Framing the Evidence: A SETDA Partnership Program 

SETDA members are leading the charge within their state departments of education for proper uses of technology in schools, including supporting district leaders and their state colleagues in ESSA, Title I, IDEA, assessment, curriculum, and data collection to ensure technology is leveraged appropriately throughout the educational system. The Framing the Evidence Program grows directly out of SETDA’s mission and commitment to:

●     Serving every U.S. state and territorial education agency
●     Maintaining a future-focused, holistic view on how to leverage technology for education and increase the appropriate use of technology for learning in every state and U.S. territory
●     Fostering collaboration among our members, strategic partners and other education leaders and policymakers
●      Taking action on important issues facing public education including equity, access and opportunity for all learners.

The Framing the Evidence program is more timely than ever, given the Department of Education’s American Rescue Plan funding totaling $122 Billion to help reopen schools in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.  To support schools and districts in making deliberate and informed decisions when buying educational technology, we invite schools and districts to participate in pilots set up through the Framing the Evidence program, which should help them assess the impact of technology in addressing instructional and learning challenges, whether remote, in-person, or hybrid.

Through the Framing the Evidence Program, SETDA intends to expertly advise, scaffold and support both schools and districts, as well as the ed tech companies that serve them, by democratizing the piloting process and providing a gold standard for the industry. In order to be valuable, piloting must be democratized….. professionally supported, high quality, evidence-based, and equitably available to all schools and districts.

New video answering Frequently Asked Questions about Framing the Evidence, ESSER and ARP funds, and the Importance of Evidence-based EdTech solutions

Click on the image to view the recording.

 

Overview for Schools & Districts (click to view or download)

• 20 minute overview for schools interested in participating- Framing the Evidence webinar for Schools
• Interest form for schools

Overview for EdTech Companies (click to view or download)

• 20 minute overview for companies interested in participating –  Framing the Evidence webinar for Private Sector Partners
• Interest form for EdTech Companies

Framing The Evidence: A Partnership Program Serving the Needs of Schools, Digital Learning Leaders, and Educational Technology Vendors

SETDA’s Framing the Evidence Program serves the needs of LEAs, SEAs, and ed tech providers by catalyzing and scaling evidence-based trials. SETDA is uniquely positioned to undertake this work as a means of democratizing the pilot process for schools across the nation and in every type of demographic setting.

The program will provide research that will inform the field of educational technology by: a.) providing opportunities to increase the appropriate use of technology for teaching and learning and b.) identifying and sharing evidence and promising practices in K –  12 digital learning.

By offering three levels of pilots (based on the ESSA Tiers of Evidence) combined with guidance and professional development, the program offers a set of concrete practices that will provide a framework for the levels of real and credible evidence that aid schools in identifying promising ed tech solutions:

Framing the Evidence Level 1 Study ~ Exploratory

Through an initial pilot phase, school districts can become part of the initiative and be matched to a vetted ed tech vendor/solution in an area of interest or need. Some evidence and data will be gathered and shared. Included in this level:

• Template for MOU
• Professional development for best practices on piloting processes for schools & vendor
• Curated/matched list of pilot school site(s)
• Usage statistics and data
• Standard baseline data from tool/app
• Lexile level or other measure in classroom using tool
• Report on findings will be identified and shared on the SETDA website.

Framing the Evidence Level 2 Study ~ Structured

Through a more structured pilot, school districts can become part of the initiative and have a tool or app provided by a vetted ed tech vendor/solution. Evidence of promising practices will be identified and shared through a SETDA-led review process, resulting in the issuance of a SETDA Seal for successful + satisfactory evidence.  This level involves:

• The benefits of Level 1 including MOU, Professional development, matching of vendor to school sites, collection & sharing of data
• conducting a correlation study, with statistical control with control group,
• Data collection relating to a formal research question
• SETDA will assist the vendor with the research questions, or the vendor can provide their own
• Report on findings will be identified and shared on the SETDA website.

Framing the Evidence Level 3 Study ~ In-Depth

A quasi-experimental research study producing evidence through work with a research partner (institution of higher education or other researcher). Evidence of promising practices will be identified and shared through a SETDA-led review process, resulting in the issuance of a SETDA Seal for successful + satisfactory evidence. The In-Depth level of study includes:

• More robust level of Correlation study
• Use research partner’s expertise
• Models to compare (e.g., Education Development Center, American Institute for Research)
• Report on findings will be identified and shared on the SETDA website.

Process Model

Revenue

SETDA will offer three levels of Framing the Evidence solutions to companies looking to build and sell efficacious ed tech solutions to share with LEAs. The levels will be priced as follows:

• Exploratory Level (1):   $2,500 (SETDA member) $3,500 (non-member)
• Structured Level (2):  $20,000 (SETDA member) $30, 000 (non-member)
• In-Depth Level (3):  customized pricing structure (beginning at $50,000)

Beyond Level 3, SETDA can fill a consultative role and offer policy guidance at the state level. This fee for this service can be negotiated as part of Level 3, or separately.

Contact Missy Greene, SETDA Director of Strategic Partnerships for more information  at [email protected] or 202-715-6636 ext 703.