District leaders should work collaboratively in a cross-departmental team to establish transparent rubrics and required criteria used to determine which edtech products are effective and safe for student use. The team should establish evaluation criteria across instructional and academic standards, relevant federal, state, and local laws, technical compatibility, privacy and security, finance, and evidence of impact. By leveraging third-party certifications, teams can engage in deep analysis of the quality of each tool with in-house expertise and abbreviate review timelines with the support and expertise of partner organizations, especially with new types of evidence emerging. Throughout this review process, teams should center the learners and their instructional needs as identified in the previous step and ensure tools are selected that have demonstrated impact for similar learner populations. Engaging in a transparent and thorough review of each tool will ensure the district is strategically allocating resources to best support learner outcomes.
