A pair of state officials talk about how the federal Go Open campaign has changed what they’re demanding from content providers.
How Federal ‘Open’ Education Plans Are Shaping State Policy
Vendors have a role to play, but it's not business as usual.
How to Get Past Districts’ Fondness for Incumbent Companies
Consider Sharing Financial Risks and Hiring Former Educators, a Top K-12 Tech Expert Recommends
Hal Friedlander, the former chief information officer of the nation’s largest school district, talks about how new and emerging digital providers can compete with established players for K-12 contracts.
Tips for Talking With, and Marketing to, Classroom Teachers
Two educators outline the reasons why they do and do not choose certain ed-tech products
Two educators who are savvy users of learning technologies talk about the steps companies should take to work more effectively with teachers.
Lessons From Canada: How Education Leaders Buy and Evaluate Ed Tech
Ontario School Leaders Face Many of the Same Challenges as Their U.S. Counterparts
Research focused on Ontario’s schools offers lessons for American companies about the challenges schools face in making smart ed-tech decisions.
What Test Items Work Best for Online Formative Assessment?
Long Beach district weighs several factors in vetting providers of item banks
The Long Beach, Calif., school district learned important lessons when it went looking for a company to provide a test-item bank for its online formative assessments.
When Selling Ed Tech to Districts, Know the Local Context
Companies can gain insights about K-12 systems' priorities by knowing their history
Districts are overwhelmingly drawn to Chromebooks because they’re easy to manage, and school leaders tend to have mixed views on “freemium” tech products, said Anton Inglese, the chief financial officer of an Illinois school district.
Performance Metrics Up the Ante for Doing Business With K-12 Schools
Two Cleveland School Leaders Outline How the District Holds Companies Accountable for Raising Achievement
Moving the needle on student achievement is an expectation more schools are sharing with their ed-tech partners. Here’s how Cleveland Metropolitan sets goals and monitors progress with data from companies.
District Building a Balance Between Open Resources and Purchased Content
Spokane elementary-curriculum chief says quality outweighs 'free' cost for instructional materials
Matthew Henshaw of the Spokane, Wash., district says open resources are filling some curriculum gaps, but they are “not the answer for all our needs.”
Implementation Woes Can Doom Ed-Tech Sales to Districts
California district leader wants evidence that new digital products will not create headaches for his teachers, tech staff, and students.
A California district leader explains how his system doesn’t just measure the success of ed-tech products by academic outcomes, but by ease of implementation, too.
Why Tests of Ed-Tech Products Don’t Mesh With K-12 Budget Cycles
Many Trials of Digital Learning Products Occur Too Late to Get in District Spending Plans
Many pilots of ed-tech products occur too late for K-12 systems to make district-wide purchases of those products the next academic year. How can companies overcome that timing disconnect?
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