Demystifying Standards, Metadata, and EdTech Lingo

Alignment & Standard Terms

Term Definition
Academic Standards Synonymous with learning standards; defines curriculum goals published by education agencies.
Compliance Review A review to ensure content meets educational, accessibility, and legal requirements.
Conceptual Standards Comparison A comparison based on intent rather than exact wording, showing how standards connect through similar learning goals or skills.
Correlation vs Crosswalk vs Alignment

These terms are often used together but have subtle differences:

  • Correlation shows a general relationship between two items.
  • Crosswalk maps those relationships in detail between sets of standards.
  • Alignment connects specific learning materials or content to standards.
Crosswalk A comparison that links standards from one framework to another to show where learning goals overlap or differ.
Cross-Standard Alignments Alignments created between two or more sets of standards that may come from different states or subject frameworks.
Learning Standards A set of clear, measurable expectations for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.
Deprecated Standards / Archived Standards Older versions of standards that have been replaced or updated. These are kept for reference to show how standards have changed over time.
Instructional Resource Any material used to support teaching and learning, including textbooks, assessments, and multimedia.
Semantic Standards Comparison An AI-driven comparison that uses meaning and context to identify relationships between standards instead of relying only on keywords.
Standards Alignment The process of matching educational content to the expectations defined in learning standards.
Standards Correlation Often used interchangeably with alignment, though it may imply a looser connection to standards.
Standards Export The ability to download standards data in machine-readable formats such as CSV or JSON for use in other systems.
Standards Maintenance The ongoing process of updating standards data when official revisions or new adoptions are released.
State-Level Adoption The approval process for instructional materials by state education departments based on alignment and compliance.

EdGate Product & Feature Terms

Term Definition
Alignment Crosswalking An EdGate feature that allows direct comparison of how aligned items (like lessons or assessments) connect across different standards.
Automated Keyword Creation An EdGate feature that automatically generates keywords based on the content’s subject matter to improve discoverability and search accuracy.
Auto-Realignment A system feature that automatically updates alignments when a standard changes or a new version is adopted.
Concept Index EdGate’s proprietary taxonomy that connects educational concepts across subjects and grade levels.
Content Metadata Editing The process of adding or adjusting tags, descriptions, and keywords to improve how digital resources are categorized and found.
Digital Chaptering / Bookmarking A metadata service that allows long-form digital content (like videos or podcasts) to be divided into smaller, searchable segments.
DirectAlign™ EdGate’s automated service that aligns digital content to academic standards using AI and tagging systems.
Discoverability The ease with which users can find educational content, aided by tagging, alignment, and metadata.
Gap Analysis The process of identifying content that does not meet or fully cover educational standards.
Machine Learning Alignment AI-driven automation of content alignment to standards using pattern recognition and metadata analysis.
Standards Repository A centralized database for storing and managing academic standards, such as EdGate’s extensive repository.
Standards Mapping A visual or data-based method showing how content aligns with academic standards.
Standards Licensing Acquiring legal rights to use and integrate educational standards data within products and platforms.
Tagging The act of assigning metadata labels to educational content to support organization and discoverability.
Taxonomy A classification framework used to organize concepts, standards, and cognitive skills in education.