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4 Ways Schools Can Drive Ed-Tech ROI and Compliance With Analytics

It’s something we hear from a lot of schools: first came all the devices, then came a flurry of apps and applications and digital tools and curriculum to use with them. And now, it’s a little out of control with unused tools, redundant resources, unvetted apps. Lightspeed Analytics™ can give you the data you need to take back control and optimize all of that!

1. Identify the cost of unused licenses

One large school district recently started using Analytics and on the very first app they looked at, they found half a million dollars in unused licenses. A recent study shows that 67% of all ed-tech licenses are unused. The tricky part is figuring out exactly where those unused licenses are – and what to do about them. Analytics makes it easy.
Analytics has all the data you need to optimize your ed-tech ROI:

  • Reporting on every app – free and paid – across all schools
  • Adoption and engagement by app
  • Cost of unused licenses overall and by app
  • Break down on classes and users where the app is used and not used
  • Trend reports to see if your attempts to drive adoption are working

2. Identify rogue apps

One of the things we ask new Lightspeed Analytics users is, “How many apps and applications do you think you have?” Then we log into Lightspeed Analytics for the first time and reality sets in: there are typically more than twice as many apps in use as the tech department thinks. We call these “rogue” apps because they haven’t gone through standard IT vetting and deployment processes. In some cases, this is because teachers have started using apps on their own, outside IT policies. In other cases, it’s because the district standardized on one middle school math practice app — but not everyone has shifted over. Whatever it is, you need to know about these rogue apps.
Lightspeed Analytics identifies all the rogue apps in use:

  • Comprehensive reporting on all apps, applications, and web tools in use across all schools, classes, operating systems, browsers
  • Drill down to show who is using unvetted apps
  • And, if you’re using the Lightspeed Filter, the ability to block those rogue, unvetted apps

3. Drive more useful professional development

Many of the apps in use in your district went through thorough reviews and RFPs and vetting before you purchased them. You’ve made the decision to use the app based on criteria about how it can improve the learning process, so why isn’t it being used — and how can you change that? One of the top ways is professional development. Identify the schools or classes that aren’t using key resources and plan professional development to drive adoption and engagement.

With Lightspeed Analytics, you have the information you need to drive smart PD:

  • Identify the key apps that aren’t being used
  • Track both adoption (did they log in?) and engagement (how much did they use it after logging in?)
  • See where an app is in high use versus low use to target PD
  • Track trends to see how adoption and engagement metrics change after your training

4. Centrally manage student data privacy compliance

One of the concerns with rogue, unvetted apps is that — specifically because they are unvetted — they can negatively impact data privacy and security. That’s why Lightspeed Analytics includes critical information on app privacy certifications as well as potential concerns.
With Lightspeed Analytics you’ll see the data privacy information you need:

  • Which apps are compliant with COPPA, FERPA, Student Privacy Pledge, and more
  • Top data privacy and security for those apps
  • All the rogue, unvetted apps in use that are putting you at risk

Lightspeed Analytics can help your school make smarter data-driven decisions about edtech. (And with the data you’ll receive right away, it pays for itself in no time.)

Lightspeed Filter Customers

Lightspeed Analytics uses the Lightspeed Smart Agents™ you’ve already deployed for filtering, so getting started is easy!