WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Education is urging states and school districts to tie classroom technology purchases and contract renewals to measurable academic results, increasing pressure on education software providers to demonstrate that their products improve student learning.
Guidance issued August 20 recommends that schools require independent research, including randomized controlled trials when feasible, before adopting or renewing educational technology products.
The recommendations could influence how districts evaluate software vendors, structure purchasing agreements and determine whether existing classroom platforms justify their costs.
Federal officials are also encouraging schools to discontinue products that repeatedly fail to demonstrate meaningful educational benefits.
“Instructional technologies should be judged by their impact on learning, not simply whether they happen on a screen,” Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education Kirsten Baesler stated.
The guidance distinguishes between educational technology and recreational screen use, including cellphones and algorithm-driven social media, which the department identified as potential classroom distractions.
Rather than evaluating classroom technology solely by the amount of time students spend using it, the department recommends assessing whether digital tools strengthen instruction, expand access to coursework and produce measurable academic improvements.
Schools are encouraged to examine product costs, accessibility, compatibility with other systems, implementation support, teacher experience and student data protections when making purchasing decisions.
The department identified Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan and Texas as states exploring contracts that establish shared performance measures, stronger student privacy protections and clearer expectations for vendor support.
Those contracting models have initially focused on tutoring services and are increasingly being applied to educational technology, according to the guidance.
Federal officials encouraged vendors to publish independent evaluations of their products, disclose capabilities and limitations, provide implementation guidance and continuously update their platforms based on student outcomes.
The department also recommended that educators and administrators consider teacher feedback, parent feedback, local academic performance and third-party research instead of relying exclusively on vendor demonstrations or product usage statistics.
Schools should be able to explain what learning problem a product addresses, when it should be used, which students it serves, how long students should use it and what evidence demonstrates that it improves learning.
The guidance also urges greater transparency for families about student screen time, how classroom technology is implemented and whether its use contributes to educational progress.
For rural communities, the department identified digital access to tutoring, advanced coursework, foreign language instruction, dual enrollment and career training as potential benefits.
Technology may also help schools address staffing shortages by connecting students with qualified instructors across district and state boundaries.
For students with disabilities, the department pointed to tools such as text-to-speech programs, real-time captioning, visual supports and adaptive instruction.
Digital assessments can also help teachers identify learning gaps earlier, track student progress and provide families with more timely information about academic performance.
“Cell phones and algorithm-driven social media distract students from learning and undermine the focused classroom environments they need to succeed,” Baesler stated. “In contrast, instructional technologies should be judged by their impact on learning.”
The recommendations build on a July 2025 letter from Education Secretary Linda McMahon outlining five principles for artificial intelligence in schools: technology should be directed by educators, ethical, accessible, transparent and protective of student data.
The department emphasized that decisions about classroom technology should remain with states and local communities, with input from parents and teachers.
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