Savvas Learning Company, a leader in next-generation K-12 learning solutions, recently announced the acquisition of Outlier.org. This educational technology startup has developed a portfolio of high-quality, turnkey online college-level courses that allow high school students to earn dual credit without ever leaving their school building.
Outlier.org combines cinematic video and charismatic professors with the best in modern, evidence-based teaching techniques to virtually transport the student to a college lecture hall. Its diverse catalogue of award-winning arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences courses are taught by hand-picked, world-class instructors from NASA, MIT, Harvard, Yale, and other top institutions. The platform’s immersive, exciting, and engaging courses use cutting-edge, evidence-based teaching methods. However, it’s working: the courses are achieving success rates comparable to typical in-person college courses—unprecedented in the fie-credit online higher education.
In addition to guiding students towards a college degree, Outlier’s offerings allow people seeking practical career and workforce training to earn credit-bearing professional certificates from prominent technology firms such as Google, Meta, and Salesforce. Students who complete Outlier courses earn transferable college credits from Outlier’s university partners, the University of Pittsburgh, a top 50 global university, and Golden Gate University. Currently, 48 states and the District of Columbia have adopted state-level, dual-enrollment policies, including 28 states that have established multiple dual-enrollment programmes, according to the Education Commission of the States.
Speaking on the deal, Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company, said:
There’s a growing demand for dual-enrollment and dual-credit opportunities for high school students nationwide. However, school administrators have long faced challenges when considering these programs for their students, such as limited course offerings, costly transportation and other logistical issues. With Outlier, we are seeking to change that. This acquisition will allow us to create an exciting new opportunity for the millions of high school students served by Savvas.
Outlier’s asynchronous 14- and 15-week (semester) and 39-week (full-year) general-education courses offer high school students an introduction to the fundamental ideas typically taught on college campuses in STEM, humanities, economics, business, and other classes. The courses are designed to fit within a standard 45-minute period. Any high school teacher can support any course, aided by easy-to-use dashboards that give faculty real-time visibility into student progress.
Aaron Rasmussen, Founder & CEO of Outlier.org, stated:
We are proud of our students’ success and excited to join Savvas to bring our proven classes to more students. We are thankful to our university partners, educators, students, and team members who have helped us accomplish our mission to provide students with access to college and career learning, regardless of geography or socioeconomic background.
Savvas Learning believes that learning should inspire. By combining innovative concepts, new methods of thinking, and new ways of interacting, developers create engaging, next-generation K-12 learning solutions that give each student the highest opportunity for success. The platform’s award-winning, high-quality instructional materials cover every grade level and discipline, including evidence-based, standards-aligned core curricula, supplemental and intervention programs, and cutting-edge assessment tools — all designed to suit the needs of every student. Millions of students and educators use the company’s products in more than 90 per cent of the 13,000+ public school districts across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and globally in more than 125 countries. Last May, the firm acquired Whooo’s Reading and its AI-driven technology that gives students adaptive feedback on their writing and reading skills and shows teachers where students may need extra support or personalized instruction.
