A few years later, as principal, I was asked to lead a school in Attleboro, Massachusetts, with a mandate to infuse learning with innovation. Over the next decade, I focused on integrating technology and innovative practices into the curriculum, directly enhancing educational experiences. After 10 years, I transitioned to a district leadership position as director of innovation and instruction, where I had the privilege of meeting Carl Hooker and hearing his keynote on the synergy between education, instruction, and technology.

For the past seven years, my work has centered on designing and championing innovative practices in various district stand-alone edtech or curriculum roles, most recently as assistant superintendent of teaching and learning. I work with a visionary leadership team in New Bedford, including Superintendent Andrew O’Leary and Deputy Superintendent Darcie Aungst, who share a commitment to innovative instruction and also want to have technology and instruction more aligned. To make that idea a reality this year, I will transition to assistant superintendent of technology and learning. I aim to merge educational and technological strategies, bringing Carl’s keynote vision to life.

The integration of technology and education

The integration of technology into education has transformed teaching and learning. From traditional classrooms to modern e-learning platforms, technology has become indispensable. I will explore the multifaceted relationship between technology and education this school year, examining this dynamic partnership’s benefits, challenges and future directions.

By developing these areas of learning, we can further emphasize the transformative power of technology in education, showcasing its ability to create personalized, engaging and collaborative learning environments that prepare students for the future.

• Personalized learning: One of the most significant benefits of integrating technology into education is the ability to personalize student learning. Adaptive learning technologies use algorithms to adjust the content and pace based on individual student needs. This personalized approach ensures that students receive instruction tailored to their learning styles, strengths and weaknesses, enhancing their educational experience. Innovation in learning can lead to more personalized educational experiences. Technology, for example, allows for adaptive learning systems that cater to individual students’ needs, learning paces and styles. This personalization can help all students achieve their full potential.
• Access to information: The internet provides access to resources worldwide, including virtual field trips, expert guest lectures and international collaborations. This global perspective enriches the learning experience and broadens students’ horizons. Digital resources can be updated more frequently than traditional textbooks, ensuring students can access the most current information and research in any field. Students can access information in various formats, such as videos, podcasts, articles and interactive simulations, catering to different learning preferences and enhancing understanding through diverse approaches.
• Engagement and interactivity: Technology enhances student engagement through interactive and multimedia content. Educational games, virtual reality and augmented reality provide immersive learning experiences that can make complex concepts more understandable and enjoyable. Interactive tools such as digital whiteboards and collaborative platforms facilitate student learning and collaboration. Innovative learning methods can make education more engaging and fun, increasing students’ learning motivation. Interactive and dynamic teaching techniques, such as gamification, project-based learning and the use of technology can capture students’ interest more effectively than traditional methods.
• Gamification: By introducing game-like elements such as badges, points, and leaderboards, students can be motivated to engage more deeply with the material. This approach can make learning fun and encourage a healthy sense of competition. Gamification tools often include features that allow students to track their progress and set goals. This self-assessment can promote a sense of accomplishment and motivate students to continue improving. Many educational games are designed to develop specific skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration. These skills are essential for success both inside and outside the classroom.
• Collaboration and communication: Digital tools enable students to work on group projects regardless of their physical location. They can collaborate effectively with shared documents, virtual meeting spaces and project management tools. Online forums and social media platforms provide spaces for peer-to-peer learning, where students can ask questions, share resources and offer support to one another. This can create a collaborative learning community. Technology facilitates connections with classrooms worldwide, allowing students to collaborate on projects with peers from different cultures and backgrounds, fostering a global perspective and cultural understanding.
• Lifelong learning: Technology provides continuous access to educational resources, enabling students to learn at their own pace and revisit materials as needed. This promotes a habit of lifelong learning and self-directed education. Exposure to diverse viewpoints and information sources online encourages students to develop critical thinking skills. They learn to evaluate the credibility of sources, synthesize information and form well-informed opinions. Technology encourages students to experiment with new ideas and creative solutions. Tools like coding platforms, digital design software and multimedia creation tools empower students to innovate and express themselves in various formats.

Challenges in technology integration

Despite the benefits, challenges remain. The digital divide persists, with students from low-income families or rural areas lacking access to reliable internet or modern devices. Bridging this gap is crucial for ensuring equitable access to education.

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Effective technology integration also requires proficient teachers. Many educators need ongoing professional development to equip them with the necessary skills. Additionally, more reliance on technology can lead to health issues and diminish the importance of traditional teaching methods and interpersonal interactions.

Data privacy and security are other concerns. Educational institutions must ensure the security of student data and protect their privacy from potential cyber threats.

Looking ahead

Integrating technology into instruction is essential for creating a dynamic, efficient and inclusive educational environment. Collaboration is key to enhancing our district’s learning experiences and preparing students for future challenges. I am excited to be part of a team dedicated to enhancing learning experiences and equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in a complex, dynamic world.

I look forward to this new professional challenge and the opportunity to create classrooms as dynamic as the world around us.

The post Integrating technology with instruction: A path to enhanced learning appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Wednesday, August 7th at 2 pm ET

AI-driven edtech has the potential to revolutionize K-12 education. In this insightful roundtable discussion, a leading superintendent will share how their district is successfully integrating AI and the positive impact it’s having in their schools. 

Also on the panel will be thought leaders from Owl Ventures, Amira Learning and Istation, who will discuss the recent merger of these innovative edtech providers, and how future AI-powered technologies will impact K-12 teaching and learning.  

Presenters

Rich Watson, CRO, Istation 

Mark Angel, CEO, Amira Learning 

Amit Patel, Managing Director, Owl Ventures 

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Harnessing AI: Merging Innovation with Strategy for District-Wide Impact appeared first on District Administration.

Date & Time: Thursday, August 1st at 2 pm ET

AI-powered edtech has the potential to help educators address many long-standing challenges, but there are some important keys to consider before making decisions about which tools to implement in a school or district.

In this 20-minute DA Ed Talk, an AI and K-12 researcher will share some best practices to evaluate AI tools for their safety, recommendations for education leaders to guide discussions about the responsible use of AI, and provide a downloadable checklist of key considerations and questions to ask as you explore the potential of new AI technologies. 

Presenter

Leigh Hall, Ph.D., Director of Research, Merlyn Mind

Register Now

Sponsored by

The post Key Considerations for Evaluating AI Edtech Tools appeared first on District Administration.

The 2024 list, from LearnPlatform by Instructure, features many familiar names—such as Canva, Google Classroom and YouTube—and five new entrants: PBS, Panorama Education, Scratch, Adobe and Grammarly.

“As districts continue to explore different tools to enhance learning, the obstacles they now face aren’t just about picking the best tool, but picking safe, effective and interoperable tools that work together to build a highly effective learning ecosystem,” said Melissa Loble, Instructure’s chief academic officer.

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“Districts need trusted guidance and transparent information to empower them to make efficient and effective decisions that will improve teaching and learning,” Loble adds.

The EdTechTop 40 covers nearly 4 million student and teacher interactions and finds schools using 8% more digital tools than they did in the prior academic year. Districts accessed an average of 2,739 distinct edtech tools during the school year, with an average of 1,436 per month.

The list comprises learning management systems, supplemental platforms, courseware platforms, study tools, classroom response and assessment tools, and sites and resources.

“On the one hand, we know districts are actively looking for opportunities to consolidate their edtech, but with the explosion of new AI-enabled tools, there has been a lot of experimentation,” notes Shiren Vijiasingam, Instructure’s chief product officer. “We expect scrutiny on how these tools are helping the teaching and learning process.”

The top three reasons educators are using technology are to boost student engagement, personalize learning and save time. When it comes to accountability, just under a third of the tools on the 2024 Edtech Top 40 have met one of the Every Student Succeeds Act’s four tiers of evidence.

Here is the EdTech Top 40 (in alphabetical order):

1. ABCya!
2. Adobe*
3. Blooket
4. Canva
5. Canvas LMS
6. ClassLink
7. Clever
8. Code.Org
9. Cool Math Games
10. Desmos
11. EdPuzzle
12. Encyclopedia Britannica
13. Epic!
14. Gimkit
15. GoGuardian
16. Google Classroom
17. Google Workspace for Education
18. Grammarly*
19. History.com
20. i-Ready
21. IXL Learning
22. Kahoot!
23. Kami
24. Khan Academy
25. Math Playground
26. Nearpod
27. NYTimes.com
28. Panorama Education*
29. PBS*
30. PhET Interactive
31. Prodigy
32. Quizizz
33. Quizlet
34. Scholastic
35. Scratch*
36. Securly Filter
37. Study.com
38. Weebly
39. Wikipedia
40. YouTube

*Indicates the product is new to Edtech Top 40

The post EdTech Top 40: It’s all about unique tools and interoperability appeared first on District Administration.

“It’s remarkable to see the trends and the patterns that are uniform regardless of where you are geographically, regardless of the demographics of your community,” Cutler says. “There are a lot of parallels.”

Interventions is one of Paper’s specialties and artificial intelligence now plays a bigger role in personalization. Not long ago, Cutler points out, many districts were scrambling to ban AI. “Now the pendulum has swung to the other end and they’re saying how do we use [AI] to be as efficient as possible,” he says.

AI is beginning to transform instruction by allowing teachers to further personalize instruction based on each student’s interests and analyze assessment results more insightfully.

“It’s one thing to assign a quiz that’s been generated by AI but now if you can analyze the results and recommend interventions and what the next steps are for each student, you’re doing a lot of the hard work that’s time-consuming for a teacher,” he continues. “You’re letting teachers do what they’re best at, which is teaching. There’s going to be a lot more of that coming.”

Near the end of our interview, Cutler also touches on what surprised him in the Leadership Voices series, including just how much education has—or hasn’t—changed since the pandemic. “It’s four years later and school looks the same in a lot of cases as it did in 2019,” he noted. “A lot of the problems are the same problems we were dealing with. We haven’t transformed the way schools operate the way a lot of these superintendents thought we would.”

You can listen to this episode at any time on Apple, Spotify, Podbean or down below.

The post Talking out of School Podcast: What’s top of mind for 15 superintendents appeared first on District Administration.

The devices cherished by students and adults alike now face bans in entire states and some of the nation’s largest districts. On Tuesday, Los Angeles USD approved the nation’s largest districtwide cellphone ban, which will take effect in January and also targets social media.

“It is time to formulate a legal strategy that contemplates, but is not restricted to, litigation against social media entities that use algorithms designed to directly appeal and eventually develop, an unhealthy addiction with mental and physical deleterious consequences for our youth,” Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho said in a statement. “When coupled with social media, phones are a harmful vehicle that negatively impacts young people.”

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“Kids no longer have the opportunity to just be kids,” added LAUSD school board member Nick Melvoin, the sponsor of the ban. “I’m hoping this resolution will help students not only focus in class but also give them a chance to interact and engage more with each other—and just be kids.”

The entire state of California may soon vanquish cellphones from its K12 system. Gov. Gavin Newsom revealed to Politico this week that he intends to work with state lawmakers in the coming months to “severely restrict” the presence of phones in public schools.

Newsom spoke to the news outlet the day after U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for placing warning labels on social media to alert children and parents to potential health risks that include depression and anxiety. “When children and teens are in school, they should be focused on their studies—not their screens,” Newsom told Politico.

Florida, Indiana and Ohio have enacted statewide restrictions on cellphones in schools. Lawmakers in South Carolina are—with full support from education officials and teachers—embedding cellphone restrictions in the state budget. To continue to receive state funding, districts must adopt a ban that will soon be created by the state’s department of education, The74 reported.

LAUSD was not the only district that took action on Tuesday. Marietta City Schools in Georgia also banned cellphones for middle school students in a unanimous school board vote.

“We really want kids to be focused on learning,” said Superintendent Grant Rivera in a statement reported by FOX 5. “Cellphones, smartwatches, and social media have significant impacts on our students’ learning and mental health. School should be a place to learn and grow; that can’t happen if students are distracted by their phones.”

The post School cellphones: 2 more states consider big bans appeared first on District Administration.

As schools increasingly begin to integrate these digital tools, understanding AI tools for student use is crucial. AI-powered tools facilitate personalized learning, productivity and efficiency, content creation, knowledge building, content review, tutoring, collaboration, communication and developing technology skills in an equitable fashion for the future.

AI is more than just prompt engineering; it is a catalyst for sparking creative formats for synthesizing information. Students can deepen their learning through various AI-enabled activities including having conversations with historical figures, working with an online debate partner (chatbot) to build an argument or creating projects in 3D immersive environments to engage classes with AI tools to improve learning while empowering students’ choice and voice. The possibilities are endless, and the list of emerging AI tools is too.

AI-powered tools offer instant feedback and real-time individualized tutoring support and enrich understanding through careful Socratic-style interactions. The edtech market is full of options with many companies offering many new AI tools. However, selecting the right AI-powered tool for your district or school requires careful consideration. Here are five key factors to guide superintendents, administrators, principals and teachers in making informed decisions:

1. AI tools align with educational goals

Before diving into the myriad options available, it’s fundamental to define your district’s educational objectives. What specific outcomes are you aiming to achieve with AI? How can they be measured and does the tool offer the data analytics needed to make future decisions and improve student learning? Whether it’s personalized learning, improved student engagement or enhanced administrative efficiency, the AI tool you choose should directly support these objectives. By matching the tool’s capabilities with your strategic vision, you ensure the investment delivers meaningful and measurable benefits.

Carl Hooker, author of Learning Evolution: The New Era of AI in the Classroom, reflects on staying focused in your selection of tools aligned to overall educational goals, “What we are experiencing with AI right now is very much a repeat of what happened when the app store was launched. ‘There’s an app for that’ became a common phrase. Now that there is ‘an AI for that’ we have to think about the purpose of the tool and how ‘evergreen’ it might be. Don’t just purchase a single AI tool because it helps with one subject, find one that can help in all areas of learning.”

2. Ease of integration and use

Collaboration between the curriculum and IT departments is crucial. The success of any technological implementation depends on how seamlessly it can be integrated into the existing infrastructure and is compatible with various devices and platforms. Choose AI tools that offer intuitive interfaces from reputable providers that offer ongoing support, updates and professional development resources to ensure effective implementation and sustained use.

Tools that can integrate with your current systems and workflows will reduce disruptions and maximize the benefits of AI from the outset. Select AI tools that are easy to use for educators and learners, minimizing the learning curve and maximizing engagement. This approach reduces disruptions and accelerates the adoption process, allowing your district to benefit from AI-enhanced learning right away.

3. Focus on critical thinking and creativity

AI should enhance rather than replace human interactions and enable students to concentrate on critical thinking and creativity by automating routine tasks. Dan Fitzpatrick’s principle of outsourcing the “doing”—but not the “thinking”—to artificial intelligence, highlights the importance of using AI to handle administrative or repetitive tasks. This allows students and educators to focus on deeper learning and problem-solving activities that foster essential skills for future success.

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AI should empower students to focus on critical thinking and creative problem-solving by taking over routine tasks. Fitzpatrick emphasizes a key principle from his book, The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education: “Outsource your doing, not your thinking.”

“One of the most powerful sessions I lead involves teachers and students creating bespoke AI assistants. Students often make study companions, career mentors and even sleep coaches,” he notes.

This allows students to connect the power of AI to handle tasks and support their goals while focusing on the critical thinking and creative problem-solving that will propel them forward in their educational journey and beyond. Tools that automate administrative tasks or provide intelligent tutoring can free up valuable time for students and teachers to engage in deeper learning activities.

4. Accessibility, equity, transparency and student empowerment

Equity, transparency, and student empowerment must be prioritized when integrating AI into the classroom. Ken Shelton, author of The Promises and Perils of AI in Education: Ethics and Equity Have Entered The Chat, advises: “When choosing AI tools for the classroom, educators must prioritize equity, transparency, and student empowerment. They should seek out AI systems/platforms designed with diverse learner needs in mind, offering clear explanations of their design and decision-making processes, and engaging students as active creators and critical thinkers, not just passive consumers of technology.”

Additionally, in The AI Infused Classroom by Holly Clark, she provides the following recommendations for selecting the right AI tools for learner empowerment: “Look for AI tools that allow for customization and personalization to cater to individual learners’ needs, interests, and learning styles.” By choosing AI tools that address diverse learning needs and multilingual access and promote active participation, you create an inclusive, transparent and engaging learning environment.

5. Data privacy and security

In an era where data breaches and privacy concerns are rampant, it’s essential to prioritize the security of student and staff data. When selecting an AI tool, ensure that it complies with local, state and federal regulations regarding data privacy.

Look for tools that offer robust security measures, such as encryption and regular security audits. Protecting sensitive information safeguards your district and builds trust among students, parents and educators. Protecting students is mission-critical.

Strategic approach

Selecting the right AI-powered tool for your district involves aligning it with educational goals, ensuring ease of integration, enhancing human interactions, focusing on critical thinking and creativity and prioritizing equity, transparency and student empowerment. By carefully considering these factors, district administrators and superintendents can leverage AI to create enriched, effective and equitable learning environments.

As districts begin to explore what tools are available with these criteria in mind, they can select those that align to their goals and student needs while providing equity, security and privacy for all learners. Now is the time to embrace AI as a powerful ally in advancing education while maintaining a focus on the human elements that are fundamental to learning and growth.

Free FETC webinar

Explore 10 AI-powered tools in a free FETC webinar on Thursday, June 20th at 2 pm ET. This introduction to AI-powered edtech tools highlights their features and benefits so administrators and teachers can grow their skills and begin implementing new technologies with students as they plan for lessons next fall. Watch this fast-paced round of 10 demos and choose an AI tool to try right away! This webinar will enable participants to harness the momentum and revolutionize student learning with AI-powered tools.

Hear about the following AI enhanced products: K12Brix.ai, Khanmigo, Magic School, MegaMinds, Meritus AI, Padlet, Perplexity, PowerBuddy, Quizizz, and Snorkl. Even if you aren’t able to attend the live event, feel free to register and you will receive access to the presentation and the event recording. All registrants will receive a link to the recording and a professional development CEU certificate post event.

Register here to learn more about edtech professional development offerings. FETC is proud to produce events with our partners that propel education forward to continuously improve the future of teaching and learning!

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In the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan, the U.S. Department of Education made a call to action to close the digital access divide and ensure students and educators have equitable, sustainable access to connectivity, devices and digital content.

These efforts are moving the education industry in the right direction. However, more than 24 million individuals in the U.S. still don’t have access to high-speed internet and many more cannot connect due to gaps in digital equity and literacy, or because they can’t afford service. The digital divide in education between students who have access to technology and those who do not is ever-present—and it is up to us as leaders in the industry to bridge the gap.

Learning in the digital world

As a middle school teacher for 17 years, I can tell you that technology has become a modern resource and has played a crucial role in and outside of my classrooms. Today, 89% of K12 teachers use educational technologies in their classroom—illustrating the importance of ensuring students have reliable access to devices to learn, interact and collaborate with others.

A U.S. Department of Education study found that 1-to-1 device programs can play a positive role in students’ academic achievement and motivation to be at school. Additionally, according to 2023 research, teachers reported using student tablets or laptops daily for teaching.

While there has been significant progress made in district implementation of 1-to-1 device programs since the beginning of the pandemic (due in large part to ESSER), there is still work to be done—and in some cases, time may be running out.

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Many districts used ESSER funding to implement 1-to-1 device strategies for students to maintain learning during the pandemic. Now, most districts have used their allocated funds and the ESSER deadline is coming up on Sept. 30. At the end of ESSER, it may be challenging for districts to maintain 1-to-1 devices for students—but it is imperative and proven to help students flourish and thrive in today’s digital world.

Sustaining 1-to-1 device access for all students

To keep a 1-to-1 device initiative up and running, it takes a district-wide commitment and strategy to never miss a beat. Some things to think about:

• Solve for learning downtime. There are still many cases throughout the country where kids break or lose a device and don’t have access to another one while it’s repaired or replaced. In a world where more and more of our learning is ONLY accessible via technology, this is potentially a huge equity problem.
• Move from manual processes. Automate workflows and streamline help desk ticketing with a workflow management platform that empowers districts to submit self-service help tickets in seconds and amplify efforts with enterprise-level tools built for schools.
• Develop processes and guidelines for device refreshes. Use performance data, breakage rate reports and user insights to inform decisions and policies about your next generation of devices.
• Build learning technology plans. Create plans in consultation with a broad group of stakeholders and according to established review cycles. IT leaders should crowdsource this information from teachers and school leaders to make every voice count.

As educators and tech leaders, we must commit to creating a sustainable 1-to-1 device program and making technology available to every student. This requires our tech teams to collaborate with our educators and our educators to educate our students. It will all be worth it in creating a learning environment that ensures all students have access to equitable learning opportunities.

The post 4 ways to sustain your 1-to-1 program beyond ESSER appeared first on District Administration.

In education, we talk a lot about achievement gaps, but especially since COVID we’ve also seen instructional gaps. As a Purple Heart District where all 26 of our schools are considered “military-friendly,” we also manage a high volume of transient students who move in and out a lot. We also have a steadily increasing ESL student population.

These and other realities pushed us to get out there and find a platform that could help fill the skill gaps and increase our students’ end-of-grade reading scores.

Picking the right literacy platform

When I joined the district six years ago, one of our schools was using Lexia Core5 Reading, an adaptive blended learning program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for students of all abilities. I liked what I saw in the program and felt like the entire district would benefit from using it. We talked to the vendor and then had one of our instructional coaches share the platform with all of our elementary schools.

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From there, we pushed the platform up to the secondary level with PowerUp Literacy, which accelerates literacy gains for students in grades 6–12 who are at risk of not meeting college- and career-ready standards. The first school to test out that platform is no longer low-performing by North Carolina standards. Our literacy platform definitely played a role in that school’s success and now we’re seeing similar results at other schools.

6 Steps to success

We took some deliberate steps when rolling out and using our new literacy platforms. Here are six that we recommend to other districts that are taking a tech-driven approach to boosting literacy rates:

1. Start training on day one. We’ve been very intentional with our literacy platform and the professional development that goes along with it. We have district elementary coaches, so anytime we have new teachers—whether it’s a beginner or someone new to Craven County—the coaches support the onboarding process. We ensure that when teachers are learning the ropes on day one, they’re also being trained to use our online literacy platform. We also do ongoing training throughout the year. We vary the training each year to ensure the teachers are not just hearing the same things over and over again.
2. Get buy-in from district administrators and train them, too. When we initially rolled out the platform across the district, we laid out a plan that started with our administrators and included training them on it to ensure buy-in. This included assistant principals, instructional coaches, MTSS professionals and other stakeholders.
3. Leverage the power of your data. At first, we were mostly focused on usage. Once we determined how many minutes each student should spend on the platform, we started looking at specific skills across grade levels and the district as a whole. Our schools even scoreboard their data from the literacy platforms by sharing their weekly usage of minutes or units earned. They share that information in a weekly “Staff in the Know” email. I then scoreboard that information and report it out to our superintendent’s cabinet on a quarterly basis. That way, everybody from the central office to the schools to the families sees this data.
4. Encourage teacher collaboration. Teachers look at the results in their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and discuss common trends if they’re seeing certain levels where kids are struggling. They also have conversations about, “What are you doing differently instruction wise so that kids are getting these particular skills?” Most of that’s done in PLCs but some of it takes place during the afternoons. We’ve worked very closely with our vendor partner on the training, and they meet with our administrators regularly to take that data and share it with the teachers.
5. Make it part of your district DNA. All North Carolina schools must have literacy intervention plans in place. For districts trying to get a similar initiative off the ground, it’s important to have that plan so your teachers don’t see this as just “one more thing” that they’re expected to do. To avoid this problem, we tie our literacy initiative to everything we do. It’s in our literacy intervention plan, which ties to scoreboarding that information weekly at the school and district levels. It’s part of our everyday business and we monitor every aspect of the program.
6. Reward student success. We incorporate other things in the buildings with our literacy programs. We have at least one vending machine in probably half of our 15 elementary schools and we’re using that as an incentive with our students. When students level up, they get their certificate and coins to use at the vending machine, which they love. One school has books on a cart and every Friday the principal pushes the cart from class to class while playing music and says, “All right, I’ve got these students who leveled up this week” and they get to pick out a book. We’re always encouraging students to read and we’re also rewarding them for their efforts.

Seeing how far they can go

We’ve made some remarkable progress with student literacy outcomes over the last five years. Nearly 80% of our students are using the program with fidelity and according to our district’s data, 90% of students who met usage targets were reading at or above grade level last year. One of our schools boosted that number to 92%.

Our district has also made up for the learning losses that happened during the COVID years. According to a recent North Carolina Department of Instruction report, our county has returned back to its pre-COVID numbers—something not all districts can say yet. I think our literacy program played a role in making that happen. It helps us meet students “where they are” and see how far they can go.

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Most districts currently pay upfront for edtech solutions at the beginning of their fiscal year in July and sign a minimum of a 12-month contract. Unfortunately, if a platform fails to live up to expectations and the vendor does nothing to alleviate the issues, they’re trapped until renewal time, draining budgets and leaving students in the lurch.

To ensure the best for our students, our collective industry—which includes district leaders and edtech providers alike—needs to better hold ourselves accountable and revamp how we approach our partnerships moving forward.

Better the edtech vetting process

In the rush to reverse learning loss, many district leaders get ahead of themselves, landing on a “feel good” solution before identifying the challenges they’re trying to solve. They focus on the end result without considering how they’ll track performance along the way.

Purchasing an edtech platform shouldn’t be another checkbox on a district’s to-do list, but an intentional, strategic process that ensures solutions are implemented with fidelity. All essential stakeholders should be involved to establish educational priorities, determine the district’s return on investment and identify variables for success. If they can’t agree on all three, there are bigger issues at hand that no platform can resolve.

Just as overwhelming is finding the right partner among the 12,000 vendors in the edtech market. Administrators need to use their own qualitative information and experience to identify gaps in data utilization and find compatible partners. And just as important, they should seek feedback directly from districts with similar student demographics to learn how the solution worked for them.

Hold vendors accountable with real-time results

Many edtech vendors promise the world to administrators desperate to quickly move the needle in a positive direction. Yet, these bold claims are rarely tracked at the individual vendor level. And if they are, the evidence is drawn only from data that identifies correlation without taking into account causation, such as learning differences, mental health concerns and socioeconomic factors. Researchers also find that because there’s minimal federal oversight of the edtech industry, vendors have little incentive to prove their solutions work.

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Before diving into a partnership, the district and provider need to mutually agree on performance metrics to gauge the success of platform integration. The vendor must dedicate the time to craft customized, data-driven solutions that deliver the answers administrators are seeking and create a feedback loop to quickly identify what’s working and what’s not in real time.

With the right data-as-a-service solution, administrators don’t have to wait months or even years to determine its validity. Administrators have a comprehensive picture and actionable insights to ensure the district’s strategic goals are being met in real-time and if not, determine where and how things need to change immediately.

Revisit the edtech pricing structure

For years, the enterprise-grade solutions revenue model has been centered on paid, up-front contracts and multi-year licenses. Districts believed that a one-time investment was better for budget planning and that a long-term contract would allow administrators and educators to become accustomed to the platform.

In reality, districts have found themselves scrambling to fix financial and implementation holes. Increasing seat licenses to ensure all stakeholders had access to information sent budgets reeling, and districts often paid for overbuilt software that made it costly to extract the data insights they required.

It’s time administrators shift from up-front, per-unit billing to a combination of consumption and performance-based pricing. By agreeing on predetermined metrics with vendors, the district can “pay as they go,” either monthly or quarterly based on what’s being used and ideally, what’s working. If an issue arises, the vendor is incentivized to make real-time adjustments, rather than shrug it off until renewal time.

For Ector County ISD in Texas, the outcomes-based model helped the district determine the best tutoring platforms for their students. Multiple partners were compensated based on the level of academic growth students experienced, and those that delivered the most powerful results secured an ongoing contract.

Finally, if edtech vendors truly want to demonstrate they are invested in student success, they must follow best practices and offer a money-back guarantee. Sales representatives can talk a big game, and their companies can walk away without repercussions if reality doesn’t live up to expectations. Guarantees help administrators determine who has skin in the game and who values sales over students.

By centering on a guaranteed, performance-based pricing structure, districts and vendors become true partners in using data to shape student outcomes and create long-term (and profitable!) relationships that last for years.

With all the critical student issues administrators are focused on, from chronic absenteeism to poverty and hunger to school safety, edtech solutions should take extra work and stress off their shoulders. By moving away from the standard, transactional relationship toward a mutually beneficial partnership, vendors can become the dedicated allies today’s administrators and students need for greater academic outcomes.

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