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Improving Ed-tech Purchasing

There are over


14,000 school
districts in the US...

And countless educational


technology products...

Ed-tech is a
$9 billion dollar industry

But its hard to match the right tools


with the right teachers and students

?
?

Why is there such a disconnect


between schools and providers?

Digital Promise and


the Education Industry Association
teamed up to understand ed-tech procurement

We gathered information from both


providers and educators

From

54 districts
&

47 companies

Providers mostly unsatisfied


with procurement processes
60%
45%
30%
15%
0%

Superintendents

Very Unsatisfied

Principals

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Business
Ocers
Satisfied

Providers
Very Satisfied

43%

of curriculum
directors not
satisfied with time
taken

Providers? 72%

50%

Business ocers split on


satisfaction with time taken

37.5%

40.5

38.1

25%
12.5%
0%

11.9
7.1

2.4

Very Unsatisfied

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

62%

of providers say
procurement
requirements
directly influence
product
development

60%

of providers say
more ecient
procurement would
reduct product costs

Here are
six key highlights

Needs Assessment
is Informal

Schools only scratch the


surface when assessing
instructional needs

A clearer picture of instructional


challenges and priorities could improve
ed-tech product fit

End Users
Arent Very Involved

Students and teachers


often are not part of the ed-tech
decision making process

INVOLVEMENT
Students/Parents

Teachers

District Staff

CTOs & Curriculum Directors are


reported to be most involved in
procurement process

32%

of providers satisfied
with involvement of
end users

Superintendents? 70%

Business ocers and principals disagree on


de-centralized purchasing

62.5%
50%
47.6

43.7

37.5%
25%

28.6
21.420.4

12.5%
0%

9.5

14.6

14.3
0.0

Respondent Group: Business


Ocers
Strongly Disagree

Disagree

0.0
Respondent Group: Principals

Neutral

Agree

Strongly Agree

Product Discovery is
Especially Difficult

The market is flooded with ed-tech products,


and schools struggle to sort through
whats available

IF THERES A GOOD
VENDOR OUT THERE DOING
WONDERFUL THINGS, ITS
HARD TO FIND THAT
VENDOR.
-Assistant Superintendent

Schools need
better information about
available products

Limited Meaningful Evidence


of Product Success

Districts value rigorous


evidence, but few
providers can afford to
develop it

Districts often dont trust


providers evidence

Providers dont think


districts know what
evidence to look for

OUR INTERNAL EFFICACY


RIGOR IS RARELY AN ASSET
BECAUSE FEW DISTRICTS
KNOW HOW TO ASSESS OR
DIFFERENTIATE VENDOR
EFFICACY CLAIMS
-Provider

29%

of technology
directors satisfied
with credibility of
providers evidence
of eectiveness

With these evidence gaps,


districts and providers alike rely heavily
on referrals and pilots

Most Pilots Arent Rigorous

While pilots are used frequently,


they are mostly unstructured

Most providers dont see


pilots as a clear path to scale

Providers: limited satisfaction with pilot


opportunities

40%
36.2

30%

31.9 31.9

29.8
25.5

20%

21.3
12.8

10%
0%

4.3

4.3

2.1

Opportunities to conduct pilots Opportunities to scale afterward

Very Unsatisfied

Unsatisfied

Neutral

Satisfied

Very Satisfied

83%

of providers say
guidelines for postpilot expansion
(without new RFP)
would help

Providers Struggle in
Buyers Market

Providers find it difficult


to rise above the noise in
a crowded market

23%

of providers satisfied
with ability to gain
visibility in a district

Poor communication,
complicated and
untrusted RFPs, and time
delays add to their
frustrations

11%

of providers satisfied
with district info on
buying cycles &
purchasing policies

So, what can be done to


improve ed-tech purchasing?

Better guidelines for


Conducting needs assessments
Evaluating evidence
Administering pilots

Simplified RFP processes


Clearer pilot guidelines
Incentives to get results &
show evidence

A website that offers trusted


product information and
connects providers and
educators

More research about


Effective pilots that drive
decision-making
Funding sources for edtech product purchases
The role of end users in
defining needs and
selecting products

By working together to improve these practices,


we can get the right products into the hands
of the right teachers & students

Learn more at
DigitalPromise.org/marketplace
and EducationIndustry.org

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