US-state teaching certification. About 80% of them have Education degrees (B.A. in Education or M.Ed.), and many hold additional credentials for specialties such as bilingual learning or special education. Elevate K-12 teachers undergo a background check to guarantee student safety.

Moreover, the company provides extensive training in LIVE teaching that covers best practices for LIVE instruction, teaching techniques, and fluency in culturally responsive teaching practices. As part of research-based pedagogical practices, Elevate K-12 makes sure that teachers are fun as this improves results for students.

In addition, each teacher within the Elevate LIVE Network is paired with a dedicated Elevate Instructional Coach who provides feedback on a daily basis and offers ongoing individualized training and professional development throughout the year. LIVE teachers are open to participating in school and district professional development programs if any are implemented.

Elevate K-12 Costs

Elevate K-12 does not provide pricing information about any of the services that it provides on the company website. Interested school districts need to contact the company directly to discuss their needs and get a custom quote.

Elevate K-12 Terms

Interested schools and districts work with the Elevate K-12 Partnership Team to define the partnership and identify the required LIVE courses. A dedicated Regional Operations Manager is assigned to coordinate onboarding and implementation within each participating school. Completing all installations and preassessments typically takes a minimum of two weeks from the date of signing the contract. Elevate K-12 needs a lead time of at least two weeks to ensure that a certified teacher is assigned to LIVE classes.

Districts need to provide Classroom Coaches that work hand-in-hand with the LIVE Teachers to provide on-the-ground support. This role can be filled by paraprofessionals, long-term substitutes, international teachers, and other staff members.

In case a district hires an in-person teacher midway through the semester, Elevate K-12 aims to accommodate them in the educational process.

In terms of content, Elevate K-12 has the capacity to use licensed curriculum that’s already implemented by the district or school. However, customers report that LIVE Teachers generally use Elevate’s in-house content. Elevate’s LIVE curriculum is designed and written by the company’s in-house Academic Team in a way that aligns with national and state standards. Elevate partners with an independent third-party organization to audit LIVE courses for alignment in addition to working with Local Education Agencies to review and approve the curriculum. Nevertheless, schools and districts find using Elevate’s own content to be challenging as it doesn’t fully align with the curriculum they are using in other classes.

Elevate K-12 Software

LIVE learning uses the Elevate LIVE Classroom, which is a proprietary, web-based platform built for K-12 learning. The platform has features that promote student engagement and facilitate collaboration between students and teachers in a livestreaming, hybrid format.

In addition, Elevate K-12 partners with Otus in the creation of a platform for grading and assessments that integrates with the LIVE learning experience. Students complete graded assignments on Otus so that LIVE Teachers get immediate insights into progress and comprehension. Otus can be accessed via the Elevate LIVE Classroom platform and does not require a separate login. Classroom Coaches are trained to help students with login. Additionally, Elevate K-12 is piloting an integration with Single Sign On (SSO) that allows students to use their school or district login to access the Elevate K-12 software systems.

In terms of technology, schools need to provide:

• At least one large display per classroom
• Reliable wifi connection
• A laptop, tablet, or desktop per student

Meanwhile, Elevate K-12 supplies:

• Speakers
• Cameras
• Microphones
• Other necessary equipment

There is an option to record classroom sessions to share with students who are absent. In some cases, remote access can also be enabled to allow absent students to join classes from home.

LIVE Teachers, Classroom Coaches, and Program Coordinators are trained to troubleshoot common technology-related issues. In addition, live customer support is available 24/7.

Elevate K-12 Reviews

There are no online Elevate K-12 reviews by school or district administrators, parents, or students on third-party websites. This prevents interested districts from learning more about the quality of services provided by the company and the experiences of customers. It’s recommended to try to get in touch with schools and districts that are already using Elevate K-12 services to learn more about their experiences with the platform and whether it’s worth it for virtual staffing and expanding course offerings.

Elevate K-12 Pros and Cons

Our Elevate K-12 review shows that the platform offers important benefits and drawbacks that schools and districts need to take into account when deciding if this is the right fit for their staffing needs.

Elevate K-12 Pros

The main advantages of using Elevate K-12 include:

• State-certified teachers who receive additional training
• Ability to use available licensed curriculum or develop their own content
• Customizable services
• Special education focus
• 24/7 technical support

Elevate K-12 Cons

The most significant disadvantages of Elevate K-12 are:

• Need to provide an in-person Classroom Coach
• Need to learn how to use proprietary software
• Frequent use of Elevate’s own content which prevents full alignment with the district curriculum
• Lack of presence in a number of US states
• Undisclosed pricing structure and rates

Elevate K-12 Availability

Elevate K-12 services are available in all US states except Nebraska, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Utah. The top 6 states that use the platform are:

• Illinois
• Texas
• South Carolina
• Georgia
• New Jersey
• Louisiana

Currently, the company partners with over 2,000 schools in more than 600 school districts across the US. The districts that use Elevate K-12 most heavily include:

• Douglas County School System, GA
• Granville County Public Schools, NC
• Grand Rapids Public Schools, MI
• Aldine Independent School District, TX

Elevate K-12 Alternatives

Our review of Elevate K-12 shows that the services provided by the company could be a good fit for some districts and schools. However, the lack of Elevate K-12 customer reviews on third-party websites makes it impossible to confirm the quality of instruction and teaching in a fair, impartial manner. Thus, it might be worthwhile for districts to look elsewhere when filling teacher vacancies and searching for options to offer additional classes.

The best competitors of Elevate K-12 in the e-learning space are:

Elevate K-12 vs Fullmind

Fullmind is the top Elevate K-12 alternative that offers comprehensive solutions that help address the pressing issues of teacher shortages and not enough elective course options in US public schools. Similar to Elevate K-12, Fullmind partners with schools and school districts, but its services are available in all 50 states, with no exceptions.

Fullmind synchronous online educational services include core instruction, supplemental instruction, and virtual staffing and cover all grades, from kindergarten to 12 grade. Unlike Elevate K-12, Fullmind uses the district content in all cases in order to ensure alignment in the knowledge and skills of Fullmind-educated students and their peers that receive in-person instruction. Moreover, this practice facilitates the smooth transition between online and in-person learning and vice versa.

In addition, Fullmind customizes content and delivery to the learning style and needs of students to ensure optimal results. Teaching modules include 1-on-1, small groups, and whole classes. All Fullmind instructors are state-certified. In case of virtual staffing, they get fully integrated within the school community via engaging in real-time communication and interaction with students, attending staff meetings, and participating in parent-teacher conferences.

The company has extensive expertise and experience in working with students facing different challenges including homebound students, students in suspension, and students with disabilities. Fullmind enjoys a 4.3/5 star student satisfaction score, speaking of the high quality of instruction and tutoring.

Fullmind costs depend on the purchased services and are designed to be competitive and affordable for schools and districts of different sizes in all locations.

Elevate K-12 vs Proximity Learning

Proximity Learning is another close competitor of Elevate K-12 that provides online educational services to schools and school districts across the US.

Proximity Learning solutions comprise core instruction, virtual tutoring, online summer school, and virtual schools, with the latter not being offered by Elevate K-12. Proximity Learning courses include core subjects, elective classes, AP courses, and world languages. The company uses its own in-house content which is not aligned with state requirements which makes it challenging for schools.

Similar to Elevate K-12, Proximity hires teachers who are state-certified in their subject(s). In addition, they gain access to professional development opportunities and receive ongoing evaluations and feedback to continuously improve results.

Proximity Learning does not offer information about pricing, so interested schools and districts need to get in touch to ask for a quote.

Elevate K-12 vs Imagine Learning

Imagine Learning is an alternative to Elevate K-12 that operates in the e-learning service provision space. Imagine Learning’s customers include both schools and districts, on the one hand, and students and parents, on the other hand, which differentiates it from Elevate K-12.

Imagine solutions include core instruction, tutoring and intervention services, special education, virtual staffing, and specialized services such as speech teletherapy and others. Imagine Learning products cover core curriculum and elective courseware. Available courses comprise core subjects and some electives and cover all grades, K-12.

Imagine Learning teachers and instructors are state-certified and have an average teaching experience of 17 years. They receive online education training as well as training in student and family support, trauma-informed teaching, and cultural awareness and sensitivity.

Imagine Learning costs depend on a number of factors including services, subjects, grade levels, number of classes and students, state and school district, and necessary customization.

Bottom Line

Our detailed Elevate K-12 review shows that the platform provides core and elective instruction, special education, supplemental instruction, and summer school solutions to hundreds of school districts across the US. Nevertheless, there are no online reviews by verified customers to testify to the quality of services and the work ethic of the company. That’s why it’s not possible to conclude whether Elevate is truly worth it for districts or they should look elsewhere.