Instructure Launches First-of-its-Kind Education Policy Atlas to Aid in Identifying Funding Requirements for Every State

SALT LAKE CITY — October 9, 2024 — In keeping with an ongoing commitment to maximizing edtech effectiveness, Instructure has published the Education Policy Atlas, a valuable new resource outlining the federal, state, and funding guidelines for Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) evidence. Created for K-12 districts, state departments of education and edtech companies, this first-of-its-kind atlas outlines the specific evidence requirements for any state in the country. Instructure already provides comprehensive evidence-based edtech management solutions to K12 organizations with LearnPlatform, and partners directly with other edtech companies to build rigorous, third-party research. This initiative expands upon and democratizes that work by offering a singular resource to use during strategic planning initiatives and to evaluate how edtech tools align with federal and state requirements for funding sources in this new post-pandemic funding landscape.

"Understanding evidence and funding requirements is essential for educational institutions to maximize the available resources and identify compliant solutions that will drive meaningful improvement. Without this knowledge, schools risk missing critical opportunities to provide research-backed interventions that support students and meet their unique needs,” explained Melissa Loble, Chief Academic Officer at Instructure. “Unfortunately, navigating state funding requirements can be incredibly challenging. Information is often scattered across various documents and agencies, making it difficult for decision-makers to pinpoint exactly what is needed to access these crucial funds. Having a one-stop page where administrators can find what they need allows them to reallocate one of their most precious resources — time — to other priorities that can directly impact students.”

Not only can stakeholders struggle with finding specific evidence requirements to access funding, these requirements often vary by state. Although all 50 states require interventions, practices, and programs to be evidence-based, there is great variability in how each state defines “evidence-based.” Thirty-four states generally encourage evidence-based programs, while 16 states define evidence-based as meeting at least ESSA Level IV or better. Only one state defines evidence-based as meeting at least ESSA Level III or better.

To ease the burden of finding state-wide funding requirements, Instructure’s Education Policy Atlas outlines the minimum ESSA Level required for Title I Funds and the minimum ESSA Level required to access school improvement funds. Interested parties can view these requirements in an easy-to-read table view or in map form to compare with other states.

“Although these policy requirements might seem daunting, ESSA is a crucial framework to ensure that all students, regardless of background, have access to a quality education. By holding states accountable for academic standards, equity, and student achievement, ESSA aims to close achievement gaps, promote transparency, and empower local stakeholders to address the unique needs of their schools. Compliance with these guidelines is essential to fostering an education system that prioritizes the success of every child,” explained Christoper Downs, Director of Government Affairs at Instructure. 

Instructure’s Education Policy Atlas may also benefit EdTech companies aiming to make their solutions more attractive and impactful for educational institutions. According to one federal estimate, about 92% of schools used pandemic relief funds on edtech. Changes in funding will require educational institutions to be more discerning about how they spend their limited resources. A recent poll found that only 18% of administrators say that a lot of evidence-based information is available about the effectiveness of the digital learning tools used in their school districts. Aligning demonstrated outcomes with funding requirements not only appeals to these institutions but also helps companies position their solutions as leading options in the market.

"As operators in the educational space, we share a collective responsibility to keep improving student learning outcomes. We must ensure our solutions meet the highest level of evidence required,” added Loble. “By aligning solutions with funding sources like Title dollars, companies can position themselves as go-to partners, gaining a competitive edge in the RFP process as school districts seek evidence-based interventions that deliver real impact.” 

Instructure’s Education Policy Atlas can be found here: https://www.instructure.com/landing/education-policy-atlas

About Research Methodology

To identify the evidence requirements for each state, researchers used a targeted search strategy. First, researchers conducted a separate online search for each state using the terms “[State] department of education Title I 1003a school improvement funds evidence ESSA.” They then reviewed various documents generated from the search using key terms. Only documents published by state education agencies were used to identify the evidence requirements. Researchers recorded relevant primary source text regarding evidence requirements and criteria for identifying CSI or TSI schools in need of improvement. All cases were reviewed by a second researcher to reach agreement on the evidence requirements, and disputed cases were discussed among three researchers until consensus was achieved. The requirements were reviewed in August 2024, so the information may change as new details become available.

About ESSA

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is the primary education law for public schools in the United States, aiming to ensure all children have a significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education while closing achievement gaps. ESSA encourages state and local education agencies to follow the school improvement cycle, progressing from identifying needs to selecting and implementing interventions, and then examining the outcomes. The law offers guidance to districts and schools through a tiered framework for determining which programs, practices, strategies, and interventions are effective in specific contexts and for particular students.