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| November 25, 2025 |
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| Edtech news for those building the future of Edtech
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| (Walter Bibikow/Getty Images) |
EdTech companies spent nearly $900,000 lobbying Michigan lawmakers in 2024 and 2025, targeting legislation and budget items that could direct taxpayer funds to their products. This intense lobbying effort has led to lucrative contracts for some companies, with grants and earmarks sometimes crafted to benefit specific products. Critics say the process for adopting these technologies is opaque, and that products encouraged or mandated without evidence-based review leave students potentially vulnerable to untested or ineffective solutions.
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SmartTake: Lawmakers and experts say that school districts often trust vendor claims due to limited time and resources for thorough evaluations. Unfortunately, that time factor and increasing competition for limited school funds has resulted in more aggressive sales tactics from edtech vendors rather than a more transparent adoption process.
Edtech companies should be aware that "edtech enmeshment" concerns are gaining more publicity in government, schools and homes, providing fresh details and concerns about the quantity and quality of technology-driven education solutions. The Consortium for School Networking provides an explanation of what screen time includes. As the enmeshment movement gets a louder voice, ensure your product truly serves students, is solid enough to earn respect and addresses the enmeshment and screen time concerns.
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State leaders are concerned about the sustainability of statewide longitudinal data systems as they face declining funding and shifting priorities, a report from the Education Commission of the States finds. The systems, which track students' progress from pre-K to careers, are crucial for adapting to workforce changes driven by the rapid growth of AI and alternative career pathways and the changing global economy.
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California's early literacy screening tool, Multitudes, was developed by the University of California, San Francisco Dyslexia Center to be culturally responsive, particularly for English language learners. The tool, tested with over 15,000 children, does not switch languages midway; instead, it assesses abilities in both English and Spanish. The free tool is part of a broader state initiative that includes funding for reading specialists.
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This year, 50% of teachers have participated in at least one professional development session on artificial intelligence, marking a significant increase from 42% just a year ago and 13% in 2023, according to a national EdWeek Research Center survey. The rise highlights school districts' efforts to ensure teachers are better equipped to use and understand AI in their daily work, and experts note that the growth reflects a broader acceptance of AI as it becomes more integrated into classroom tools.
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The Game On program, developed by Melinda Dyer, is the focus of this year's $5,000 Ohio STEM Classroom Grant at Cambridge Primary School. The project engages K-2 students in exploring six types of simple machines through experiments, building projects and collaborative game design, while also introducing students and families to STEM-related career industries and strengthening connections between classroom learning and real-world applications.
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Campbell County Schools in Tennessee has transformed student services by digitizing critical functions, moving away from an outdated system with data silos and manual processes, according to Sara Douglas, the district's data leader. She writes that the digitization has improved efficiency, transparency and equity, particularly in managing student records and health plans, and the district has developed digital workflows for health care, attendance and graduation readiness.
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The Umatilla School District in Oregon, led by Superintendent Heidi Sipe, has become a model for effective data management by consolidating student data from various digital platforms. This approach allows educators to identify at-risk students and organize interventions efficiently, and Sipe emphasizes the importance of making data accessible and understandable for teachers and parents, using visual aids like graphs to communicate student progress.
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| (Natali_Mis/Getty Images) |
North Carolina has introduced digital skills standards to enhance residents' digital literacy, focusing on areas such as online identity, internet safety and emerging technologies. The initiative includes an upcoming online course and training for "digital navigators." Other states, including New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, have implemented similar measures to improve digital literacy as online skills become essential for various sectors.
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OpenAI has launched ChatGPT for Teachers, a specialized AI chatbot tailored for K-12 school districts and educators. The tool aims to provide secure, teacher-centric AI support with administrative controls for district-level customization and will be available for free to US educators through June 2027, with a cohort of about 150,000 educators part of the initial rollout.
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Battelle has allocated $900,000 in grants to promote STEM education in Ohio public schools. The funding, distributed through 194 grants benefiting 165 public schools across 68 counties, is intended to create dynamic and engaging learning environments that foster skills in STEM fields.
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| (Getty Images/Getty Images) |
Roblox will use facial age estimation for users who want to chat, beginning in Australia, New Zealand and the Netherlands in December and globally in January. The move is part of efforts to improve safety for young users and follows lawsuits alleging the company failed to protect minors from exploitation.
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Top stories from last week's newsletter
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Looking to demonstrate your edtech solution's commitment to quality and research-backed effectiveness? The ISTE Seal is education's trusted mark of excellence, verifying that digital tools meet rigorous standards for classroom readiness and impact. Earning the ISTE Seal helps you build confidence with schools and districts seeking evidence-based solutions for future-ready learning. Note: The ISTE Seal program also accepts applications for creativity tools. If your digital product empowers students and educators to generate ideas, express themselves, and innovate, we want to hear from you. Join the growing community of ISTE Seal-certified solutions making a difference in education. Ready to begin? Contact our team to learn more about the ISTE Seal application process. |
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| About ISTE Solutions Network |
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| The Solutions Network a member-based community that aims to 1) connect innovative solution providers to one another to learn, explore, and share best practices, 2) engage with the ISTE/ASCD member community to gather feedback and increase the impact of high-quality learning solutions, 3) engage in thought leadership conversations and 4) provide benefits for the annual ASCD + ISTE conference, where approximately 16,000 educators, decision-makers, and vendors convene. This community is made up of edtech companies of various sizes that are interested in engaging with each other and with ISTE to discuss Edtech’s role in teaching and learning, industry trends, and solve common challenges. Members of this network can benefit from connecting with industry experts and thought leaders, as well as from gaining key buyer information and insights.
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| Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual ASCD + ISTE endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD + ISTE.
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