Six-barrier taxonomy of K-12 ed-tech procurement challenges¶
Theory · All theories
Evidence · no claims cited
Description¶
The report organizes its interview and workshop findings into six themes that name the major barriers districts face when purchasing education technology: public scrutiny, school culture, procurement regulations, unclear proof points among many choices, shifting and limited resources, and trust. The IDEO team "spoke to 34 superintendents, district leaders, entrepreneurs, and education experts to identify common themes in the procurement process," then prioritized these barriers at a two-day workshop. Each theme is illustrated with practitioner quotes and paired with industry inspiration examples used to spark solution ideas.
Design Implications¶
Context¶
Requirements¶
- Themes were derived from interviews with 34 district leaders, entrepreneurs, and education experts, so applying them presumes a similar district procurement context
Constraints¶
- Barriers reflect the perceptions of the interviewed and workshop participants, not measured outcomes
Target Learners¶
- K-12 school district leaders and procurement staff
Target Learning Objectives¶
- Improving the process by which districts select and adopt education technology for learning
Claims¶
Related Theories¶
Examples¶
- Ed-Tech Incubator concept: mutually beneficial school-startup product development relationships
- Open Procurement concept: transparent district purchasing data creating smarter demand
- Simplifying Procurement concept: user-centered tools and case studies for navigating district purchasing
- Better Planning, Better Process: bottom-up procurement planning through direct contact with teachers and administrators
- Three focus areas for evolving district ed-tech procurement: connect with vendors, within districts, and across districts
- 7 Steps to Creative Financing: a stakeholder-team process for identifying financing for ed-tech
Key Sources¶
- Evolving Ed-Tech Procurement in School Districts. (2013). Digital Promise. https://digitalpromise.dspacedirect.org/items/d5ac5c19-03f4-4e40-ab47-666c38a2ce5d
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
theory |
title |
Six-barrier taxonomy of K-12 ed-tech procurement challenges |
description |
The report organizes its interview and workshop findings into six themes that name the major barriers districts face when purchasing education technology: public scrutiny, school culture, procurement regulations, uncl... |
status |
review |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-09 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
1 — evolving-ed-tech-procurement-in-school-districts-2013 |
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