Acelero, Inc. Acquires Assets of VORT Corporation, an Educational Publisher of Family-Centered, Curriculum-Based Assessments for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Acelero, Inc. announced today the strategic acquisition of the assets of the VORT Corporation to accelerate its pursuit of positive outcomes for children in early childhood education programs across the country. The VORT asset acquisition will allow Acelero, Inc. to make family-centered, curriculum-based assessment tools accessible to more infants, toddlers,  preschoolers and their families. Acelero, Inc., and its divisions Acelero Learning, Shine Early Learning, and Spark Learning Lab, are pioneers in early childhood education and family engagement services, impacting more than 150,000 children ages birth to five and their families across 28 states and territories. It operates 51 licensed Acelero Learning centers and partners with state agencies, child care centers, in-home child care providers, private and public pre-K and Head Start and Early Head Start programs. 

According to Co-founder and CEO Henry Wilde, the VORT asset acquisition supports the company’s mission to deepen and broaden its impact in communities across the country.

“We are pleased to acquire the HELP® tool, which educators in our programs and across the country have implemented to great effect. The acquisition was a strategic decision to build upon our long-standing commitment to implementing early childhood content that is both research-tested and easy to use for the dedicated practitioners working with children across the country. We know that the deeper integration of HELP® into our work and its expanded use will deliver better child and family outcomes in our centers and in the centers of our partner organizations,” said Wilde.

HELP® (Hawaii Early Learning Profile) is a criterion-referenced, curriculum-based assessment (CBA) used with children ages birth to 6 years old that is aligned with OSEP (Office of Special Education Programs) outcomes, Head Start school readiness goals, and many state early learning standards.  It is designed around specific skills and behaviors with a comprehensive framework that assesses, plans, and tracks student progress in early childhood developmental domains, including cognitive, language, gross motor, fine motor, social-emotional, and self-help.

A critical component of early childhood education is high quality assessment since it affects every decision that is made to support students’ learning, from instruction and curriculum to program evaluation and professional development.

“We currently use HELP® in our Acelero Learning Early Head Start infant/toddler classrooms because it streamlines and simplifies the data collection process, leaving significantly more time for teachers to engage meaningfully with the children in their care. The layout of the assessment tool, combined with the skill-aligned activities, makes it easy for teachers to know exactly what to prioritize and do next with each infant or toddler to support their learning at just the right level,” said Sarah Barton, Acelero Learning Vice President, Early Head Start.

“I’m thrilled about HELP’s new home with Acelero! The opportunities for continued growth and development are limitless with our shared mission and commitment to supporting the growth and development of young children with their families and caregivers,” said Stephanie Parks Warshaw, Author HELP 0-3.

Founded by Tom Holt in 1971, VORT stands for Values, Objectives, Resources, and Time. VORT grew out of a project to develop statewide systems for the landmark Pennsylvania Right to Education effort. The project subsequently influenced the creation of P.L. 94-142 and included the development of one of the first student-based, computerized instructional systems. VORT eventually undertook a variety of state and local projects for special education and Child Find programs in the states of Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia, North Carolina, and California. In 1975,  the company began publishing developmental, criterion-referenced materials for special education. Today, VORT’s products, especially HELP®, are best-selling assessment tools for Special Education, Early Intervention, and Head Start.

“I am pleased that Acelero, Inc., with its aligned values and mission, will carry forward and build upon VORT’s 50-year-history and pioneering efforts to develop and distribute leading educational content and assessment tools. Acelero’s commitment and expertise in early childhood education makes it uniquely positioned to accelerate positive outcomes for more children and families as it provides greater access to HELP® and other proven assessment tools,” said Tom Holt, Founder and President of VORT Corporation.

To learn more and purchase HELP® and other products, visit shineearly.store.