Research-Based Certified Products

Digital Promise currently offers the Research-Based Design: ESSA Tier 4 product certification. Digital Promise has verified that the following products have met the certification criteria described below. These products submitted applications that underwent a rigorous assessment process to certify that they are designed according to research, and in alignment to Tier 4 of the ESSA Tiers of Evidence. Congratulations to all products that have earned this certification!

Research-Based Design: ESSA Tier 4

To earn the Research-Based Design: ESSA Tier 4 product certification, edtech product teams must submit the following artifacts, or evidence:

1. A well-defined logic model based on empirical research that provides rationale for intended impact. The logic model, which must be supported by at least five empirical citations, includes a problem statement, inputs, activities/strategies, outputs, and short and long-term outcomes.
2. An annotated bibliography that cites well-designed, empirical research to describe the basis for and demonstrate five significant and distinct design decisions.
3. One well-designed qualitative research study that has been conducted to understand learners’ and/or educators’ experiences with the product and its potential benefits.
4. Easy access for education practitioners, learners, and communities to see the product’s research basis.
5. A signed FERPA letter to ensure data privacy.

Research-Based Design for Instructional Learning Products

This certification preceded the Research-Based Design: ESSA Tier 4 certification and is no longer offered. To earn the Research-Based Design for Instructional Learning Products certification, edtech product teams submitted artifacts, or evidence, to demonstrate that:

1. They consulted rigorous and empirical research about learning to inform product design decisions;
2. They developed a theoretical framework, such as a logic model or theory of change, grounded in research about how people learn to drive product planning and decision making; and
3. They publish the product’s research basis in a form the public can easily access (each logo below links directly to this artifact).

Research-Based Learning Analytics

To earn the Research-Based Learning Analytics certification, edtech product teams must submit artifacts, or evidence, to demonstrate that:

1. They consulted rigorous and empirical research about analytics to inform product design decisions;
2. They developed a theoretical framework, such as a logic model or theory of change, grounded in research about decision-making to drive product planning and decision making; and
3. They publish the product’s research basis in a form the public can easily access (each logo below links directly to this artifact).

The Research-Based Design product certification is not an endorsement of products or their efficacy. The certification intends to help educators narrow their options as they select products to pilot. To learn more about how product certifications can help districts select the right edtech, check out these free resources.