LearnPlatform Launches National EdTech Equity Dashboard to Improve Visibility of Digital K-12 Engagement and Gaps Across U.S.

RALEIGH, N.C., April 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- To address the rapid yet uneven rise of education technology over the past year, LearnPlatform, the leading edtech effectiveness system, today announces the launch of the National Edtech Equity Dashboard, a free, publicly-accessible real-time view into overall K-12 edtech engagement trends in the U.S., and across different groups. For the first time, national daily edtech trends are aggregated and visible to understand and identify digital learning disparities. The interactive view, including the last six months, encourages deeper dives into what might be driving these digital K-12 trends and to spur meaningful discussions and action about how to address persistent gaps, as they occur.

"Now as the Biden administration pledges to tackle education's digital divide as a first priority,  transparent measurement of edtech engagement which is a leading indicator for learning,  serves a vital role in supporting all students moving forward," said Karl Rectanus, Co-founder and CEO of LearnPlatform. "This National EdTech Equity Dashboard provides a barometer on what's actually happening for students, and how local, state and federal decisions are closing digital equity learning gaps across the country."

Prior to this release, local, state and federal decision-makers have had very limited comparable information about digital learning engagement. Previous data from federal programs like the FCC's E-RATE program which have provided information about broadband access, speeds and pricing to the school or home are important, but insufficient to understand if students are engaging in learning, how much, and if the "homework gap" or "digital divide" is actually being closed for marginalized students.

The EdTech Equity Dashboard visualizes the digital learning equity gap by comparing the EdTech Engagement Index™, a calculated value based on the amount of web-based engagement per 1,000 users, of districts based on affluence levels and racial makeup. The Dashboard also provides visibility to a daily measurement of overall edtech engagement across the U.S., coined EdTech300™ (ET300), which is calculated by using the combined EdTech Engagement Index™ of the 300 most actively used edtech products every day and provides a relative understanding of the amount of edtech engagement nationwide.

The data was collected through LearnPlatform's proprietary, research-based technology. Local and state education agencies rely on LearnPlatform's technology, including a free Inventory Dashboard and subscription-based edtech effectiveness system to organize, streamline and analyze over 9,000 edtech products catalogued in LearnPlatform's library.

Associations and impact-focused philanthropic organizations can use the new Dashboard -- and even embed it in their websites -- to monitor national edtech engagement and long-term equity trends. State and local education agencies can now gain context that they can apply and compare to their own situations.  By claiming their own  Inventory Dashboard through LearnPlatform, districts can begin to dig into their own data and explore how their edtech engagement compares to state and national trends.

"This Dashboard provides a great frame for how we can look at our own data," said Casey Rimmer, Director of Innovation and EdTech at Union County Public Schools in North Carolina that serves over 41,000 students. "We've been working hard to address access gaps and we need to continue that work to ensure it  leads to engagement and learning,"

"The pandemic, subsequent school closures, and shifts to virtual learning exposed existing inequities in the system in a new way. There is a real need to understand where these gaps exist, and to provide ongoing data to education leaders so they can understand its impact and create solutions," said Lyria Zeh, Technical Program Manager, K-12 Technology, Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, a partner in the initiative. "Providing this data through the National Edtech Equity Dashboard is a critical first step addressing digital learning equity gaps at every level."

For more information or to access the National EdTech Equity Dashboard, please visit: https://learnplatform.com/equity-dashboard.

About LearnPlatform

LearnPlatform is a comprehensive edtech effectiveness system used by educators, leaders and their partners to save time, save money and improve outcomes. The research-driven technology, central office automation and data-rich insights and evidence services equip school districts, states and providers to organize, streamline and analyze their edtech interventions to ensure learning ecosystems are safe, equitable, cost-efficient, and effective for all students. For more information, visit learnplatform.com.

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Alyssa Miller 
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SOURCE LearnPlatform

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