ENTRY PROCESS & NOMINEE EVALUATION
Submission Form Requirements
These foundational elements ensure complete and accessible entry submissions for our judges. We have outlined below the requirements/questions each nominee will need to answer in the registration form. If you have any questions on the entry form process please do not hesitate to contact us!
ENTRY REQUIREMENT:
DETAILS:
Product Overview
A concise description of the product and its primary function/target audience.
Product Access
Provide access (e.g., login credentials, demo video, or guided tour) for judges to experience the product.
Privacy Compliance
For any product that collects student data (excluding non-data-collecting hardware), provide evidence of compliance with accepted student data privacy policies.
Contact Information
Include a company contact for any clarifying questions from the judging panel.
Best of Year: Judging Criteria
This contest targets products designed for district implementation that focus on large-scale efficiency, data management, and strategic goal achievement across a school or district. The ROI is evaluated from a system efficiency and scale perspective.
Tech & Learning's panel of educators and judges will evaluate each entry using the information submitted in the registration forms, including product descriptions, images, and case studies. The panel will score each product against a set of criteria (outlined below), the products that score the highest across all the criteria will be named as winners in this year's Best of Year Awards!
Find feedback from our judges on their top tips to submitting the most successful nominations below!
"In terms of general product evaluations, I focus on ease of use, integration capabilities, and value for money. For the Best of Year Awards, I consider innovation, long-term impact, and overall effectiveness in the educational environment."
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"When evaluating entries, I like to see clear evidence of how the product/solution has improved student outcomes, empowered educators, and enhanced school or district efficiency for the year."
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JUDGING CRITERIA:
EXPLANATION & EVIDENCE REQUIRED:
System Integration & Interoperability
Explain how the product is easy to install and integrate into complex school system ecosystems (e.g., SIS, LMS, data warehouses) and operates effectively with existing enterprise products.
Student Outcomes & Strategic Impact
Demonstrate how the product helps the district improve and measure student outcomes (e.g., equity, college readiness) and enhance school or district efficiency for the year. Provide evidence (case studies, research) or large-scale, positive impact.
Data Privacy & Governance
Specifically address how your tool supports robust student data privacy and security beyond basic compliance, reflecting the heightened concerns of a district-wide implementation.
Usage & Measurement
Explain how your product helps the district measure product usage and effectiveness (e.g., reporting features, adoption tracking, impact dashboards) to determine its own ROI.
Value (ROI for System)
Address the larger scale of implementation: How does this product empower all educators and enhance overall school/district efficiency (e.g., cost savings on administrative tasks, reduction in data silos, better resource allocation)?