Blueprint Playbook for McGraw Hill Education

Who the Hell is Jordan Crawford?

Founder of Blueprint. I help companies stop sending emails nobody wants to read.

The problem with outbound isn't the message. It's the list. When you know WHO to target and WHY they need you right now, the message writes itself.

I built this system using government databases, public records, and 25 million job posts to find pain signals most companies miss. Predictable Revenue is dead. Data-driven intelligence is what works now.

The Old Way (What Everyone Does)

Your GTM team is buying lists from ZoomInfo, adding "personalization" like mentioning a LinkedIn post, then blasting generic messages about features. Here's what it actually looks like:

The Typical McGraw Hill Education SDR Email:

Subject: Improve student outcomes with McGraw Hill Hi [First Name], I noticed your institution is focused on improving student success rates. McGraw Hill has helped hundreds of colleges and universities transform their learning outcomes through our adaptive learning platforms and comprehensive content solutions. Our Connect platform offers personalized learning experiences, real-time analytics, and seamless LMS integration. Schools using our solutions have seen significant improvements in course pass rates and student engagement. Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week to discuss how we can support your institution's goals? Best, [SDR Name]

Why this fails: The prospect is an expert. They've seen this template 1,000 times. There's zero indication you understand their specific situation. Delete.

The New Way: Intelligence-Driven GTM

Blueprint flips the approach. Instead of interrupting prospects with pitches, you deliver insights so valuable they'd pay consulting fees to receive them.

1. Hard Data Over Soft Signals

Stop: "I see you're hiring compliance people" (job postings - everyone sees this)

Start: "Your 3-year completion rate dropped from 24% to 19% since your Title V grant started in 2022" (IPEDS data with specific record numbers)

2. Mirror Situations, Don't Pitch Solutions

PQS (Pain-Qualified Segment): Reflect their exact situation with such specificity they think "how did you know?" Use government data with dates, record numbers, facility addresses.

PVP (Permissionless Value Proposition): Deliver immediate value they can use today - analysis already done, deadlines already pulled, patterns already identified - whether they buy or not.

McGraw Hill Education Overview

Company: McGraw Hill Education

Core Problem: Educational institutions struggle to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality learning content and tools while managing rising textbook costs and ensuring consistent student outcomes across diverse learning environments and ability levels.

Target ICP:

Primary Buyer Persona: Director of Academic Affairs / Chief Learning Officer / Provost / Dean / Director of Curriculum & Instruction - responsible for course material adoption, learning outcomes assessment, budget allocation, and digital accessibility compliance.

McGraw Hill Education's Best Plays

These messages are ranked by quality score (highest first). Each play demonstrates precise understanding or delivers immediate value using verified data sources.

PVP Public Data Strong (8.7/10)

Hispanic Student Gateway Math Failure Analysis

What's the play?

Target HSI community colleges with declining Title V completion rates by analyzing their gateway math course demographics. Show them the exact demographic breakdown of their failure population - revealing that their failing students are overwhelmingly the Hispanic/Latino population they're federally funded to serve.

Why this works

This hits the institutional mission directly. When 73% of math course failures are Hispanic students at an HSI, that's not just a curriculum problem - it's a Title V grant renewal risk. The demographic concentration makes this an equity issue the institution MUST address. The offer for first-generation status breakdown adds another layer they likely haven't analyzed yet.

Data Sources
  1. IPEDS - graduation_rates, enrollment_by_ethnicity, institutional_characteristics
  2. HACU HSI Database - hsi_status, hispanic_fte_percentage
  3. State institutional data - course-level pass/fail rates by demographics

The message:

Subject: 73% of your failed math students are Hispanic I analyzed your gateway math outcomes - 384 students failed or withdrew from College Algebra in 2023-24, and 73% were Hispanic/Latino. That demographic concentration directly impacts your HSI-specific completion metrics that ED reviews for Title V renewal. Want the analysis by first-generation status?
PVP Public Data Strong (8.6/10)

Special Education Accessible Content Compliance Gap

What's the play?

Target Title I schools with growing special education enrollment by cross-referencing state adoption records with IEP requirements. Identify schools that added SPED students but haven't purchased new accessible digital content - exposing a compliance risk before an audit or parent complaint surfaces it.

Why this works

This is a ticking time bomb. When 72% of new SPED students have IEPs requiring ADA-compliant materials but the school's adoption records show no accessible content purchases, that's 28 students at immediate compliance risk. One parent complaint triggers a formal review. The specificity of pulling state adoption records shows serious due diligence.

Data Sources
  1. Common Core of Data (CCD) - special_education_enrollment, title_i_status, enrollment_trends
  2. State adoption records - current curriculum materials, accessibility features
  3. State special education data - IEP requirements by district

The message:

Subject: 54 new SPED students need accessible materials You added 54 special education students this year - I pulled your current ELA and math adoptions from state records. None of the core materials list ADA-compliant digital formats, and 72% of your new SPED students have IEPs requiring accessible content. Want the compliance gap analysis?
PQS Public Data Strong (8.5/10)

Title I Schools with SPED Growth and Procurement Gap

What's the play?

Target Title I schools where special education enrollment grew significantly but procurement records show zero new accessible content purchases. Calculate the specific compliance risk (number of students with IEPs requiring accessible materials) and tie it to an actionable procurement timeline.

Why this works

This is pure specificity. The recipient sees their exact student additions (39 SPED students), their procurement gap (zero accessible content), and the calculated compliance risk (28 students at risk). The Q2 procurement timeline makes it immediately actionable. This isn't a generic pitch - it's evidence they overlooked something critical.

Data Sources
  1. Common Core of Data - title_i_status, special_education_enrollment, enrollment_trends
  2. State adoption records - procurement history, accessible content purchases
  3. State special education data - IEP requirements percentage

The message:

Subject: 39 SPED students added, zero accessible content You added 39 special education students this year but your state adoption records show no new accessible digital content purchases. 72% of those students have IEPs requiring ADA-compliant materials - that's 28 students at compliance risk. Is accessible content in the Q2 procurement plan?
PVP Public Data Strong (8.4/10)

SPED Student Reading Performance Analysis

What's the play?

Target Title I schools with high special education populations by synthesizing enrollment data with state assessment results. Show them the exact count of SPED students reading below grade level, calculate the per-student budget allocation, and offer grade-by-grade breakdown of the performance data.

Why this works

This combines three critical data points into one insight: specific student count (287 SPED students), performance data (41% below grade level), and budget implications ($2.6M allocated, $2,881 per struggling reader). The grade-by-grade breakdown offer provides immediate value - they likely haven't synthesized this data themselves yet.

Data Sources
  1. Common Core of Data - special_education_enrollment, title_i_allocations, per_pupil_amount
  2. State assessment data - reading proficiency by grade and subgroup
  3. District budget data - curriculum spending allocations

The message:

Subject: 287 SPED students, 41% reading below grade level Your 287 special education students grew 23% this year - and 41% are reading below grade level per state assessments. With per-pupil spending down to $9,200, you're allocating $2.6M to SPED students who need differentiated literacy support. Want the grade-by-grade breakdown?
PQS Public Data Strong (8.2/10)

Gateway Math Course Blocking Title V Renewal

What's the play?

Target HSI community colleges facing Title V renewal by identifying their specific gateway course bottleneck. Pull course catalog and enrollment data to show the exact number of students failing College Algebra annually, then tie it directly to their Title V completion rate pressure.

Why this works

This is surgical specificity. The recipient sees their exact failure count (384 students, 62% of enrollees), the specific course (College Algebra), and the direct link to their Title V renewal deadline (August 2025). The routing question makes it immediately actionable - someone owns this problem and needs to be involved now.

Data Sources
  1. IPEDS - graduation_rates, completion_rates, title_v_eligibility
  2. HACU HSI Database - hsi_status, title_v_renewal_timeline
  3. Institutional course catalogs - gateway course enrollment and pass rates

The message:

Subject: College Algebra blocks 384 students annually 384 students failed or withdrew from College Algebra at your institution in 2023-24 - that's 62% of enrollees. Your Title V grant renewal in August 2025 requires showing completion rate improvements, and this course is the largest bottleneck. Who owns gateway course redesign?
PQS Public Data Strong (8.1/10)

Title I Schools with SPED Growth Outpacing Funding

What's the play?

Target Title I schools where special education enrollment grew significantly faster than budget allocations. Calculate the specific funding gap by comparing new student count against prior per-pupil spending levels, then tie it to an actionable curriculum budget decision.

Why this works

The math is devastating. Adding 54 SPED students while per-pupil spending drops from $10,000 to $9,200 creates a $640K gap for differentiated materials. This isn't a vague "budget pressure" claim - it's a specific calculation the recipient can verify. The January procurement timeline makes it immediately relevant.

Data Sources
  1. Common Core of Data - special_education_enrollment, title_i_allocations, per_pupil_amount
  2. State K-12 School Directories - enrollment_trends, district_contact

The message:

Subject: 54 new SPED students, $640K funding gap You added 54 special education students this year but per-pupil spending fell from $10,000 to $9,200. At previous funding levels, you're short $640K for those students' differentiated materials. Is accessible curriculum on the January procurement list?
PQS Public Data Okay (7.8/10)

Title I Schools with SPED-Budget Mismatch

What's the play?

Target Title I schools where special education enrollment growth (23%) significantly outpaced per-pupil funding changes (-8%). Calculate the exact funding gap in dollars based on the additional student count and prior funding levels.

Why this works

The synthesis of enrollment growth (+23%, 54 students) with declining per-pupil allocations ($9,200, down 8%) creates a clear resource crisis narrative. The $640K gap calculation is specific and verifiable. The routing question is straightforward and identifies the decision-maker.

Data Sources
  1. Common Core of Data Title I Allocations - title_i_allocations, per_pupil_amount, student_count
  2. Common Core of Data Public School Search - special_education_enrollment, enrollment_trends

The message:

Subject: Your SPED enrollment up 23%, funding down 8% Your special education enrollment grew 23% (now 287 students) while per-pupil spending dropped 8% to $9,200. That's a $640K gap between what you're spending and what those additional 54 SPED students require at prior funding levels. Who's managing the curriculum budget this year?

What Changes

Old way: Spray generic messages at job titles. Hope someone replies.

New way: Use public data to find institutions in specific painful situations. Then mirror that situation back to them with evidence.

Why this works: When you lead with "Your 3-year completion rate dropped from 24% to 19% since your Title V grant started" instead of "I see you're focused on student success," you're not another sales email. You're the person who did the homework.

The messages above aren't templates. They're examples of what happens when you combine real data sources with specific situations. Your team can replicate this using the data recipes in each play.

Data Sources Reference

Every play traces back to verifiable public data. Here are the sources used in this playbook:

Source Key Fields Used For
IPEDS institution_name, enrollment_total, graduation_rates, title_iv_participation, hsi_status Title IV institutions, HSI status, completion rates
Common Core of Data school_name, title_i_status, special_education_enrollment, charter_school_status Title I schools, charter schools, SPED enrollment
HACU HSI Database institution_name, hsi_status, hispanic_fte_percentage, title_v_eligibility Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Title V renewal
CCD Title I Allocations school_district_name, title_i_allocations, per_pupil_amount, poverty_estimate Title I funding levels, per-pupil spending
LCME Medical School Directory school_name, accreditation_status, program_phase LCME-accredited medical schools
ACGME Accreditation Data program_name, specialty, accreditation_status, resident_count Residency programs, new program status
FREIDA Database program_name, specialty, available_positions, program_structure Residency program details, positions
State K-12 School Directories school_name, special_education_enrollment, district_contact, enrollment_trends Special education programs, district contacts
State Adoption Records current_textbook_adoptions, accessibility_features, procurement_history Current curriculum materials, accessibility gaps
Federal Student Aid Title IV Database school_name, federal_school_code, title_iv_eligibility_status Title IV participating institutions