Press

In an industry focused on supporting the whole child, too often, systems meant to support teachers fall short. This new op-ed from Dr. Nicol Russell, Teaching Strategies' Chief Academic Officer, illuminates why the support systems around teachers matter, and how teacher retention jumped 23 points in a recent study when curriculum, assessment, and professional coaching worked as one system.

Teaching Strategies has earned two 2026 CODiE Awards, recognizing both The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and the SmartTeach™️ platform for their innovation and impact in early childhood education. The honors underscore the company's commitment to delivering connected solutions that support educators, families, and young learners.

Teaching Strategies has been named a finalist in three categories for this year’s CODiE Awards.

EdReports released its first-ever reviews of preschool curricula, evaluating three programs, including The Creative Curriculum, across areas like content quality, support for diverse learners, and effective teaching practices. In this Education Week article, Chief Academic Officer Nicol Russell discusses how The Creative Curriculum is intentionally designed to give teachers flexibility to meet each child where they are.

Teaching Strategies was named a winner in the 2026 EdTech Awards, presented by EdTech Digest, for its Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers. The product won an “EdTech Cool Tool Award” in the “Curriculum and Instruction Solution” category and was chosen from entries that spanned early childhood, K-12 and higher education. Teaching Strategies was recognized as a finalist in six additional EdTech Awards categories.

Amid high teacher turnover and burnout, this article highlights a new study by the National Institute for Early Education Research that links Teaching Strategies’ digital ecosystem to increased teacher retention, improved educator well-being, and stronger academic and social outcomes for children. “When you bring technology to life in a way that, for the teachers, feels like you’re adding value to their work … teachers are much more effective [because] they can now focus on the children and focus on their teaching,” said Chief Academic Officer Nicol Russell.

This article summarizes findings from a new randomized controlled trial by the National Institute for Early Education Research showing that teachers who received enhanced virtual professional development from Teaching Strategies were significantly more likely to stay in their roles. The article includes perspective from Chief Academic Officer Nicol Russell on how virtual professional development can support educator retention, educator well-being, and student success.

The National Institute for Early Education Research released a working paper that shows professional development aligned with Teaching Strategies’ ecosystem significantly improves teacher retention and child outcomes. The working paper follows a three-year randomized controlled trial, spanning 125 preschool classrooms in New Jersey.

While AI is helping teachers save time, most tools operate outside district curriculum and assessment systems—resulting in shallow, misaligned instruction. In this op-ed, Vice President of Product Tammy Kwan makes the case that real impact will come from AI embedded within the curriculum districts already use, ensuring coherence, quality control, and better support for diverse learners.

Teaching Strategies has been named to the GSV 150, an annual list recognizing the top 150 public and private companies transforming digital learning and workforce skills. This marks the sixth consecutive year the company has earned a spot on the list. It is one of five early childhood companies to earn a spot in 2026.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K has been named the “Best PK/Early Childhood Learning Solution” in the 2025 CODiE Awards. The CODiE Awards are the premier peer-recognized program celebrating innovation and excellence in education and business technology.

In a new op-ed, Teaching Strategies VP of Product Tammy Kwan argues the most transformative use of AI in education isn’t a digital tutor or chatbot, but rather using AI to simulate how students learn—accelerating discoveries that today are slow, expensive, and fragmented. The piece draws on recent research to show how AI could help education researchers test interventions, derisk innovation, and surface effective strategies faster. It calls for a national AI strategy for education, with federal investment to ensure these breakthroughs benefit all learners.