69ý

Classroom Technology

The Most Popular Ed-Tech Products Don’t Meet Research Standards

By Lauraine Langreo — March 08, 2023 1 min read
Image of school space.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Email Copy URL

Only about a quarter of the 100 most-used ed-tech tools in classrooms meet Every Student Succeeds Act requirements, according to , an education technology company that helps districts measure the use and effectiveness of their digital products.

The report examines how the 100 most-accessed ed-tech tools stack up across the United States based on key factors, such as data privacy, interoperability, federally aligned evidence, and other indicators.

When the pandemic hit, many companies provided their products to schools and teachers for free. And schools used them even if companies didn’t provide evidence of standards alignment, because educators needed something that would help engage their students.

The average number of technology products that school districts access in a given month has almost tripled over the last several years, but oftentimes, the efficacy of those products aren’t clearly shown.

Federal, state, and district policies are increasingly asking companies to show evidence of alignment to ESSA. Large districts, such as Los Angeles and Chicago, are now requiring evidence information from vendors during the purchasing process.

At the start of the pandemic in 2020, Congress passed Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds to help districts recover from the pandemic. The term “evidence-based” was used 17 times in the first 20 pages of the bill, which shows there’s more desire for proof that a tech tool works, said LearnPlatform co-founder Karl Rectanus during a presentation about ESSA and technology at the SXSW EDU conference this week in Austin.

“With tech-enabled learning here to stay, understanding which tools are effective, interoperable, compliant, accessible, and safe are table stakes,” Rectanus said in a statement. “While not ubiquitous, this report indicates that the use of evidence is taking flight across education.”

For the report, LearnPlatform analyzed data on more than 11,000 ed-tech products based on the engagement of 2.8 million students and more than 320,000 educators. The analysis was then cross-referenced with publicly available information on provider websites and from respected associations and organizations, including Common Sense Media, Digital Promise, and the International Society for Technology in Education, or ISTE.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI and Educational Leadership: Driving Innovation and Equity
Discover how to leverage AI to transform teaching, leadership, and administration. Network with experts and learn practical strategies.
Content provided by 
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School Climate & Safety Webinar
Investing in Success: Leading a Culture of Safety and Support
Content provided by 
Assessment K-12 Essentials Forum Making Competency-Based Learning a Reality
Join this free virtual event to hear from educators and experts working to implement competency-based education.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.

Read Next

Classroom Technology Most Teens Believe Conspiracy Theories, See News as Biased. What Can 69ý Do?
Teenagers—like adults—struggle to recognize accurate, unbiased information in a chaotic digital media landscape.
6 min read
Fake News concept with gray words 'fact' in row and single bold word 'fake' highlighted by black magnifying glass on blue background
Firn/iStock/Getty
Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on Blended Learning
This Spotlight will help you analyze key research on school tech use, explore strategies for engaging virtual instruction, and more.
Classroom Technology Opinion This Group is Trying to Teach ‘Digital Literacy.’ Here’s How
How can students avoid getting duped by deepfakes online?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Classroom Technology Opinion 69ý Are 'Digital Natives,' But Here’s Where They Struggle
The internet is awash with dubious claims. How can educators teach students to distinguish fact from fiction?
6 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty