K-12 Leaders are currently balancing growing digital ecosystems, flat or shrinking budgets, increased privacy and compliance requirements, and pressure to show ROI on instructional technology…yet the leadership team is managing tools in disconnected ways. Without a governance system, spending becomes fragmented, leadership lacks a single source of truth, risk increases…
Much evidence suggests that spending in K-12 edtech (especially in the U.S.) has slowed or “halted” relative to past pandemic-era growth, and there are several clear drivers behind it. Rapid emergency-driven spending – as federal emergency relief funds provided a large influx of money to adopt tech for remote and…
Executive Summary Despite major strides in classroom innovation—1:1 devices, adaptive software, learning management systems—the backbone of many K‑12 systems remains mired in outdated, fragmented operational processes. Purchase orders still travel via paper or email, contract renewals are invisible at best, and decisions stall for lack of real-time data. District leaders…
Let’s break down the core cycle of continuous optimization in detail. Think of it as a structured loop that helps K-12 schools continually refine their digital ecosystem so that software stays effective, compliant, and financially sustainable. Review Purpose: Collect evidence to evaluate whether tools are delivering value. Key Steps: Usage…
Policy updates around procurement, renewals, and sunsetting are often “hidden levers” that determine whether change in K-12 schools is sustainable. From Reactive Purchases to Strategic Procurement Traditionally, schools buy tools reactively—responding to teacher requests, vendor pitches, or urgent needs. Updated procurement policies shift this to a strategic process: Purchases are…
When you’re ready to begin evolving policies and strategies around sustainable edtech/digital tool management, the roadmap should consist of: Assessment: Full Inventory and Usage Audit Policy & Process Alignment Technology Enablement Continuous Optimization The final two blogs in this series will highlight Technology Enablement and Continuous Optimization. Here’s a step-by-step…
Key components in evolving K-12 technology management are governance, ownership, and collaboration (and this expands beyond the technology department). Consider the following: Cross-Department Governance Team: Form an “Application Oversight Committee” with IT, curriculum, finance, and legal representatives to review inventory quarterly. Application Owners: Assign a designated owner for each app…
The shift from ad-hoc purchasing toward strategic governance is essential for ensuring both fiscal responsibility and educational quality. In this next blog, we’ll focus on lifecycle tracking, managing and optimizing costs. Priority #3: Lifecycle Tracking and Cost Optimization In summary: Contract & Renewal Tracking: Store contract start/end dates in the…
For K-12 technology management to evolve, coordinated strategies such as centralizing inventory, standardizing procurement, tracking lifecycles, enabling transparency, and more must be in place. The next few blogs in this series will deep dive into practical methods for each. Priority #2: Standardize Procurement & Vetting In summary: Workflow Automation: Use…
For K-12 technology management to evolve, coordinated strategies such as centralizing inventory, standardizing procurement, tracking lifecycles, enabling transparency, and more must be in place. The next few blogs in this series will deep dive into practical methods for each. Priority #1: Establish a Centralized Application Inventory In summary: Application Registry/Database:…
