Edtech procurement: Resources for making high-impact decisions

How are school districts approaching edtech purchasing? A survey of Clever users says that more educators want a seat at the curriculum decision-making table. So we asked education leaders to share their strategies to achieve just that.

We asked education leaders to share resources that help K12 schools develop high-impact strategies for edtech procurement, while also building privacy, equity, and teacher satisfaction.

Watch: Virtual summit – Developing high-impact edtech procurement strategies.

During the session, a panel of district leaders discuss strategies to make impactful decisions around edtech, including:

1. Using data to evaluate what’s being used, or left unused
2. Inviting teacher input to your procurement cycle
3. Training teachers around choosing safe tools, and how to use district-selected edtech
4. Building equity & inclusion into tech infrastructure and curriculum

You can find a collection of resources to support this work below.

Evaluating edtech usage

“One tool we were spending $20k/year on. We found we had FOUR PEOPLE USING IT (yes I’m yelling – LOL). Let’s say, we made some changes that day.” – Webinar panelist

• Clever Analytics: See which programs teachers are adopting to inform the apps and edtech programs you purchase each year. 
• Unified Digital Instructional Procurement Plan

Supporting teacher selection & student data privacy

“LAUSD uses an app center for teachers to download approved applications.” – Webinar attendee

• Clever Library: Educators can discover, try, and review learning applications—all from within the SSO portal they use every day. And strong privacy controls in Clever Library help districts safeguard data.
• The Future of Privacy Forum 
• Project Unicorn – Better Edtech Buying for Educators 
• Common Sense Professional Development – Develop effective strategies for teaching with tech and supporting students in their digital lives.
• Common Sense Digital Citizenship Toolkits – Use digital citizenship toolkits to explore specific topics and help students develop the skills they need to become curious learners, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens.

Selecting equitable curriculum

• Digital Promise – New Product Certification Calls on Edtech Tools to Prioritize Racial Equity in AI Design
• LAUSD’s Unified Digital Instructional Procurement Plan
• National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA)
• Chicago Public Schools – The Curriculum Equity Initiative

Building an infrastructure that’s equitable 

“We sent out family surveys, gathered information at registration, and worked with our local ISP to help families with connectivity.” – Webinar attendee

• FCC Announces Third Application Window And New Round Of Funding Commitments Through The Emergency Connectivity Fund 
• EveryoneOn – EveryoneOn helps unlock social and economic opportunity by connecting families in underserved communities to affordable internet service and computers, and delivering digital skills trainings. 
• 16.9 Million Children Remain Logged Out Because They Don’t Have Internet at Home via Future Ready
• Watch our virtual summit with NDIA: Strategies for achieving digital equity and inclusion in K12 schools

When putting together your edtech strategies and implementation plans for 2022, consider these 5 trends. Click to see the full report and share with your leadership team.

Clever is driving toward a future of digital learning that’s equitable to all. Learn more.