EVERFI, Inc., a leading social impact education innovator, today announced that its full suite of K-12 digital education products has earned the Research-Based Design for Instructional Learning Products: Product Certification from Digital Promise. This Certification serves as a rigorous, reliable signal for district and school leaders, educators, and families looking for ed-tech products with a foundation in research about learning.
EVERFI successfully demonstrated that it develops its K-12 content and learning experiences based on learning science and empirical research. EVERFI also provided a commitment to publicly sharing its research basis through a well-defined logic model and theory of actions while also continuously evaluating the efficacy and impact of its products. In addition to the certification, these components fulfill the rigorous criteria set forth by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) federal requirements for Tier 4 evidence of efficacy. ESSA provides a framework to support districts and educators in selecting education products based on the level of evidence for why, how, and for who the product works. In addition to the logic model, EVERFI also conducts research on its K-12 products at Tier 1, 2, and 3 levels.
“We are honored to receive this Product Certification from Digital Promise and are excited to be able to share this wonderful news with the more than 25,000 schools we work with nationwide,” said Gina Ricker, Ph.D., director, Research K-12, EVERFI. “Our commitment to product design is driven by learning science, and leveraging rigorous research has been integral to our process. It is the foundation to providing educators with a high-quality educational curriculum that has a demonstrated positive impact on students.”
Through product certifications like this one from Digital Promise, educators and district administrators can have greater confidence in the options as they select from products that are designed based on research about learning before trying them out in their classrooms. Digital Promise launched the Research-Based Design Product Certification in February 2020 and has certified over 60 products to date.
The Research-Based Design Product Certification uses a competency-based learning framework, developed in consultation with Digital Promise’s Learner Variability Project Advisory Board, expert researchers in the learning sciences field, and nearly 50 educators across the United States. Further detail about its development can be found in Digital Promise’s reports, Designing Edtech that Matters for Learning: Research-Based Design Product Certifications (2020) and An Overlooked Indicator of Edtech Quality: The Use of Learning Sciences Research (2022).
“Educators and researchers continue to uncover important insights about how people learn,” said Christina Luke Luna, chief learning officer, Pathways and Credentials at Digital Promise. “Digital Promise’s Research-Based Design Product Certification recognizes the ed-tech products that incorporate research about learning into their design and development. Congratulations to EVERFI for demonstrating that research informs product design!”
More information on Digital Promise’s Product Certifications can be found at productcertifications.digitalpromise.org.
EVERFI from Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is an international technology company driving social impact through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to mental health to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI’s Impact-as-a-ServiceTM solution and digital educational content have reached more than 45 million learners globally. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and was featured on Fortune Magazine’s Impact 20 List. The company was also named to the 2021 GSV EdTech 150, a list of the most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Blackbaud, the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good, acquired EVERFI in December of 2021. To learn more about EVERFI, please visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.
Forward-looking Statements
Except for historical information, all of the statements, expectations, and assumptions contained in this news release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including statements regarding expected benefits of products and product features. Although Blackbaud attempts to be accurate in making these forward-looking statements, it is possible that future circumstances might differ from the assumptions on which such statements are based. In addition, other important factors that could cause results to differ materially include the following: general economic risks and the other risk factors occasionally set forth in the SEC filings for Blackbaud, of which free copies are available at www.sec.gov or upon request from Blackbaud’s investor relations department. All Blackbaud product names appearing herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blackbaud, Inc.
About Digital Promise
Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization that builds powerful networks and takes on grand challenges by working at the intersection of researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Our vision is that all people, at every stage of their lives, have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world. For more information, visit the Digital Promise website and follow @digitalpromise for updates.
Jennifer Edgerly
EVERFI
Crystal Williams
Digital Promise