introduction

lluminate Education Inc. was formed by Achieve Data Solutions founders Lane Rankin and Chris Walker to provide the next generation of web-based software and services to the K-12 market. Illuminate Education “reacquired” two key products from the DataDirector Suite after initially selling them to Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt: Illuminate Student Information System (formerly Iris) and Illuminate Special Education System (formerly Focus). The team that introduced market-leading DataDirector is now proud to introduce the next generation Student Information System, Special Education System, and Data and Assessment Management System. Illuminate Education is not only picking up where Achieve Data Solutions left off, but is also taking a big step forward by creating a single centralized solution for data and information management to support all aspects of the education process.

by educators, for educators

The team members at Illuminate Education are educators first and foremost, and the products and interfaces they develop thus have a critical edge on those developed by business- or technology-focused competitors. The loyalty and customer satisfaction demonstrated by its 99.9% client retention rate is a testament to the Illuminate Education team’s ability to understand both “big picture” and highly detailed and nuanced realities that educators face on a daily basis. Also, as the software development cycles continue (the refinements never end), the team works closely with clients to understand their ongoing needs, develops a course of action to anticipate and address new and evolving pain points, and then pushes beyond those specific issues and needs to develop solutions that are far ahead of the curve.

Partnership and immersion in the diverse and unique challenges educators face is essential when developing flexible, open-ended student information, special education, and data and assessment management systems. Key to the success of Illuminate Education’s products is that they were developed jointly and in tight collaboration with clients. Illuminate Student Information System (formerly Iris) was developed in partnership with a large urban school district in southern California, and Illuminate Special Education System (formerly Focus) was developed in partnership with a large county in Michigan. The districts, schools, and educators provided detailed input and professional resources to make each product responsive to the exact needs of educators and staff. The deep and continuing collaboration extended to every client ensures that Illuminate Education will maintain its outstanding track record on customer satisfaction and remain the most innovative and educator-focused company in K-12 technology, data, and information systems.

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