Instructional Technology Evaluation Guide This guide is designed to help K-12 leaders make informed decisions about instructional technology investments. Research shows the positive impact technology can have on elevating student learning. As a technology leader in your school or district, one of your top priorities is likely to provide tools that enhance classroom instruction, engage and motivate students, and give families visibility to their child’s learning. However, teachers are often faced with an overwhelming number of tools, apps, and platforms, which leads “app overload” – and tech stress. Your schools and teachers may be facing the challenge, juggling numerous tools to support different learning styles for engagement and assessment, IEP and 504 accommodations, Multilingual Learners, and special education students. Use this guide to make intentional, informed decisions about new technology investments and to evaluate your current edtech ecosystem. Student Engagement Does the tool help students learn, engage, express, imagine, and/or explore? 1
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Does the tool support district instructional goals, curriculum, and academic standards?
YES
NO
Does the tool provide age-appropriate content that addresses a range of subjects, including 21st century learning skills?
YES
NO
Does the tool give teachers the ability to assess student progress towards standards?
YES
NO
Does the tool give teachers the ability to track and showcase student growth over the course of a school year (or multiple school years)?
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
YES
NO
Family Engagement Does the tool give families insight into student progress and the ability to engage with students and teachers around student learning?
Communication Does the tool translate classroom and school messages into the family’s home language?
Standards and Alignments
Assessment
Differentiation Does the tool provide accessibility features for students with special needs and multi-modal tools supporting differentiation and language translation?
Customization Can teachers customize content and tools to meet the needs of students in their classroom?
Ease of Use Is the tool easy to use for all intended audiences (students, teachers, admin, families)? A
Privacy and Safety Is the company privacy policy clear about what student data is collected and how it is securely managed and does it feature in-product privacy controls? B