In February 2013, AgilityFeat began a partnership with the edtech company, Teachstone, that has grown into a 12-year (and counting) success story in nearshore staff augmentation. The initial engagement involved assembling a custom team of Latin American development and UI/UX experts to enhance Teachstone’s infrastructure, modernize their legacy software practices, and simplify processes in order to support their growth. Over time, we have contractually transferred some team members to work directly for Teachstone (based on the Transfer principle of our BOT process), while an additional group of software developers, Scrum Masters, and QA specialists continues to contribute as nearshore contractors through AgilityFeat.

Who is Teachstone?

Teachstone, a Virginia-based company, provides certification tools and educational products designed to enhance the interactions between students and teachers. Their signature product, the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), uses expert reviews of video recordings in the classroom to measure classroom interaction quality and fosters improvement by creating tailored professional development activities for teachers.

The Journey

Initial Engagement
AgilityFeat’s involvement began with an intensive on-site assessment, spending a full week with Teachstone to understand their needs and challenges. This deep dive allowed AgilityFeat to grasp Teachstone’s mission and identify pain points for both users and the development team.

Evolution of Services

1. Design and development services; agile consulting
2. Transfer of some developers’ contracts to Teachstone, with others continuing to work in a staff augmentation model
3. Ongoing nearshore contract team with a variety of focused developers, project leadership, and QA working remotely from various countries in Latin America.

Key Success Factors

Collaborative Approach
Teachstone and AgilityFeat fostered a true partnership, with AgilityFeat becoming an integral part of Teachstone’s team. Teachstone employees praised the constant communication and responsiveness that made the remote team feel like an in-house team.

Agile Expertise
AgilityFeat brought significant expertise not only in coding and development but also in Agile methodologies, helping Teachstone adopt and refine their Agile processes.

Cultural Compatibility
The alignment of company cultures and a shared spirit of cooperation made collaboration pleasant, even during challenging conversations.

On-sites and Off-sites 
The on-site meeting at Teachstone’s US headquarters at the beginning of the engagement was a great way to kick things off and do focused work, and AgilityFeat’s Latin American team members have made multiple trips to Teachstone headquarters over the years. AgilityFeat helped organize in person visits for the Teachstone team in 2014 in Costa Rica and in 2023 in Panama City, Panama, where Teachstone’s US and Latin American team members had the opportunity to bond over meals, excursions, as well as hold strategic off-site meetings. 

Impact on Teachstone

Product Improvement
In the initial phase, AgilityFeat helped reimagine and rebuild Teachstone’s products, leading to significant improvements in user experience, technical architecture and reduced support issues.

Business Growth
The partnership has been instrumental in building the infrastructure needed for Teachstone’s rapid growth as they transitioned from a startup to a growth-stage company.

A compelling case study in effective staff augmentation

The 12-year relationship between Teachstone and AgilityFeat demonstrates the power of nearshore staff augmentation when done right. By combining technical expertise, cultural alignment, and a true partnership approach, AgilityFeat has become an essential part of Teachstone’s success story in improving education through technology.
For companies looking to reinvent legacy systems or build strategic initiatives with a dedicated, nearshore team, AgilityFeat’s success with Teachstone serves as a compelling case study in effective staff augmentation.