SALT
LAKE CITY, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In keeping
with an ongoing commitment to maximizing edtech effectiveness,
Instructure has published the Education Policy Atlas, a valuable
new resource outlining the federal, state, and funding guidelines
for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence. Created for K-12
districts, state departments of education and edtech companies,
this first-of-its-kind atlas outlines the specific evidence
requirements for any state in the country. Instructure already
provides comprehensive evidence-based edtech management solutions
to K12 organizations with LearnPlatform, and partners directly with
other edtech companies to build rigorous, third-party research.
This initiative expands upon and democratizes that work by offering
a singular resource to use during strategic planning initiatives
and to evaluate how edtech tools align with federal and state
requirements for funding sources in this new post-pandemic funding
landscape.
"Understanding evidence and funding requirements is essential
for educational institutions to maximize the available resources
and identify compliant solutions that will drive meaningful
improvement. Without this knowledge, schools risk missing critical
opportunities to provide research-backed interventions that support
students and meet their unique needs," explained Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at
Instructure. "Unfortunately, navigating state funding requirements
can be incredibly challenging. Information is often scattered
across various documents and agencies, making it difficult for
decision-makers to pinpoint exactly what is needed to access these
crucial funds. Having a one-stop page where administrators can find
what they need allows them to reallocate one of their most precious
resources — time — to other priorities that can directly impact
students."
Not only can stakeholders struggle with finding specific
evidence requirements to access funding, these requirements often
vary by state. Although all 50 states require interventions,
practices, and programs to be evidence-based, there is great
variability in how each state defines "evidence-based." Thirty-four
states generally encourage evidence-based programs, while 16 states
define evidence-based as meeting at least ESSA Level IV or better.
Only one state defines evidence-based as meeting at least ESSA
Level III or better.
To ease the burden of finding state-wide funding requirements,
Instructure's Education Policy Atlas outlines
the minimum ESSA Level required for Title I Funds and the minimum
ESSA Level required to access school improvement funds. Interested
parties can view these requirements in an easy-to-read table view
or in map form to compare with other states.
"Although these policy requirements might seem daunting, ESSA is
a crucial framework to ensure that all students, regardless of
background, have access to a quality education. By holding states
accountable for academic standards, equity, and student
achievement, ESSA aims to close achievement gaps, promote
transparency, and empower local stakeholders to address the unique
needs of their schools. Compliance with these guidelines is
essential to fostering an education system that prioritizes the
success of every child," explained Christoper Downs, Director of Government Affairs
at Instructure.
Instructure's Education Policy Atlas may also benefit EdTech
companies aiming to make their solutions more attractive and
impactful for educational institutions. According to one federal
estimate, about 92% of schools used pandemic relief funds on
edtech. Changes in funding will require educational institutions to
be more discerning about how they spend their limited resources. A
recent poll found that only 18% of administrators say that a lot of
evidence-based information is available about the effectiveness of
the digital learning tools used in their school districts. Aligning
demonstrated outcomes with funding requirements not only appeals to
these institutions but also helps companies position their
solutions as leading options in the market.
"As operators in the educational space, we share a collective
responsibility to keep improving student learning outcomes. We must
ensure our solutions meet the highest level of evidence required,"
added Loble. "By aligning solutions with funding sources like Title
dollars, companies can position themselves as go-to partners,
gaining a competitive edge in the RFP process as school districts
seek evidence-based interventions that deliver real impact."
Instructure's Education Policy Atlas can be found here:
https://www.instructure.com/landing/education-policy-atlas
ABOUT RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
To identify the evidence
requirements for each state, researchers used a targeted search
strategy. First, researchers conducted a separate online search for
each state using the terms "[State] department of education Title I
1003a school improvement funds evidence ESSA." They then reviewed
various documents generated from the search using key terms. Only
documents published by state education agencies were used to
identify the evidence requirements. Researchers recorded relevant
primary source text regarding evidence requirements and criteria
for identifying CSI or TSI schools in need of improvement. All
cases were reviewed by a second researcher to reach agreement on
the evidence requirements, and disputed cases were discussed among
three researchers until consensus was achieved. The requirements
were reviewed in August 2024, so the
information may change as new details become available.
ABOUT ESSA
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is
the primary education law for public schools in the United States, aiming to ensure all
children have a significant opportunity to receive a fair,
equitable, and high-quality education while closing achievement
gaps. ESSA encourages state and local education agencies to follow
the school improvement cycle, progressing from identifying needs to
selecting and implementing interventions, and then examining the
outcomes. The law offers guidance to districts and schools through
a tiered framework for determining which programs, practices,
strategies, and interventions are effective in specific contexts
and for particular students.
ABOUT INSTRUCTURE
Instructure (NYSE: INST) powers the delivery of education globally
and provides learners with the rich credentials they need to create
opportunities across their lifetimes. Today, the Instructure
ecosystem of products enables educators and institutions to elevate
student success, amplify the power of teaching, and inspire
everyone to learn together. With our global network of learners,
educators, partners and customers, we continue to deliver on our
vision to be the platform that powers learning for a lifetime and
turns that learning into opportunities. We encourage you to
discover more at www.instructure.com.
CONTACT:
Brian
Watkins
Corporate Communications
Instructure
(801) 658-7525
brian.watkins@instructure.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/instructure-launches-first-of-its-kind-education-policy-atlas-to-aid-in-identifying-funding-requirements-for-every-state-302271243.html
SOURCE Instructure