1. Fostering Market Efficiency in K-12 Ed-tech Procurement
A National Study
I want to let you know about an exciting project SIIA is happy to be part of.
Digital Promise, EIA, and Johns Hopkins University are conducting a national study of K-12 ed-tech procurement, focused on student-facing programs and content that facilitate personalized learning.
We’ve been supporters of the project from the start.
We hosted a focus group in December, there’s a session here tomorrow, and we’ve encouraged you all to be part of the study.
I want to renew that encouragement today.
The study’s purpose is to uncover challenges and best practices in ed-tech discovery and acquisition by gathering insights from both sides of the market through surveys and interviews.
The end result will be recommendations and tools that make it easier for educators and students to get access to great products, and for ed-tech providers to navigate the procurement process.
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

2. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Ed-Tech Procurement Study Overview
Now: Surveys & Interviews
Superintendents, curriculum directors, ed-tech directors, purchasing directors, principals
Ed-tech firm executives
Summer: Draft Findings Available
Fall: Results & Recommendations
Right now, surveys and interviews are being conducted.
Draft findings will be available for review in the beginning of the summer.
And results and recommendations will be ready in the fall.
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

3. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Join the National Ed-tech Procurement Study
Sign up here:
Contact
Talk to Steve Pines or Phil Martin this week
And lucky for you, it’s not too late to participate!
If you’re a company that provides student-facing products to K-12 schools, you can --
sign up using this link
send an to or
grab Steve Pines or Phil Martin who are here this week and have a session tomorrow.
I hope you will, and we look forward to sharing the results of the study at our next conference.
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

4. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Hypothesis 1: Proxies used for market info
Proliferation of products to choose from
Educators can’t assess & compare
Don’t trust and/or understand evidence
Relationships & pilots as fall-back for informed decision-making (takes time)
Pilots implemented unevenly
Short term: improve pilots (guidelines for structured test)
Long term: make it easier for districts to make informed market decisions
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

5. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Hypothesis 2: RFP protocols mean high cost, low competition and uncertain quality
Purchasing policies mean onerous RFP development and response
Firms don’t trust RFPs as unbiased and/or don’t have bandwidth to find and apply
Districts: sole source or existing contract
short term: improve RFP protocols (rubrics, templates)
long term: reconsider policies that drive RFP protocols
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

6. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Providers
“RFP process makes it almost impossible for small companies to win.”
“Our internal efficacy rigor is rarely an asset because few districts know how to assess or differentiate vendor efficacy claims.”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

7. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Principals
“We pilot but we don’t have a process to guide our pilots and analysis.”
“Disagreement between the instructional tech dept and the tech dept handicaps us from getting solutions to students.”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

8. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Curriculum Directors
“Lack of rubric for evaluating current products and needs.”
“Lack of research available about products.”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

9. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Purchasing Directors
“The product decision is made before I become involved.”
“Executing a contract for data security measures (newly developed in 2013).”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

10. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Ed Tech Directors
“District staff are bombarded by sales calls from product vendors.”
“State regulations and purchasing requirements.”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

11. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Select excerpts: Superintendents
“Once you purchase a product, if new products come out that could be better you are really stuck.”
“Purchasing is archaic, not online, and the finance staff has no knowledge of [different approach].”
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

12. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Selected topics in initial survey results for discussion
Pilots
Evidence/research
Funding/budget
Internal alignment (within districts)
Data privacy & security in procurement
Other topics
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA

13. In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA
Join the National Ed-tech Procurement Study
Sign up here:
Contact
Talk to Steve Pines or Phil Martin this week
In collaboration with AASA, CoSN, and SIIA