ExACT

How State-Level Curriculum Adoption Really Works

sschuller — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 23:49:35 +0000

How State-Level Curriculum Adoption Really Works

sschuller Mon, 06/16/2025 - 16:49

How State-Level Curriculum Adoption Really Works—And Where It Breaks Down

June 16 2025

Navigating the curriculum approval process at the state level isn’t just a box to check. It’s a high-stakes journey that can determine whether your instructional materials ever reach the classroom. While every state has its own method, the journey from academic standards to classroom adoption tends to follow a similar path.

1. Standards Are Set

States develop unique sets of standards for adoption, with many adapting modified versions of national standards

Breaking Point: Every state interprets standards differently, creating complexity for publishers and content developers.

ExACT® offers powerful reporting features, such as GAP, which is designed to identify gaps between content and standards requirements on a state-by-state basis

2. Instructional Materials Review

Curriculum alignments are evaluated within a specific timeframe, but their relevance evolves over time as new standards are introduced

Breaking Point: 30% of standards change year/year, requiring continual maintenance of alignment for compliance

ExACT® enhances all standards, including updates, with metadata, CASE identifiers, and detailed concepts to ensure precise alignment

3. Curriculum Approved

Approved materials are added to state adoption lists each year

Breaking Point: Every state has unique legislative requirements that can derail approvals. Understanding them is critical to long-term success

EdGate provides Third-Party review services, and our Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are trained to understand the nuances of state requirements in order to facilitate the approval process

4. Purchase Decisions

Schools or Districts select  curriculum for adoption in  the upcoming year(s)

Breaking Point:Classroom adoption is not assured: Teachers have the final say as to what they will be included in their lesson plans

Aligning your content, supplemental materials, and assessments to standards and taxonomies in ExACT® boosts its appeal and adoption potential

Does Your Alignment Solution Measure Up?

sschuller — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:53:06 +0000

Does Your Alignment Solution Measure Up?

EdTech

ExACT

Hot Topic

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.

The High Cost of Curriculum Misalignment

sschuller — Thu, 15 May 2025 21:56:12 +0000

The High Cost of Curriculum Misalignment

ExACT

Hot Topic

sschuller Thu, 05/15/2025 - 14:56

The High Cost of Curriculum Misalignment: What EdTech and EdPublishers Need to Know

May 15 2025

Author

Rich Portelance

We are all coming to realize that state-level K–12 curriculum adoption is a high-stakes process for both EdTech companies and education publishers. If your instructional 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 business growth, operational efficiency, and brand credibility.

The Hidden Costs of Misalignment

1. Lost Revenue Opportunities

We know that EdTech companies and publishers often invest months—sometimes years—developing curriculum. A single rejection due to poor alignment with state standards can derail entire product launches. Each failed submission represents not only lost revenue, but also the sunk cost of development and the added expense of rework.

2. Increased Operational Costs

Manual curriculum alignment is resource-intensive. EdGate has been at it for 27 years - subject-matter experts, instructional designers, and compliance teams must sift through complex and evolving standards to ensure alignment. This reactive, manual approach takes time away from higher-impact work like improving pedagogy, user experience, or product differentiation. That’s why we’ve put so many resources into developing ExACT Standards Alignment Platform — to reduce complexities, speed alignments and reduce costs.

3. Delayed Market Entry

Alignment issues lead to missed deadlines in highly regimented adoption cycles. Many states review instructional materials on a fixed multi-year calendar. Missing one of these deadlines due to misalignment can result in waiting years for the next opportunity—a costly delay in a competitive market.

4. Damaged Brand Credibility

Frequent rejections or visible alignment errors can erode trust with educators, districts, and state departments. In an industry where reputation matters, even small missteps can lead to long-term brand damage and lost market share.

The Role of Technology in Solving the Alignment Problem

Fortunately, the alignment process is being transformed by advanced technologies, including technology-driven solutions. These tools can:

Automate alignment checks to ensure content is mapped to the latest state standards before submission.
Identify gaps and overlaps in real time, allowing teams to revise content early in the development cycle.

Generate interactive curriculum maps that make it easy for state reviewers to assess alignment quickly and confidently.
Reduce review time and revision cycles, enabling faster approval and quicker time-to-market.

Misalignment is a business risk EdTech companies and publishers can no longer afford to ignore. With state standards evolving and competition growing, leveraging technology to streamline alignment is not just a smart investment—it’s a strategic necessity. With 27 years of standards management and alignment experience, EdGate has leveraged our six U.S. patents on our Taxonomy to develop the world’s leading standards creation, management, alignment, reporting and analysis tool: ExACT, to help EdTech companies and education publishers solve these pressing challenges.

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 technology and automation can streamline curriculum alignment, cut costs, and increase approval rates.

Streamlining State-Level K-12 Curriculum Adoption

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

Streamlining State-Level K-12 Curriculum Adoption

EdTech

ExACT

EdGate Services

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

EdTech

ExACT

EdGate Services

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

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

Unlock New Markets by Bridging the Gaps in Your Content

sschuller — Thu, 22 Aug 2024 22:49:55 +0000

Unlock New Markets by Bridging the Gaps in Your Content

ExACT

EdGate Services

sschuller Thu, 08/22/2024 - 15:49

Unlock New Markets by Bridging the Gaps in Your Content

August 22 2024

Author

Sharla Schuller

Expanding into new states or navigating complex educational standards can be a challenge for any educational publisher. If you're finding it tough to gain traction in a new market or ensure your content meets specific standards, ExACT’s Gap Reporting feature provides the clarity you need.

Why Gap Reporting is a Game-Changer

Gap Reporting is more than just a tool—it's designed to spotlight discrepancies between your educational content and the standards you're aiming to meet. This powerful feature in ExACT doesn’t just show where your content aligns, it reveals where it doesn’t, offering actionable insights that allow you to make targeted adjustments. The result? Content that’s fully aligned with the required standards, giving you a competitive edge in any market.

Benefits of ExACT’s Gap Reporting

Accelerate Market Expansion

By quickly identifying gaps in content alignment, you can adapt your materials to meet the standards of new states or districts. This proactive approach not only speeds up market entry but also increases the likelihood of adoption.

Save Time and Resources

Manual gap analysis is time-consuming and prone to error. ExACT’s Gap Reporting automates this process, providing instant visibility into both correlated and non-correlated standards. This efficiency frees up your team to focus on refining content rather than getting bogged down in tedious manual work.

Enhance Content Quality

With detailed insights into where your content meets or falls short of standards, you can make informed decisions on where to focus development efforts. This targeted approach ensures that your content not only meets but exceeds the expectations of educators and decision-makers.

Key Features to Drive Your Success

Comprehensive Views: ExACT allows you to choose between viewing all data (correlated and uncorrelated), only correlated standards, or just uncorrelated standards (the gaps). This flexibility ensures you’re always in control of your content’s alignment strategy.

Up-to-Date Content Alignment: Staying current with ever-evolving standards is no small feat. With ExACT, you can rest easy knowing that your gap analysis is based on the latest data from the EdGate Standards Repository, keeping your content relevant and competitive.

In-Depth Statistical Reports: The inclusion of Correlation Statistics in your gap reports provides a deeper level of insight, making it easier to fine-tune your content for maximum alignment. Whether you’re preparing for state bids or refining content for a specific district, these reports are invaluable tools for success.

Maximize Your Content’s Potential

The insights gained from Gap Reporting can transform your content development strategy, ensuring that your materials are not only aligned with standards but also optimized for success in any educational market. By leveraging ExACT’s user-friendly reports, you are better equipped to deliver high-quality content that meets the needs of educators and students.

Ready to take your content alignment to the next level? Reach out to our representatives today to explore gap reporting and all the powerful features in ExACT.

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

Unleash the Power of Premium Comparison Reports

sschuller — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 21:35:34 +0000

Unleash the Power of Premium Comparison Reports

Client Solution

ExACT

EdGate Services

sschuller Wed, 02/14/2024 - 13:35

Elevating Standards Analysis with EdGate's ExACT Alignment System: Unleash the Power of Premium Comparison Reports

February 14 2024

Author

Sharla Schuller

A challenge we often hear from clients is that comparing Standards for concepts and skill similarities is very difficult. With the new Standards Comparison Report, we’ve taken a dead aim at solving for it. Standards Comparison Reports are a new, premium feature of ExACT. The Reporting not only streamlines but enhances the process of comparing educational standards, providing a robust solution tailored to each companies' needs.

A Seamless Workflow

Define Your Baseline: Choose the primary set of standards you wish to use as your baseline – be it Common Core or any other.
Select Comparative States: Handpick secondary sets for comparison, choosing states that align with your analysis goals.
Specify Subject and Grade Level: Customize your comparison by selecting the subject and grade level. With a simple click, ExACT generates a detailed report in your preferred format – Excel or Word.

Premium Flexibility with Gap Reports

EdGate's ExACT Application ensures your Standards Comparison Reports are not only comprehensive but also insightful. Gap reports integrated seamlessly into these documents provide a deeper understanding of the variations between standards, allowing for a holistic analysis.

The Repository Advantage

EdGate's Standards Repository, enriched over two decades, houses over 5 million educational standards. This wealth of data guarantees accuracy and efficiency in your standards comparison process.

Explore the Enhanced Standards Comparison Experience

Whether you're comparing multiple states, subjects, or grades, ExACT delivers a premium experience. Dive into the enhanced standards comparison process, eliminating complexities and making educational standards analysis seamless.

Get Started Today

Ready to revolutionize your approach to educational standards analysis? Explore the enhanced features of Standards Comparison Reports on EdGate's ExACT Application. Visit our website for more information or reach out to our experienced Account Executives, who are eager to schedule an appointment and demonstrate how ExACT can elevate your standards analysis to new heights. Say hello to a refined, premium experience in understanding educational standards.

EdGate's ExACT – A Leap Forward in Educational Technology

sschuller — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 19:03:55 +0000

EdGate's ExACT – A Leap Forward in Educational Technology

sschuller Thu, 01/25/2024 - 11:03

EdGate's ExACT – A Leap Forward in Educational Technology with 2023 Updates

January 25 2024

We're thrilled to unveil the latest enhancements to ExACT, EdGate's flagship product, setting the stage for a new era of efficiency and innovation in educational technology. The year 2023 brought about not just a new look for ExACT but also a host of powerful features and tools designed to elevate the user experience and streamline content management.

Aesthetic Revamp – New Branding, Same Commitment

ExACT sports a fresh new look with updated branding, reflecting our commitment to staying at the forefront of educational technology. The sleek design now mirrors the sophistication and efficiency that ExACT brings to the table.

Enhanced Alignment Tools for Correlation Clients

For correlation clients, the ExACT Alignment Tool has undergone significant enhancements, providing users with more robust methods for managing alignments. The key features introduced include:

Import Alignments
Post-mapping Review and Refinement
Direct Alignment Enhancements
Tag Concepts to Multiple Resources Simultaneously

API Integration for Expanded Alignment Options

Clients now have additional flexibility with features added to EdGate’s REST-based API, offering yet another avenue for creating content alignments. The updates include:

Direct Alignment added to API
Content Filtering Endpoints Added

Custom Reporting Capabilities

The introduction of custom reporting capabilities allows users to view alignments by resource, course, and at different levels of standards. The enhancements include:

Custom Report Options – VA and Strength
Reporting by Item/Course
Display Standards Correlations at Different Levels of the Standards (Top, Intermediate, Child Level)

Content Metadata Management Improvements

Managing content metadata is now more efficient than ever with updates such as:

Batch Upload Content for Multiple Subjects
Viewable Client ID within Tool
Mass Move, Copy, Edit, Delete Content Metadata

Seamless Standards Authoring and Alignment

Publishers creating custom standards sets can now author and align standards within the ExACT Alignment Tool, offering a centralized location for content and standards management.

What's Next – 2024 Sneak Peek

The journey continues in 2024, with more enhancements on the horizon, including an ExACT Alignment Tool Free Trial. Stay tuned for exciting opportunities to explore the full potential of ExACT.

To experience these updates firsthand, contact our sales team.

Discover a More Accurate way to Align Curriculum

sschuller — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 01:25:51 +0000

Discover a More Accurate way to Align Curriculum

Client Solution

ExACT

EdGate Services

sschuller Wed, 11/15/2023 - 17:25

Discover a More Accurate way to Align Curriculum

November 15 2023

Publishers and EdTech companies are constantly looking for ways to enhance the quality and accuracy of their curriculum alignments. With K-12 educators demanding precise coverage to individual state standards, the burden has grown to be able to validate these alignments. If this experience resonates with you, read on!

Introducing the ExACT Alignment Strength Report

Making a proper alignment is tricky enough, but answering the question "how tight is the alignment?" is a challenge of a higher order. Borne from customer requests and continual feedback, EdGate has developed The ExACT Alignment Strength Report to provide an easy-to-read snapshot that provides the assurance curriculum buyers are looking for to ensure your content adequately meets the stated learning outcomes. This innovative report goes beyond traditional alignment assessments by showing where the content aligns to individual standards as well as how well it covers those standards.

Key Features of the ExACT Alignment Strength Report:

Detailed Alignments

The report provides a detailed analysis of how well the content aligns with individual standards. Users can now gain insights into whether a resource fully covers, mostly covers, or only partially covers the concepts associated with a particular standard.

Gap Identification

Recognizing the importance of addressing gaps in alignments, the report goes a step further by highlighting concepts that are not addressed for standards categorized as mostly, partially, or having no alignments. This allows publishers to pinpoint areas for improvement and refinement in their alignments.

Available via ExACT

The Alignment Strength Report is available through the ExACT Reporting system. This web-based reporting tool allows client staff to generate alignment reports tailored to specific grades, subjects, and states, offering a user-friendly and efficient experience. Reports are exportable and can be displayed or provided to your end-users.

EdGate's ExACT Alignment Strength Report is a game-changer for educational content alignment. With its detailed assessment, gap identification, and seamless integration with the ExACT Reporting system, the tool empowers educators, publishers, and EdTech companies to navigate standards alignment with confidence.

Want to learn more? Request a demo of the Alignment Strength Report and the ExACT Alignment system today. ExACT is trusted by our team of subject matter experts and our clients. Isn’t it time to see for yourself?