Did the increased spending on technology by schools during the pandemic benefit students in the United States?
Once the federal pandemic aid reached American schools, the incessant calls began.
Numerous tech companies were eager to demonstrate that their software was the ideal solution for schools. Moreover, they emphasized that it would not require any funding from district budgets, as schools could utilize their newly acquired federal funds.
They accomplished this on a massive level.
An Associated Press analysis of public records found many of the largest school systems spent tens of millions of dollars in pandemic money on software and services from tech companies, including licenses for apps, games and tutoring websites.
Schools, on the other hand, lack substantial evidence indicating that the programs have been beneficial for students. Certain software introduced had minimal usage.
The full scope of spending is unknown because the aid came with few reporting requirements. Congress gave schools a record $190 billion but didn’t require them to publicly report individual purchases.
The AP reached out to the 30 biggest school districts in the country to obtain contracts that were financed by federal pandemic assistance. Approximately half of them furnished documents that shed light on various software and technology, commonly referred to as “edtech.” The remaining districts either did not reply or requested substantial fees amounting to thousands of dollars in order to provide the requested records.
Clark County schools in the Las Vegas area, for one, signed contracts worth at least $70 million over two years with 12 education technology consultants and companies. They include Achieve3000 (for a suite of learning apps), Age of Learning (for math and reading acceleration), Paper (for virtual tutoring) and Renaissance Learning (for learning apps Freckle and MyON).
Tech companies experienced a surge in growth due to the pandemic, as schools transitioned to online learning. Their revenue soared, attracting billions of dollars in investments from eager investors.
At the same time, new marketing technology made it easier for companies to get school officials’ attention, said Chris Ryan, who left a career in edtech to help districts use technology effectively. Equipped with automated sales tools, marketers bombarded teachers and school leaders with calls, emails and targeted ads.
Ryan stated that while it may be considered predatory, schools were actively seeking solutions, making them receptive to new ideas.
The calls and emails were directed to Lynn Knight, the business manager, at the school offices located in rural Nekoosa, Wisconsin.
“I acknowledge that they have a duty to fulfill, but when funds are accessible, it’s akin to a vampire detecting blood,” she expressed. “It’s astonishing the number of calls we received.”
The expenditure supported an industry where there is a lack of research and evidence.
Bart Epstein, the founder and former CEO of EdTech Evidence Exchange, a nonprofit organization assisting schools in optimizing their technology, stated that the money was allocated to various products and services. However, it was not distributed based on merit, equity, or evidence. Instead, the distribution heavily relied on marketing, branding, and relationships.
Several educational institutions have purchased software for remote communication with parents and student instruction. However, the most significant contracts were awarded to companies that pledged to assist students in making up for lost learning.
Clark County schools invested over $7 million in Achieve3000 applications, including the popular literacy app Smarty Ants, which catered to the needs of young students.
Others were not. Less than half of elementary school students used Freckle, a math app that cost the district $2 million. When they did use it, sessions averaged less than five minutes.
The district refused to grant an interview.
Several parents in Las Vegas argue that software should not be given priority in a school district that is dealing with problems such as deteriorating buildings and over 1,100 vacant teaching positions.
Lorena Rojas, who has two teenagers in the district, questioned the purpose of implementing software without having a teacher to conduct the class. It seems illogical.
Education technology makes up a small portion of the funds allocated for pandemic-related expenses. The tech contracts disclosed by Clark County represent approximately 6% of the $1.2 billion in federal relief funds. However, almost all schools have allocated some funds towards technology expenses.
There is no agreement on the effectiveness of the investments as districts exhaust their remaining pandemic aid.
Edmentum, the company, claims that students in Clark County who utilized their programs achieved higher scores on standardized tests. However, a study conducted on the ThinkCERCA literacy program revealed that it had no influence on test scores.
In September, a group of researchers from Harvard, Norway, and Germany stated that edtech has not fully realized its potential. Due to limited regulation, companies lack motivation to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products.
The intervention from the federal government has been minimal.
The Education Department advises schools to utilize technology that has been proven effective and provides a rating system to evaluate the evidence supporting a product. The lowest level of this system requires companies to justify their product and have plans to assess its effectiveness. However, research shows that the majority of popular products do not meet even this basic requirement.
Epstein stated that there has never been a comprehensive record of the expenses and utilization of funds. It can be described as mismanagement, lack of supervision, or even a crisis. The extent of it was significant.
Epstein has advocated for increased government oversight.
“The nonprofit CEO stated that certain companies generated sales worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars for products that they could observe were scarcely utilized.”
Education technology contracts in Louisville, Kentucky amounted to over $30 million. The Jefferson County district entered into agreements with online tutoring companies Paper and FEV, totaling $7.7 million. Additional funds were allocated to companies like Edmentum and ThinkCERCA for software aimed at enhancing classroom instruction.
Jefferson County refused to grant an interview, stating that the majority of the contracts were approved by officials who are no longer present. When asked for documentation assessing the utilization and efficacy of the purchases, the district claimed to have none.
The district stated that they are approaching this year as a “new beginning.”
“We will collect initial data, and the newly formed academic leadership team will analyze it to assess the influence of these programs on student learning,” stated the district.
Curriculum director Kia McDaniel in Prince George’s County, Maryland, dedicated significant time to reviewing proposals. Her team aimed to prioritize software supported by independent research, although numerous products lacked such backing.
Frequently, she mentioned that we heavily relied on the outcomes provided by the sales or research team regarding the product’s capabilities.
Some students found success with certain apps, while others did not. The school district invested $1.4 million in learning support from IXL Learning, but only a small number of students actually utilized it. Similarly, another agreement for online tutoring did not attract much attention from students.
The district intends to retract contracts that were unsuccessful and increase the scope of contracts that were successful.
Prior to the pandemic, schools faced difficulties in effectively utilizing technology. A study conducted in 2019 by Glimpse K 12, an education technology company, revealed that schools, on average, did not utilize 67% of their educational software licenses.
Ryan, a marketer who previously worked in the field of educational technology, expressed that ultimately, no technology can provide a definite assurance of achieving desired outcomes.
“I cannot reword”
___
Sharon Lurye, a data reporter for AP, provided contributions from New Orleans.
___
The Carnegie Corporation of New York provides support to the education team at the Associated Press. The AP is fully accountable for all of its content.
Please visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page for further details.
