Mission / Story / Press

Our mission

To help meet society’s need for access to effective, high-quality educational opportunities in an era of rapid economic, social, and personal change.

What does NROC stand for?

National

Readiness

Organization focused on

College and career

What we do

NROC collaborates with educators to imagine, develop, test, and refine technologies that improve student success.

When your institution, system, or state becomes an NROC partner, you enjoy affordable, seat-based access to EdReady, as well as responsive implementation and technical support, thoughtful instructional resources, and timely professional development. What’s more, you gain a network of connected, inspired, and highly skilled academics who regularly share how their practices are opening doors for learners historically left behind.

Technology can't—and shouldn't—replace the human art of teaching, but it can help you effectively individualize instruction at scale. Every learner can benefit from personalized support, whether they're rising to grade-level expectations, transitioning to a new grade, preparing for college or career, or working to earn a credential that will give their family fresh opportunities.

If you're searching for ways to more effectively honor the unique needs of every student, we want to partner with you.

Our story

a timeline from 2003 to present showing a sequence of events: network of institutions, OER creation and distribution, HippoCampus, Math Algebra 1 and Developmental Math, English Integrated Reading and Writing, EdReady powered by NROC Adaptive learning development, iteration and scaling with an illustration depicting a variety of students and points and lines on a map of the United States

2003

The NROC Project (NROC), formerly known as the National Repository of Online Courses and Monterey Institute for Technology and Education, was founded in 2003. NROC was a pioneer in the development and distribution of Open Educational Resources (OER).

2003 – 2012

NROC created HippoCampus.org, a popular OER application used by millions of teachers, instructors, and students.

Following the success of HippoCampus, NROC developed Algebra 1 — An Open Course. This two-semester course was developed to introduce learners to mathematical procedures, reasoning, and critical thinking. The course’s production was prioritized because students’ ability to master algebraic concepts is correlated with their academic persistence and success.

Next, NROC built Developmental Math — An Open Program. This course was designed to support students who are striving to meet basic college entrance requirements. The course includes an adaptive pre-assessment that personalizes a student’s path through arithmetic, beginning and intermediate algebra, and statistics, geometry, and trigonometry topics.

Finally, NROC designed Developmental English, an Integrated Program. This course compresses the standard developmental English curriculum, enabling learners to make predictions about their reading, analyze rhetorical structures, build vocabulary, and improve writing mechanics.

Both the Developmental Math and Developmental English courses prepare students for college-level coursework, eliminating the costs associated with remediation and dramatically improving student persistence and completion.

2012

In 2012, work began on EdReady, an adaptive learning platform that NROC launched in 2014. The Algebra 1, Developmental Math, and Developmental English course content became the curricular underpinning of EdReady.

Present

EdReady has been adopted by districts, systems, and states to personalize math and English instruction and to empower data-driven, student-success decisions. To date, EdReady has been used by millions of students.

Texas College Bridge educators express their enthusiasm for how EdReady has increased college readiness in the state.

Learn more

Press

The resources below are intended for journalists and NROC partners. Thank you for helping to spread the word!

For media inquiries, contact us. For product-specific language, style guides, and media, please navigate to the section of interest below.

How to write our name

Capital-t ‘The NROC Project’ or simply ‘NROC’

Who we are and what we do

The NROC Project (NROC) helps educators meet students where they are by outfitting them with the open and low-cost resources they need to effectively personalize instruction.

NROC collaborates with educators to imagine, develop, test, and refine technologies that improve student success. NROC partners represent secondary, postsecondary, and adult education institutions obsessed with learner-centered solutions to thorny educational problems.

NROC courses and tools are:

  • Math and English focused
  • Media rich
  • Pedagogically diverse 
  • Culturally relevant
  • Customizable
  • Validated
  • And accessible, reliable, scalable, and secure


Individuals can access NROC curricula and our public applications for free. We are proud of our OER (open educational resources) lineage, and we are committed to the cycle of continuous improvement and sharing.

Individual institutions, districts, systems and states can work with us to create customized solutions that meet local needs.

Why we do this work

Against a backdrop of competing priorities, education leaders are charged with providing a high-quality education to the learners they serve. And over and over again, they rise to that challenge.

Educators partner with The NROC Project (NROC) to imagine, develop, test, and refine technologies that improve learner readiness, retention, and success.

Technology can’t—and shouldn’t—replace the human art of teaching, but it can help educators effectively individualize instruction at scale. Every student can benefit from personalized support, whether they’re rising to grade-level expectations, transitioning to a new grade, preparing for college or career, or working to earn a credential that will give their family fresh opportunities.

How we work

NROC collaborates with a powerful network of partner institutions to deliver courses and tools that address today’s student success challenges.

NROC works with distinguished academic partners and subject matter experts to develop innovative, rigorous educational content.

NROC knows the only way our educational content can improve lives is when it is the hands of our passionate academic partners. For that reason, we put educators at the center of our work.

What does NROC stand for?

National

Readiness

Organization focused on

College & career

How is the organization funded?

The NROC Project is sustained by NROC partner institutions, with support from generous foundation partners.

Fonts / Colors

Arial is our standard typeface. Proxima Nova is intended for our creative agencies and customer-facing publications and websites. The use of Proxima Nova requires a purchased license.

When authoring communications on behalf of The NROC Project, please use our standard colors.

Teal
#368B8B
rgb(54, 139, 139)
CMYK 80, 33, 48, 0

Purple 1
#5b5ca7
rgb(91, 92, 167)
CMYK 75, 72, 1, 0

Purple 2
#832781
rgb(131, 39, 129)
CMYK 58, 100, 12, 2

Charcoal
#414042
rgb(65, 64, 66)
CMYK 0, 0, 0, 90

What is EdReady?

EdReady is an adaptive learning platform that's been adopted by districts, systems, and states to personalize math and English instruction and to empower data-driven, student-success decisions.

Overview video — EdReady for institutions

Embed code

<div style="padding:56.25% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/763932582?h=0238dfba68&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="EdReady for Institutions"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>

Overview video — math

Embed code

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/238632745?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/238632745">EdReady Math Explainer</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/thenrocproject">The NROC Project</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

Overview video — English

Embed code

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/238621073?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/238621073">EdReady English Explainer</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/thenrocproject">The NROC Project</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>


Learn more about EdReady
.

EdReady Goal Cards and Style Guide

Fonts / Colors

Arial is our standard typeface. Proxima Nova is intended for our creative agencies and customer-facing publications and websites. The use of Proxima Nova requires a purchased license.

When authoring communications on behalf of EdReady, please use our standard colors.

Charcoal
#414042
rgb(65, 64, 66)
CMYK 0, 0, 0, 90

Blue
#3074b3
rgb(48, 116, 179)
CMYK 83, 51, 5, 0

Aqua
#3dbfa9
rgb(61, 191, 169)
CMYK 67, 0, 43, 0

Purple 2
#832781
rgb(131, 39, 129)
CMYK 58, 100, 12, 2

Crimson
#d13c46
rgb(209, 60, 70)
CMYK 12, 91, 73, 2

Gold
#FEBF50
rgb(254, 191, 80)
CMYK 0, 27, 79, 0

What is NROC English?

The NROC Developmental English course is designed to help learners striving to meet college entrance requirements. The course integrates and compresses the standard developmental English curriculum—reading comprehension, writing, vocabulary building, grammar, punctuation, and usage skills—and allows learners to accelerate into college-credit courses. This sequence enables learners to make predictions about their reading, analyze rhetorical structures, build vocabulary, and improve writing mechanics.

Overview video

Embed code

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/341445967?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/341445967">NROC English Overview</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/thenrocproject">The NROC Project</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>


Learn more about NROC Developmental English.

What is NROC Math?

NROC Developmental Math: The NROC Developmental Math course was developed for students striving to meet basic college entrance requirements. The adaptive pre-assessment personalizes a learner’s path through Arithmetic, Beginning and Intermediate Algebra, and Statistics, Geometry, and Trigonometry topics.

Overview video

Embed code

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/341445957" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>

NROC Algebra 1:
This two-semester course was developed for first-time algebra students of all ability levels. The program introduces learners to mathematics concepts, procedures, mathematical reasoning, and critical thinking.

Overview video

Embed code

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/341445959" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>

NROC offers two different math courses. Learn more about NROC Math.

Fonts / Colors

Arial is our standard typeface. Proxima Nova is intended for our creative agencies and customer-facing publications and websites. The use of Proxima Nova requires a purchased license.

When authoring communications on behalf of NROC English, please use our standard colors.

Charcoal
#414042
rgb(65, 64, 66)
CMYK 0, 0, 0, 90

Blue
#3074b3
rgb(48, 116, 179)
CMYK 83, 51, 5, 0

Aqua
#3dbfa9
rgb(61, 191, 169)
CMYK 67, 0, 43, 0

Purple 2
#832781
rgb(131, 39, 129)
CMYK 58, 100, 12, 2

Olive
#84926C
rgb(132, 146, 108)
CMYK 51, 31, 65, 6

What is HippoCampus

HippoCampus is a curated repository of over 7,000 multimedia learning objects from NROC and other respected providers, including Khan Academy, PhET, and NOAA.

Learn more about HippoCampus.

Fonts / Colors

Arial is our standard typeface. Proxima Nova is intended for our creative agencies and customer-facing publications and websites. The use of Proxima Nova requires a purchased license.

When authoring communications on behalf of HippoCampus, please use our standard colors.

Olive
#84926C
rgb(132, 146, 108)
CMYK 51, 31, 65, 6

Orange
#E08C3F
rgb(224, 140, 63)
CMYK 10, 51, 86, 0

Grey
#808285
rgb(128, 130, 133)
CMYK 0, 0, 0, 50

Charcoal
#414042
rgb(65, 64, 66)
CMYK 0, 0, 0, 90

News & Events

What leaders and learners are saying