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As districts grapple with mounting financial pressures, a new report notes a noticeable shift in edtech strategy as leaders prioritize impact over volume, demanding stronger alignment with institutional goals.

The eighth EdTech Top 40 report also reveals that K-12 district leaders want evidence of effectiveness and long-term value from every tool they adopt. The report, published by LearnPlatform by Instructure, offers a comprehensive, data-rich snapshot of how K-12 schools across the United States used digital tools, resources and edtech solutions during the 2024-25 school year. 

The report analyzed more than 64 billion interactions from 3.7 million students and 546,000 educators across the United States and provides a comprehensive view of how districts are navigating a crowded and complex educational technology landscape.

Since the surge in edtech adoption in 2020, engagement levels have continued to grow at a steady pace. The report found that districts accessed an average of 2,982 distinct edtech tools annually–a nearly 9 percent year-over-year increase–highlighting ongoing challenges related to tool sprawl and duplication.

On average, districts saw students access 1,165 tools and teachers access 1,045 tools each month. Students used 48 tools over the course of the year, up from 45 the prior year. Educators also saw a modest increase, with 50 tools accessed annually, up from 49 the previous year. 

“Districts are under increasing pressure to simplify and optimize their tech ecosystems to maximize value and learning impact while avoiding tool sprawl and staff burnout,” said Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at Instructure. “In this environment of budget cuts, it’s critical to ensure every investment drives real learning outcomes. We’re entering a new era where every tool must prove its value by supporting instruction, improving outcomes and aligning to long-term goals. This year’s EdTech Top 40 reflects that evolution.”

As schools face a defining moment in allocating limited budgets, the message is clear: evidence and alignment must guide edtech decision-making. This is reflected in this year’s Edtech Top 40, which found that 45 percent of the tools in the report have published ESSA research, up from 32 percent last year. ESSA-aligned research provides districts with independently reviewed evidence of a tool’s effectiveness in improving student outcomes, helping education leaders make informed, accountable decisions. The rise in evidence-backed tools signals growing demand for solutions that demonstrate a measurable impact.

Analysis, tools, and reports are compliant with all federal and state student data privacy laws, including FERPA, COPPA, CIPA and PPRA. The EdTech Top 40 is based solely on quantitative analysis of engagement and does not reflect user sentiment, effectiveness, or utility.

This press release originally appeared online.

eSchool Media staff cover education technology in all its aspects–from legislation and litigation, to best practices, to lessons learned and new products. First published in March of 1998 as a monthly print and digital newspaper, eSchool Media provides the news and information necessary to help K-20 decision-makers successfully use technology and innovation to transform schools and colleges and achieve their educational goals.

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Key points:

Since its official founding in 1994, the Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETA) has been a driving force in uniting K-12 leaders across the state, championing the advancement of education through innovative technology integration.

Over the past 31 years, TETA’s membership has grown from a small group of dedicated technologists to a robust professional learning community that includes a diverse array of roles. TETA’s collaborative approach and adaptive philosophy have supported its steady growth and made it a replicable model for K-12 professional organizations nationwide.

The origins of TETA

Much of TETA’s success and longevity can be attributed to its founding members, who hailed from various regions of Tennessee and understood the collective need to provide the support and professional development that technology coordinators and educational staff needed to navigate the new technology landscape in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  From the very beginning, the focus for these members was on education–not the technology itself–and building a community where individuals could seek guidance and information from one another.

To foster strong relationships among its members, TETA formed three regional groups: West TETA (WTETA), Middle TETA (MTETA), and East TETA (ETETA). Leaders from each group would then meet to ensure alignment across the state. While the original framework has become more formalized over time, its core structure remains intact. Members continue to meet in person once a month with their regional groups and engage in various professional strands, cohort groups, and events with the broad membership group throughout the year.

“No matter what role we play, the camaraderie and networking within TETA mean we’re never alone,” said Beth Lockhart, personalized learning facilitator at Lenoir City Schools, ETETA president, and TETA vice chair. “Whether you’re in a small or large district, TETA connects us with a statewide knowledge base that helps us all succeed.” 

Sustaining and growing the organization

One of the key factors in TETA’s sustained growth has been its ability to evolve with the changing landscape of educational technology. TETA’s membership has expanded from technology coordinators and IT staff to teachers, instructional coaches, and virtual school educators. This inclusivity has allowed TETA to remain responsive to the needs of its members.

The organization has also been proactive in providing professional development and certification opportunities to its members. In addition to offering three learning networks, TETA hosts two major conferences each year: the Summer Institute Conference and the Tennessee Educational Technology Conference (TETC). These events offer a platform for educators to learn about the latest trends in educational technology, share best practices, and network with peers. TETA also hosts a yearly Administrators Technology Academy, which is designed to inform administrators of new and innovative ways to implement technology with the goal of improving student learning.

“TETA is committed to helping our members grow–whether that’s through supporting CETL certification or offering training opportunities,” said Ashley Rust, CTO at White County Schools and MTETA president.

Another significant aspect of TETA’s growth has been its strategic partnerships. Jill Pierce, TETA’s executive director, has spearheaded efforts to align TETA with several national organizations, including CoSN, SETDA, NCTET, Access4 Learning, the Student Data Privacy Consortium, and K12 SIX. “TETA’s active involvement with national organizations keeps our members informed on critical and timely issues like cybersecurity, regulatory developments, and student data privacy,” said Pierce. “These connections enable our members to grow professionally and deliver valuable insights back to the education technology community.”

Paving the way for female leaders in technology

TETA is also breaking new ground in leadership representation. This year, each of TETA’s regional chapters is led by a female president, and the organization’s executive director is also a woman.

“I’m incredibly proud that we have four women in leadership positions,” said Kathy Ross, Director of Technology at Fayette Academy and WTETA President. “The progress that we’ve made together is about more than just titles–it’s about setting an example. It’s a big deal to have women in tech, to see them involved, advancing, and paving the way for others to follow.”

Future goals

TETA’s current leaders understand that the organization’s success and longevity stems from active members’ participation and leadership, and they recognize the critical role member engagement will continue to play in sustaining TETA’s future. “Our goals and strategic vision revolve around our membership and focus on how we can continue to provide opportunities that enable our members to support all K-12 staff members–ranging from brand-new teachers to veteran educators,” said Jason Winkler, instructional technology supervisor at Arlington Community Schools and TETA board chairman. “At every board meeting, we review member feedback. It’s a constant process of reflection and growth, because what worked 10 years ago likely won’t work today.”

A blueprint for success

For other education technology leaders and associations looking to replicate TETA’s success, there are five key takeaways:

• It is essential to create a vision and mission that prioritizes education and not the technology itself
• Inclusivity and adaptability are essential–both foster a sense of belonging and collaboration, which is vital for the growth and sustainability of any organization
• Providing a variety of professional development and in-person and virtual networking opportunities, such as monthly regional meetings, learning networks, and certification opportunities, ensures members have the support and resources they need to navigate the ever-changing landscape of education technology
• Strategic alliances with national organizations are essential to keep members equipped with timely, impactful resources and information
• Fostering a culture of listening, transparency, respect, and open dialogue strengthens trust, empowers members to share diverse perspectives, and drives innovation

Conclusion

By staying true to its mission and adapting to the changing needs of its members, TETA has created a successful model that can be replicated by other education associations. As the landscape of educational technology continues to evolve, TETA’s commitment to professional growth and support will continue to benefit K-12 school districts, not only in Tennessee but across the nation.

School shouldn’t just be a place to learn academic skills, but a place for students to practice making meaningful decisions about their learning and lives. I personally never faced a weighty decision about my learning until I had to declare a college major. In grade school, I was a confident student who knew how to ace tests and please my teachers. Once I got to college, however, my A-student record failed me. I had no idea what major I was passionate about, nor any of the steps to figure it out. I considered majoring in English since I loved reading, or maybe pre-med for financial stability. My practical immigrant parents talked me out of the first, and a terrible grade on a chemistry midterm out of the second.

It seems like luck that I eventually found my way to a lifelong profession as a K-8 educator, which has kept me eager to grow within it, unlike the spin-the-wheel decision-making I had during college. But it didn’t have to be this way. What if grade school were designed to teach students how to make decisions and know themselves deeply as much as it taught them math and literacy? What if school had helped me figure out early, often and intentionally what I wanted to learn or accomplish, and how I would do it?

My experiences as a student and later as a teacher in traditional K-8 schools convinced me that the entire purpose of school needed to be different. So, in 2019, when I found out that a former manager of mine was starting a school that answered the same questions that plagued me, I knew I wanted in. She brought me on board to help launch the school, and Red Bridge, a private, K-8 school, opened its doors in September 2020.

As a founding school leader, I’ve helped design systems and a student-initiated promotion process that gives students a voice in their education. While students don’t make every decision and still participate in teacher-driven parts of the day, what’s different in our design is that the school curriculum pushes them to explore three questions: “What do I want to learn?”; “When and how will I learn it?”; and “Is my learning the right level of challenge?” By asking these questions, we instill the importance of decision-making skills in students and a sense of responsibility for their learning that traditional school models otherwise lack.

What Do You Want to Learn?

Asking students what they want to learn shows them that their questions about the world are valuable, and hopefully gets them fired up to learn.

When I taught fifth grade at a school in Nevada, I had to follow the curriculum in the provided textbooks, and there was no room to deviate. One time, I planned a novel study around a book my students selected, but I was forced by an administrator to trade it in for standardized test prep. In contrast, at Red Bridge, we spend two weeks of each term immersed in a “deep dive”: a project-based learning unit designed around a question of students’ interest instead of regular instruction.

Two years ago, as we approached our last deep dive of the year, my team noticed students launching entrepreneurial endeavors during recess. Some were crafting bracelets and setting up bartering systems with them, and others expressed an interest in bake sales. To harness that curiosity, we designed the deep dive around the question, “How do you build a small business?” In week one, we created lessons for students on everything from organizational structure and ethical decision-making to budgeting; we then took students to visit local businesses to interview the owners. In week two, students collaborated with peers to pitch their own small business ideas; once their pitches were approved, they wrote business plans.

Walking around the culminating marketplace experience, I could see students brimming with pride as they presented their inventory, budgets and logos. We had taken their interests seriously and made room in the school experience to study a topic of their choice. The results were joyful, a little messy, but entirely theirs. If I had experiences in grade school that supported me in pursuing topics of my own interest, I would have known how to navigate the sudden responsibility I had over my learning when I got to college.

When and How Will You Learn It?

As a classroom teacher in traditional schools that focused heavily on compliance, I frequently wondered if my students could succeed in the future without me telling them what to do constantly. At one school, I was trained to have all 33 of my students place their pencils on their desks in the same spot at the same time, drill sergeant-style. I couldn’t foster ownership if the system itself required passivity, and I was convinced there had to be another way.

When it came time to design Red Bridge, our founder told me we would balance teacher-led time with student-led time by implementing a self-directed learning block. We designed the block so that, for an hour each day, students make their own learning plans, keep track of time, mark what they accomplish and transition between activities with relative independence. Our teachers explicitly teach students how to make time- and goal-management decisions during daily morning meetings.

A few years ago, three second graders at my school approached me after school, excited to show me their plan to launch an environmental club. The paper had a list of tasks: make signs, start a protest, pick up trash and write a book about the environment. They labeled each task “done,” “in progress,” or “not yet” — similar to the type of learning plan they made in self-directed time during the day. These young students took what they learned about setting goals, worked toward them and applied that sense of ownership to their personal lives. Their initiative gave me confidence they could navigate future goals, and that our school’s design was actually working.

Is Your Learning the Right Level of Challenge?

Perhaps the most powerful decision-making opportunity we’ve created at my school is a space for students to assess whether their learning is appropriately challenging and if they’re ready for the next step. Students’ primary cohorts are determined by their level of independence and self-directedness. When a student believes they are ready to move up, they complete a series of tasks and gather evidence of their readiness for greater responsibility.

Repeatedly, I’ve seen previously unmotivated students rise to the challenge. A parent once shared with me, “I was so worried the first few times about how disappointed he’d be if he failed. But when he finally succeeded, his pride in accomplishing something himself was amazing.”

Recently, a teacher reflected on a student who went through the process successfully and said, “Her whole attitude changed when she realized that her goals were in her own hands. She just started showing up differently for her learning.” Tackling this big decision lets students experience success and failure in a safe environment and develops self-reliant individuals who can handle any obstacle — whether it be academic, professional or personal — that comes their way in the future.

Building Student Confidence in Their Lives

Being a founding leader of this school has given me the opportunity to build the school of my dreams. These moments of student growth, fueled by ownership over their learning, are the reason I believe this kind of educational design matters for students of all backgrounds. School shouldn’t be a place where students listen passively to adults for the majority of their days. Schools should be designed to give students meaningful opportunities to make big decisions — that is how we set kids up for lifelong success. By emphasizing the what, how and challenge our students seek in their learning in the framework of our school design, we give students space to determine the pathway of their education.

I hope the students I once taught don’t have to stumble into their passions like I did, and I sincerely hope school helps them know themselves sooner and trust themselves more.