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sschuller Thu, 06/05/2025 - 09:53

Does Your Alignment Solution Measure Up? A Closer Look at Standards Coverage and Access

June 05 2025

Author

Sharla Schuller

How confident are you that your current alignment process is keeping up with today’s fast-changing education standards? If you're still relying on spreadsheets or outdated systems, you might be missing critical gaps, and opportunities.

When it comes to curriculum development and instructional materials, access to comprehensive, exportable, and up-to-date academic standards isn’t just a convenience, it’s a necessity. Whether you're a publisher aligning content across multiple states or an educator building lessons that meet local standards, your alignment solution needs to do more than just “check the boxes.”

At EdGate, we’ve been providing standards data and alignment tools to educational publishers, platforms, and institutions for over 25 years. While others may be celebrating the addition of new content to their systems, EdGate has quietly been offering that content, and much more, for decades.

What Others Are Just Launching, EdGate Has Long Delivered

Some platforms recently announced the availability of Health and PE, World Languages, and Computer Science standards across 50 states. That’s great news—for those just getting started.

EdGate has long offered these standards for all 50 states and D.C., along with coverage that goes far beyond the basics. Our repository includes subjects that are critical to a well-rounded curriculum, including:

Arts Education
Career Development
Early Childhood Education
English Language Learners
Financial Literacy
Gifted Education

Health and PE
Language Arts
Library Media
Mathematics
Professional Development
Religious Studies

Science
Social Studies
Social and Emotional Learning
Special Skills
Technology Education
World Languages

If your alignment solution isn’t covering these, it might be time to reassess.

Curious how your current alignment solution compares?

You can try ExACT free for 30 days and explore the difference for yourself.

Start Your Trial Today

Exporting Standards Shouldn’t Come with Errors

Some “open access” tools boast that users can view and export standards freely. But upon closer inspection, publishers often hit a wall when trying to export data, receiving error messages unless they create specific registered accounts or meet eligibility criteria.

At EdGate, exports are seamless. Our standards data is ready for integration into SIS, LMS, assessment systems, and beyond. Whether you’re a publisher looking to align across all 50 states or a district needing local coverage, our systems are built to support scale, speed, and accuracy, without the headaches.

Built for More Than Educators

Some platforms prioritize access for individual educators. While helpful, this approach is often limited. An educator may only need access to a single subject in one state. In contrast, publishers and edtech platforms typically require access to multiple subjects across multiple states and in multiple formats. That’s where EdGate truly excels.

Our platform and premium tools, like the ExACT Standards Alignment Platform, are designed with publishers and content developers in mind. With automated alignment, export-ready data, and expert-backed insights, ExACT gives curriculum teams the tools they need to clearly see how their content aligns, or doesn’t, with state and national standards.

Don’t Settle for Partial Solutions

If your current solution requires workarounds, limited access, or narrow subject coverage, it might be time to upgrade. EdGate delivers the comprehensive standards data, deep alignment support, and dedicated service that today’s educational ecosystem demands.

EdGate’s Correlation Services set the industry standard with an unparalleled, patented alignment methodology that ensures precise crosswalking across all state and international educational standards. Unlike other providers, EdGate offers a comprehensive and scalable approach that guarantees educators, publishers, and EdTech companies seamless alignment to global curriculum frameworks. With a commitment to accuracy, efficiency, and innovation, EdGate delivers exclusive services that empower organizations to meet diverse learning objectives with confidence. This ensures your content remains relevant, compliant, and accessible across every market.

Curious how EdGate stacks up against other solutions?

Check out our side-by-side comparison chart to see how we measure up in coverage, access, and value.

Not sure if your current alignment solution is keeping up? Try ExACT for free and find out

Reach out to learn how your alignment strategy can go further—with less effort.

Questions Asked Most Frequently at ASU-GSV 2025

sschuller — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 23:24:26 +0000

Questions Asked Most Frequently at ASU-GSV 2025

sschuller Mon, 04/28/2025 - 16:24

Questions Asked Most Frequently at ASU-GSV 2025

April 28 2025

Author

Gina Faulk

As always ASU+GSV in San Diego was buzzy and loud, air-conditioned to a state of uncomfortableness inside, but sunny and lovely outside. Education celebrities were circulating: Arne Duncan, Sal Khan, Colin Kaepernick, will.i.am and more. Old friends who have been in EdTech and traditional K-12 educational publishing for years could be found left and right. Newer companies with exciting new AI products were prolific.

U.S. Secretary of Education

Probably the highest profile event at ASU+GSV 2025 was the Tuesday morning interview featuring Linda McMahon, U.S. Secretary of Education. As evidence of its prominence, the building was secured with limited entrances/exits, secret service was in attendance, and a small group of protesters stood outside the conference venue. As is widely known, under the direction of the U.S. President, McMahon has been tasked with preparing to shut down the U.S. Department of Education. This executive order would require an act of Congress. As part of McMahon’s mission, she vowed to “return education to the states”, as declared during her February 2025 confirmation hearing and in her speech that can now be found on the U.S. Dept. of Ed. site.

What Does Return to the States Mean?

From our vantage point as the leading educational standards consulting company, EdGate has been pondering what this “return to the states” means for state curriculum standards/frameworks. Sure enough, the questions I received most often while at ASU+GSV were “What does this shift back to the states mean for learning standards?” and “Is Common Core dead?”

It’s widely known that every state already has its own standards (a.k.a. competencies). So in some ways, when our team is aligning K-12 education content to standards, we tend to think of the U.S. as fifty tiny countries. Although all states have adopted learning standards that basically teach the same concepts (adding fractions, verb tenses, photosynthesis, etc.) the emphasis put on individual concepts, the way individual standards are written and published, and at which grade level concepts are introduced differs from state to state. State standards often reflect the unique history, economy, and politics of each state. This is especially evident in subject areas like Social Studies and Career and Technical Education (CTE). For instance, some states emphasize healthcare or agriculture in their CTE standards, while others focus heavily on information technology—clearly aligning with the dominant industries and workforce demands within their regional economies.

A healthy share of companies that engage with EdGate come to us with their content already aligned to the Common Core standards. At that point, they have a good baseline to start with. After all, the Common Core State Standards were created in 2010 to establish consistent educational expectations across the fifty states, ensuring all students receive a comparable education in English language arts and mathematics. EdGate continuously links all of the state learning standards to a core taxonomy of concepts so we can take the existing Common Core alignments and map those Common Core alignments to the other 49 states. So is Common Core dead? No, but the states that have kept the Common Core verbatim are rare and after every state standard update cycle the standards become increasingly further removed from the original Common Core. Treating ELA and Math standards like social studies, where every state is bespoke, is closer to reality.

Helpful Resources

EdGate created a very useful and freely available state-by-state learning standards comparison visual on our website. Click on any state to see the differences between state standards and Common Core, NGSS, C3 and other widely used libraries. Check it out and see you next year at ASU+GSV!

What is high-quality curriculum (HQIM)?

sschuller — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 17:30:07 +0000

What is high-quality curriculum (HQIM)?

sschuller Tue, 04/22/2025 - 10:30

What is high-quality curriculum (HQIM)?

April 22 2025

Author

Naomi Morton

First, Let’s Define Curriculum

In basic terms, curriculum is the what, why, and how of student learning. It encompasses the lessons and tools teachers use and the timeframe in which they are implemented. While materials terminology evolves and changes, at its core, HQIM is knowledge-rich, engaging instructional materials that develop critical and creative thinking skills, fostering deeper student learning, while realizing a range of societal demands and government policies. Materials should reflect evidence-based best practices in relevant content areas and support all types of students including English language learners, students with disabilities and students identified as gifted or talented. Texas, as an example, has specific criteria that materials must meet to reach HQIM status.

Collaborative for Student Success

CurriculumHQ is a project of the Collaborative for Student Success whose goal is to “provide leaders with the information and examples they need to enable high-quality materials adoption and curriculum-based training in their communities.” In 2024, CurriculumHQ conducted a comprehensive scan by state and created a map that allows viewers to explore how states and districts are using high-quality learning materials. For example, Pennsylvania utilizes the Standards Aligned System (SAS) and Voluntary Model Curriculum, Indiana creates and revises a High-Quality Curricular Materials (HQCM) advisory list annually. Arkansas supports the Arkansas Initiative for Instructional Materials (AIIM). Virginia follows a curriculum review process under the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA).

Seven Hours Per Week

Sources indicate that teachers spend approximately seven hours per week searching for instructional resources, much of it from online sources and not always vetted, resulting in approximately 30% of teachers nationwide using high-quality materials consistently. Providing teachers with equitable access to HQIM and professional development support is important for the education ecosystem and helps ensure students acquire the necessary skills to be successful.

Standards alignment is one of the most important uniting factors regarding HQIM. Implementing HQIM that is aligned to rigorous state standards leads to improved student outcomes.

Want to learn more about HQIM and how adoption processes vary by state?

Check out our webinar on Texas adoption requirements for a deep dive into one of the most structured review processes in the country. Or explore the latest updates in our blog article on Florida's 2025–2026 instructional materials timeline.

Contact the EdGate team to learn how we can support your organization with accurate standards alignment and crosswalk services across all 50 states.

Streamlining State-Level K-12 Curriculum Adoption

sschuller — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:21:44 +0000

Streamlining State-Level K-12 Curriculum Adoption

ExACT

sschuller Tue, 04/01/2025 - 11:21

Streamlining State-Level K-12 Curriculum Adoption with Advanced Technology

April 01 2025

Author

Rich Portelance

State-level K-12 curriculum adoption is a high-stakes process for EdTech companies and education publishers. If your content doesn’t align with state standards, you risk costly revisions, lost contracts, and delayed revenue. Misalignment isn’t just a minor inconvenience—it’s a direct threat to growth. EdGate is committed to providing solutions leveraging advanced technology that reduce cost and speed solutions without compromising quality.

The Hidden Costs of Misalignment

Lost Revenue Opportunities

EdTech companies and publishers spend months and years developing curriculum, but when state’s reject content due to misalignment with state requirements, it means lost revenue and additional time spent on revisions.

Increased Operational Costs

Manual curriculum alignment is a labor-intensive process that can drain resources. Subject-matter experts, instructional designers, and compliance teams spend countless hours reviewing standards instead of innovating.

Delayed Market Entry

Education providers that struggle with alignment take longer to enter new markets. In an industry where state adoption cycles are rigid, missing deadlines can mean waiting years for the next opportunity.

How State-Level Curriculum Adoption Works

And Where It Breaks Down

View Our Infographic

The Role of Advanced Technology in Streamlining the Alignment Process

Advanced technology, like EdGate’s ExACT Standards Alignment Platform, can:

Automate alignment checks to ensure content meets state standards before submission. This includes advanced reporting like Gap Analysis that outlines alignment gaps from one state to the next.
Provide real-time insights on where content falls short, reducing revision cycles. ExACT can take that information and accurately migrate the aligned resources and map to any set of standards in our repository.
Streamline approvals by creating easy-to-navigate curriculum maps for state reviewers.
Know content is aligned, while you develop it. ExACT is the only comprehensive platform that lets your team test alignments while they create classroom content. Within ExACT, they gain access to a repository of over 5.5 million enhanced academic and CTE standards, all with added metadata for discovery, and CASE GUIDs where appropriate.

Next Steps: How to Future-Proof Your Curriculum Strategy

The key to avoiding misalignment pitfalls is leveraging the right technology. On June 12, 2025, we’re hosting a live webinar on how advanced technologies, like AI, machine learning, natural language processing, advanced text analysis and data analytics and automation can streamline curriculum adoption, boost revenue, and reduce costs.

Pre-Register Now to gain insights from industry experts and see real-world examples of alignment success.

A Client’s View on how to Access the U.S. Education Market Successfully

sschuller — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 19:11:51 +0000

A Client’s View on how to Access the U.S. Education Market Successfully

sschuller Thu, 02/20/2025 - 11:11

A Client’s View on how to Access the U.S. Education Market Successfully

February 20 2025

Author

Rich Portelance

This month the EdGate Powers Webinar Series takes on an international flair, as we welcome BOOKR Kids Will Gordon. BOOKR Kids is an EdTech concern out of Budapest, Hungary. They grew into the European market before hiring Will and building a plan to enter the U.S. marketplace. Early success overseas helped catalyze their U.S. entry, but they quickly realized they needed more than just a great product to reach their goals.

Along with Will, we also welcome Mike Campbell, President of Advancing Global EDU. Advancing Global is an educational consulting firm that prioritizes helping companies understand market trends, state and federal funding, and helping strategize innovative ways to build market share. Along with his advisory work, Mike is also in the process of launching a virtual, dual-country degree school, a project he is passionate about and will be happy to share some of the challenges he and his team have faced in getting their accreditation.

The goal of the webinar is to uncover some of the more subtle methods and efforts needed to unlock new markets, especially those overseas. As the landscape in the U.S, continues to decentralize to state-level autonomy, businesses entering from overseas need to dig deep into each State’s legislative requirements and unique standards to meet the baseline requirements. Mike and Will are excited to draw upon their experiences to provide hard won insights and how they assimilated them into their (and clients) processes. Some of the topics we will be covering include:

Identifying challenges unique to the U.S. market and how to address them
How to streamline adoption processes
The most common hurdles faced by international companies and how overcome them
Where can you turn to streamline adoption processes and how can your team get started?
And much more!

Join us February 27, 2025 at 11 AM PST, 2PM EST

There will be a Q&A; portion, so please bring your questions!

State AI Guidance Documents & Frameworks

sschuller — Wed, 20 Nov 2024 17:04:43 +0000

State AI Guidance Documents & Frameworks

Standard Updates

sschuller Wed, 11/20/2024 - 09:04

State AI Guidance Documents & Frameworks

November 20 2024

Author

Gina Faulk

EdGate has been watching states as they continue to publish AI Guidance and Frameworks to help school district leaders navigate AI in the K-12 classroom. The guidance encourages teachers to support AI and use it to enhance learning and their own productivity in the classroom. Several states frame their guidance with forethought as to how AI will shape future workforces.

Back in October 2023 just two states—California and Oregon—offered official guidance to school districts on using AI in schools. Fast forward one year and as of now, close to 50% of the U.S states offer AI guidance. Here’s a link to a helpful map from the AI for Education group detailing out all states that have published official AI guidance on the use of AI in K-12 schools. Note that the map is interactive and links out to summaries and full guidance for each state who has authored AI guidance.

Per the Center on Reinventing Education (CRPE), a non-partisan research and policy analysis center at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, “Guidances that have been published or that are currently in development focus on the ethical and equity implications of AI’s use, recommendations for teachers’ and students’ appropriate use of AI, and emerging best practices to enhance instruction…The guidance also explores the potential for AI to improve systemic inequities.”

The U.S. Department of Education released AI guidance for EdTech vendors in July 2024. A full PDF called Designing for Education with Artificial Intelligence: An Essential Guide for Developers “seeks to inform product leads and their teams of innovators, designers, developers, customer-facing staff, and legal teams as they work toward safety, security, and trust while creating AI products and services for use in education.”

Coming at this from the standards angle, the team at EdGate has evaluated the guidance documents to determine if they are set up like standards. That is, can content be aligned to the guidance documents, like standards? Are there learning outcomes that content could align to? The distinction we’ve found is that the guidance documents are set up as “frameworks”, as opposed to “standards.” The frameworks are aimed at educators for guidance in how to approach AI in the classroom.

That said, we expect that AI will be referenced within a wide array of subject area standards in the years to come. When looking at the Washington State AI classroom guidance documents it’s indicated that AI will play a starring role in the subjects of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and computer science. Additionally, AI will also be integrated into ELA, Mathematics, Social Studies, Climate and Environmental Science, Physics and Engineering, Special Education, ELL, and World Languages.

The California AI guidance documents support this hypothesis. Within the California guidance documents, it is noted that “Incorporating AI skills and computer science standards into K-12 education can equip students with the knowledge and abilities necessary to navigate and contribute to an increasingly AI-powered world.”

Watch EdGate’s standards update page for more info on standards added to our library: https://www.edgate.com/resources/updated-standards

Harnessing the Power of ExACT Standards Comparison Reports

sschuller — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 22:03:46 +0000

Harnessing the Power of ExACT Standards Comparison Reports

sschuller Thu, 08/22/2024 - 15:03

Harnessing the Power of ExACT Standards Comparison Reports

August 22 2024

Author

Sharla Schuller

With the complexities of educational standards across states, ensuring that your content aligns perfectly is more important than ever. Educators, curriculum developers, and publishers often face the challenge of navigating these differences, but the ExACT Standards Comparison Report offers an easy solution that simplifies the process.

Streamlining Standards Comparison for Better Alignment

ExACT’s Standards Comparison Reports make it easy to generate detailed Excel reports by state, subject, and grade level, with the option to include crosswalked standards from other states. Providing clear, actionable insights into where standards align and where they do not, allowing you to adjust your content to meet specific state requirements.

Gap Reporting vs. Standards Comparison

While Standards Comparison Reports offer a comprehensive overview of how standards align across states, Gap Reporting goes further by spotlighting differences between your educational content and the standards you're targeting. By identifying these gaps, you can make adjustments to ensure your materials meet—and exceed—the required standards. Together, these tools provide a powerful strategy for refining your content with confidence.

Make Strategic Updates with Targeted Insights

For publishers looking to expand content across multiple states, understanding the variations in each state’s standards is critical. ExACT’s Standards Comparison Reports offer an advantage by highlighting gaps and overlaps between standards. This allows you to tailor your content to align with specific state requirements and develop a more comprehensive, multi-state curriculum that stands out in a competitive market.

Expand Your Reach

Meeting standards isn’t enough. ExACT provides a pathway to exceed them. If you’re aiming to expand into new states or international markets, our patented technology helps you map your resources to any set of standards with our comprehensive Standards Repository. This ensures your content is aligned and impactful.

Maximize ROI with Cost-Effective Solutions

The ExACT Standards Platform offers a cost-effective way to map your content to virtually any learning outcomes, enhancing the relevance and impact of your educational materials across different regions. Our reports provide visual clarity and allow you to optimize your content for diverse markets and open doors to new opportunities.

Harness the power of ExACT Standards Comparison Reports to ensure your content meets—and exceeds—state educational requirements. Contact us to discover how our premium solutions can help you expand your reach, optimize your content, and drive success in diverse educational markets.

Harnessing the Power of EdGate's ExACT Standards Authoring

sschuller — Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:41:21 +0000

Harnessing the Power of EdGate's ExACT Standards Authoring

sschuller Mon, 06/17/2024 - 09:41

Harnessing the Power of EdGate's ExACT Standards Authoring

June 17 2024

Author

Sharla Schuller

The need for robust tools to manage and align educational standards has never been more critical to the education market. Enter EdGate's ExACT Standards Platform, a comprehensive suite of digital tools designed to streamline the management, reporting, and alignment of content standards. Today, we are thrilled to introduce the latest addition to this powerful platform: Standards Authoring.

Introducing Standards Authoring

Responding to the growing demand from our clients, Standards Authoring is now available within the ExACT Standards Platform. This innovative application not only allows for the importing of existing standards and frameworks but also enables users to manage, edit, and even create entirely new frameworks. Whether you are part of a State Department of Education, a publisher, or a non-profit organization, ExACT offers a tailored solution to meet your unique needs.

Centralized and Secure Management

Many organizations currently juggle their standards across numerous Google spreadsheets, which can be cumbersome and prone to errors. The ExACT Standards Authoring tool provides a centralized, secure environment for organizing and storing standards. This ensures that all standards are safely managed and easily accessible as they are being developed.

Key Features of ExACT Standards Authoring

Design and Develop Content Standards: Create and refine content standards for all K-12 subjects, ensuring they meet your specific educational goals.
Import/Export Functionality: Seamlessly import existing standards and export them as needed, making transitions and updates smooth and efficient.
Alignments: Leverage the EdGate Concept Index to link relevant terms with newly created frameworks, and utilize EdGate’s alignment methodology for detailed content alignments and standards comparisons.
Standards Comparison: Generate comprehensive reports that compare authored standards with other state and national standards, ensuring consistency and compliance.
CASE Formatting: Ensure that your standards are formatted according to the 1EdTech CASE standards, promoting interoperability and ease of use.
Secure Hosting: Enjoy the peace of mind that comes with secure hosting of your standards within EdGate’s repository.

Access to the World's Largest Standards Repository

EdGate is proud to offer access to the world’s largest repository of enhanced U.S. and international education standards. Our expertise in providing SaaS solutions for standards framework analytics and design is backed by a dedicated team of subject area experts, ensuring that your content is managed within a secure environment.

Exciting New Features on the Horizon

Our development team is continuously working to enhance the Standards Authoring application. Upcoming features will provide even greater control and flexibility, making it easier to manage and maintain educational standards. Here’s a sneak peek at what's coming:

Rights Management: Assign and manage rights, monitor modifications, and approve edits throughout the workflow stages.

Review, Approval, and Authorization Levels: Tools for reviewing, approving/rejecting, and commenting on standards and updates within your group profile.

Retention of History & Tracking of Edits: Maintain logs of changes/edits and approvals by user, and generate reports based on user activity.

Versioning and Archiving: Keep track of different versions and archive older standards for easy retrieval.

Public Commenting: Collect and manage public comments directly within the tool, fostering community engagement and feedback.

EdGate’s ExACT Standards Platform, with its new Standards Authoring application, is designed to empower educators and institutions by simplifying the standards management process. With the ability to publish, manage, and create new frameworks effortlessly, ExACT is the trusted solution for many educational entities. Join us in revolutionizing the way educational standards are managed and aligned.

For more information or to see a demo of the ExACT Standards Platform, contact us today. Let EdGate help you harness the power of standards management to enhance educational outcomes

Highlights from the 2024 1EdTech Learning Impact Conference

sschuller — Sat, 15 Jun 2024 01:01:28 +0000

Highlights from the 2024 1EdTech Learning Impact Conference

sschuller Fri, 06/14/2024 - 18:01

Highlights from the 2024 1EdTech Learning Impact Conference

June 14 2024

Author

Sharla Schuller

From June 3-6, educators, tech experts, and innovators gathered for the 1EdTech Learning Impact Conference. The conference was brimming with insights and discussions on the future of education technology and AI.

The Future of AI in Education

The opening session set an ambitious tone, discussing the exponential growth of computing power, which is really mind-boggling. Today, $1,000 worth of computing can match the cognitive power of one human brain. By 2050, it's projected that the same amount will equal the combined brain power of all humans! However, multiple sessions emphasized that while AI can excel in fostering specific skills, it cannot replicate human judgment and wisdom. The expected progression of AI integration in education was discussed and outlined as follows:

Learning ABOUT AI
Learning FROM AI
Learning WITH AI

The consensus at the event was clear that we are in Stage 1 and the current K-12 infrastructure is lagging in AI adoption. Many pointed back to the fear of the emerging technology, while others felt we are just in the beginning stages of understanding how to use AI effectively. Instead of thinking of it as a tool that can be used for cheating, educators need to begin to think about Stage 2, and how we can learn from AI. This means working alongside students to understand how it can be used effectively and how it can spark imagination. From there we can move on to Stage 3 of learning with AI.

The Expiry of ESSER Funds

With the expiration of ESSER funds at the end of this year, many sessions focused on the implications and future planning for schools that have relied on these resources. This is a critical issue, impacting budgets and funding allocations across various educational institutions.

Staking out EdTech Priorities: Seven Keys to Success

sschuller — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 18:44:17 +0000

Staking out EdTech Priorities: Seven Keys to Success