Date
Thursday, October 15, 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Location Name
BL 25
Name
Navigating the Evidence Clearinghouses: How to Evaluate AI Tools Before You Buy
Description

Districts are investing in AI educational tools at unprecedented rates, often based on vendor demonstrations alone. Yet free resources exist to help leaders verify evidence of effectiveness. This session guides you through four verification platforms: Digital Promise's Research-Based Design certification, Evidence for ESSA's clearinghouse rating studies against ESSA's four evidence tiers, EduEvidence's international framework evaluating efficacy, effectiveness, ethics, equity, and environment, and the ISTE EdTech Index. Through live navigation, you'll learn what each platform measures, how rating systems differ, and how to interpret certification (or its absence). We'll examine real AI tools with strong and weak evidence portfolios, address what to do when a tool isn't listed, and share vendor questions, red flags, and a framework for pilot evaluations when formal research doesn't yet exist. This isn't about discouraging AI adoption—it's about adopting wisely.

Session Type
Traditional Workshop
Track
Digital Tools
Secondary Track
AI Implementation
Primary Audience
School and District Leadership
Secondary Audience
District Curriculum Leaders
Fall Conference Strands
Educate
MA DLCS Strands
Digital Tools and Collaboration