Digital Content Evaluation and Selection Process

Our Request Process

The Curriculum Department makes every effort to ensure that staff have the appropriate instructional resources and tools to support high quality teaching and learning. The following process outlines the steps for staff to request approval to use a digital resource that may not be available through the Curriculum Department. Digital resources include all software, apps, tech tools, and online systems. This process is required for ALL digital resource (free or purchased) requests that meet any of the the following conditions:

Students log into it in any way, including a Google button, Classlink, Google Classroom integration, etc.
Any student information will be entered into the system, even if it is just names.
Any educational records will be in the system.
The system may potentially have access to educational records, including things like a grammar checker that can read a Google Doc.
School funds will be used, including grants.
Data sync, single sign on, or rostering support is required.
Terms or conditions must be accepted, signed, or agreed with to use the resource

Resource requests will be reviewed two times per academic year, September and February.

Step 1: Check to see if your digital resource is already on our approved programs list.

Step 2: Share the digital resource with your building principal for initial approval.

Step 3: Complete the GJPS Digital Resource Approval Request form.

Step 4: Curriculum/Technology Departments will review the request to determine if the resource is aligned to district curriculum and technology specifications.

4a. Resource is approved, continue to step 4

4b. Resource is not approved, information will be shared with requester as to why the resource was not approved. If a resource is not approved, the resource cannot be used. Building, PTO or grant funds can not be used.

Step 5: Curriculum and/or Tech Department will follow up with the requester to move forward with the request.

GJPS Digital Resource Approval Request Form GJPS Approved Programs List

Our Example Rubric

Components	1	2	3
Acceptable Use/Privacy Statement COPPA/CIPA/FERPA compliant Account requirements Data sharing and collection Third-party applications involved (login with Google, Facebook, etc) Parental consent required	AUP/Privacy Statement is unclear or contains major concerns with student data --STOP--	AUP/Privacy statement contains basic requirements for security	AUP/Privacy statement contains best practices for the security of student data
Curriculum Alignment Does the resource align or support the state standards? Does it align with the adopted high-quality instructional materials? Does it provide an assessment or evaluation of student learning to provide feedback to the student and teacher?	Resource does NOT align with state standards or the district adopted high-quality instructional materials. An assessment of student learning is not available	Resource aligns with state standards OR aligns with the district adopted high-quality instructional materials. An assessment of student learning is available but only provides feedback to the student OR teacher	Resource aligns with state standards AND the district adopted high-quality instructional materials. An assessment of student learning is available and provides feedback to the student and teacher
Advertisements Does the resource have advertisements? Are the ads static or do they change depending on the time of day? Are the ads placed on valuable screen space? Are students required to close the ad before using the App?	Ads are inappropriate, varied, intrusive or unpredictable and get in the way of the learning process --STOP--	Ads are static & predictable, ads are visible through the app, but do not overly get in the way	No advertisements at all
Cost Is the cost of the Resource in alignment with the budget? Does the Resource contain in-tool purchases?	Resource is costly and contains in-tool purchases --STOP--	Resource is free or aligns to budget but contains in-tool purchases	Resource is free or aligns to budget, no in-tool purchases
User-Generated Content Content contains appropriate information (images, text, URLs) Can individuals comment on others’ work? Can the comments or chat be monitored?	Resource contains inappropriate info and lacks teacher controls --STOP--	Resource contains inappropriate info or lacks teacher controls	Resource contains appropriate info and provides teacher controls
IDEA/MTSS Does the resource serve as a supplement for Tier 2, Tier 3 and/or SPED?	Resource does not serve as a supplement	Resource serves as a Tier 2/Tier 3 OR SPED supplement	Resource serves as a Tier 2/Tier 3 AND SPED supplement
Feedback Does the resource provide students with feedback or encouragement? Feedback is appropriate for students Can teachers provide feedback?	Resource does not provide feedback	Resource provides minimal feedback	Resource provides feedback at a variety of levels
Differentiation/Personalized Learning Can teachers adjust the settings for individual students for differentiated instruction? Will the program automatically adapt to individual students’ needs based on assessments or learning progressions?	All students get the same work	Either the teacher OR the resource can adapt	Teacher and the resource can both adjust to the individual student’s needs
Communication Features Does the resource have a built-in chat feature? Can the chat/discussion posts be monitored/approved by the teacher? Is it visible by a classroom monitoring tool?	Anonymous capability, chat is available and unmonitored, not visible with a classroom monitoring tool	Chat is monitored but not archived	Chat can be monitored and archived, visible with a classroom monitoring tool
Accessibility Features Are there settings that support students with visual limitations? Are there settings that allow users to have text-to-speech? Are there settings for closed captioning? Are there settings for high contrast/dark mode? Are translations available?	Resource offers no accessibility features	Resource offers 1-3 accessibility features	Resource offers 4-5 accessibility features
RESULTS			Total Score (39)