What is EdTech? - EdTech Law Center

There are more than 25,000 companies in the K-12 EdTech industry operating the U.S.

These companies provide digital technologies to individuals, schools, and school districts that range dramatically in purpose and function. The following is a categorical breakdown of the primary EdTech software and platforms.

Behavior Monitoring/Surveillance Software (BMS)

Track student activity online in real time, including
- web content
- search engine queries
- browsing history
- email
- messaging
- social media content
- word processing
Use facial recognition, AI, and other algorithmic systems for persistent monitoring
Flag “suspicious” language or behavior
Alert school administration and/or law enforcement

Classroom Messaging Software (CMS)

Include multimedia messaging options
Provide mass messaging and push notifications
Facilitate two-way parent-teacher messaging
Sync messages to multiple platforms, including email

College and Career Readiness Platform (CCR)

Focus on planning and skill-building for post-secondary options
Connect students to higher-education insitutions and employers
Facilitate college and job recruitment

Community Engagement Platform (CEP)

Provide tools for administrators and parents to communicate
Include a news feed of recent things happening at the school, for the benefit of both students and parents
Primary function is to serve as a communication platform
Not classified as something else (like SMS)

Digital Learning Platform (DLP)

Be designed for use by instructors at K–12 schools or higher education institutions
Deliver interactive educational lessons
Include multimedia elements designed to increase student engagement
Personalize the learning experience for each student
Generate reports based on student performance data (Optional)

Learning Management System (LeMS)

Provide a platform for educators to deliver online course content to students
Distribute assignments to students and allow instructors to grade student work
Administer digital assessments to students
Facilitate individualized feedback on student work, such as through written comments or grading rubrics
Generate performance dashboards for tracking student progress
Contain gradebook functionality or integrate with third-party gradebooks

Library Management Software (LiMS)

Include a database that can be used to store and manage information on different types of content assets (books, magazines, movies, music records, and more) in different formats (print, electronic, video, etc.)
Manage patron and member information including profiles, present and past loans, payments, and penalties
Allow users to find information from public sources like OPAC (Online PublicAccess Catalog) or WorldCat
Manage asset inventory and loans across multiple physical locations
Provide statistics on loans, inventory, late returns, or lost documents

Non-Education Specific (NES)

Either not an edtech application or does not fit any categories
Includes:
- News
- References
- Productivity

Other (O)

Edtech/edtech-adjacent applications that do not fit criteria for other edtech categories (e.g. educational games, music lesson apps)

Safety Platform (SP)

Allows reporting of school specific safety information to school security personnel
Reporting is anonymous

School Management Software (SMS)

Provide tools to improve staff communication
Have features designed to improve efficiency
Include functionality designed to help manage school operations in areas such as facilities, IT management, program management, document management, attendance, food service and payment technologies, hall pass management.

School Transportation Software (STS)

Be designed to manage school transportation programs
Create optimized bus routes and schedules
Assign students and drivers to bus routes

Single Sign On (SSO)

Allows users to use one login to access multiple applications or databases in one portal

Student Information System (SIS)

Monitor relevant student data
Include a portal for parents to access information about their students
Offer reporting capabilities
Handle student admissions
Provides a module for school staff

Study Tools (ST)

Have features specifically for test preparation
Include various study methods
Be accessible for students and educators

Virtual Classroom Software (VCS)

Contain live video streaming capability
Provide screen sharing
Contain an online whiteboard feature
Provide a comprehensive online classroom environment designed for use by educational institutions as well as individual teachers and tutors
Stream live rich media interactive presentations

Sources:

2022 K-12 EdTech Safety Benchmark: National Findings – Part 1. Internet Safety Labs (December 13, 2022). Appendix A: Edtech Typology at 93-96.

Constant Surveillance: Implications of Around-the-Clock Online Student Activity Monitoring. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey (March 2022).