The U.S. Department of Education is calling on schools to evaluate educational technology based on its measurable impact on student learning when making procurement and renewal decisions. The new guidance, published on August 20, 2026, also calls on vendors to better document their products’ effectiveness and limitations, as well as the conditions for using their products.
U.S. states and school districts are therefore being asked to go beyond simply “making good use of technology.”
The Department now recommends considering evidence of effectiveness in procurement and renewal decisions alongside cost, ease of use, accessibility, interoperability, implementation support and educator experience. In particular, it encourages schools to consider independent evaluations and, where available, randomized controlled trials that have demonstrated positive outcomes.
Under this approach, five questions should guide the evaluation of a product:
Another new element is the focus on what happens after a tool is purchased.
School districts are encouraged to establish processes for regularly reviewing whether a tool continues to meet its intended instructional goals. When results fall short, they should adjust their approach. If the shortcomings persist, the U.S. Department of Education says they should be prepared to stop using the technology.
States including Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan and Texas are already testing contracting models that establish shared performance measures, data protection requirements and expectations for implementation support.
The goal is to stop measuring success solely by adoption or usage metrics.
The letter also asks vendors to publish independent evaluations where possible, be transparent about product capabilities and limitations, provide implementation guidance grounded in effective practices, and improve their tools based on results observed in the classroom.
Support for staff is explicitly part of the equation. Vendors and school districts alike are encouraged to provide implementation resources and professional learning rather than treating the technical rollout as an end in itself.
Amid current concerns about screen use, Washington is also emphasizing the distinction between recreational and instructional uses of technology.
Technology can, for example, allow a student living in a remote area to access a specialized course, give a student with dyslexia access to text-to-speech, or help a student who is homebound stay connected with their class. The U.S. Department of Education therefore says these uses cannot be assessed simply by counting minutes of screen time.
This distinction echoes discussions already taking place in Quebec and elsewhere. L’École branchée recently reported that the quality, instructional purpose and consistency of technology use are key factors.
Although this guidance is specific to the U.S. context, it offers a framework that can easily be adapted for team discussions: what need are we trying to meet, what data do we have, what conditions need to be in place for implementation, and how will we know whether the tool is working?
This approach also aligns with the Practical Guide to Educational Technology presented by L’École branchée, which likewise focuses on the thoughtful and responsible integration of tools.
No. This is a guidance letter, not a new federal regulation. The U.S. Department of Education says decisions should continue to be made primarily by states and local communities.
No. Instead, the document calls for distinguishing recreational uses of technology from instructional uses and evaluating the latter based on their educational value and outcomes.
They are encouraged to demonstrate the effectiveness of their products, document their limitations, reduce unnecessary screen exposure and provide better support to staff during implementation.
For more information, see the official guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, as well as our articles on evidence in education and Quebec recommendations on screen use in schools.
Key takeaway: The emerging trend goes beyond the “for or against screens” debate. Instead, it shifts the focus toward demonstrated educational value, the real-world conditions in which technology is used, and shared responsibility among schools, staff, families, researchers and vendors.
Is your team renewing licences for digital tools soon? The five questions proposed by the U.S. Department of Education could serve as a simple decision-making framework before your next purchase!
Get the latest articles and curated highlights from our current magazine edition—delivered to your inbox every month.
If you are subscribed, log in to access exclusive member content!