The evidence educators trust

You’ve built something that helps students learn. Here is how we help you show it.

84% of educators say research evidence is crucial when selecting tools (LXD Research survey, 2025) — but most assume that research is esoteric and removed from real teaching. State procurement offices ask for evidence of effectiveness. Over 40 states tie funding access to evidence documentation. LXD Research specializes in producing the kind of rigorous, classroom-grounded validation that satisfies compliance requirements and builds genuine credibility with the educators who influence adoption decisions.

We have a pathway that fits your timeline and budget.

Every study includes submission to an independent reviewer, either Evidence for ESSA at Johns Hopkins or EduEvidence, depending on the study design. We handle the submission process at no charge, including Digital Promise submissions. Two optional packages, each $2,500, are available: a Digital Promise Add-On, which covers the extra documents that application requires, and ISTE Seal Coaching, where we guide you through the application and you submit it yourself. Application fees set by outside organizations, such as the $250 Evidence for ESSA fee and IRB fees, are passed through at cost with no markup.

• ESSA Tier IV: Demonstrates a Rationaledocumentation and a logic model, in 6–8 weeks
• ESSA Tier III: Promising Evidencecorrelational studies, often using data you already have
• ESSA Tier II: Moderate Evidencequasi-experimental studies with a matched comparison group
• ESSA Tier I: Strong Evidencerandomized studies, the highest level of evidence

Just getting started on Tier III? A single-school starter study is a good first step. Not sure what level your existing research supports? Submit it for free, and we will send a written memo on where it stands and what it would take to reach the next level.

Submit Your Research for Free

How districts use evidence when they buy.

District leaders often say it is hard to compare edtech products, because vendor claims are easy to find and independent verification is not. So many use evidence as a filter. Some ask vendors to show proof of quality before agreeing to a meeting. Some add evidence and certification questions to their RFPs. Some use the same information to compare similar products and cut overlap. Digital Promise, for example, publishes free templates for each of these uses.

For an edtech company, the practical point is simple. A clear, independently reviewed evidence level answers the first question a busy leader asks, and it spares them from judging your research on their own. We can only report what the evidence supports, and independent reviewers make the final call, but knowing where you stand lets you answer with confidence.

Here is what that looks like in practice. Digital Promise’s sample vendor questionnaire asks three things: what impact the product expects to achieve, how it will learn about the district’s own community, and which product certifications it has earned, with the Open Badge attached as proof. A logic model speaks to the first, implementation and qualitative research speaks to the second, and independently reviewed evidence and earned badges answer the third. That is the work we help you do, so forms like this feel straightforward to fill out.

Their product comparison checklist goes a step further. It asks districts to line up two products side by side on cost, alignment to curriculum and state standards, support, earned certifications, and educator and student reviews drawn from surveys, interviews, and observations. Educator and student surveys and interviews are a regular part of our studies, so they can help fill in those rows. Observation data fits better with usability and inclusivity reviews than with evidence studies.

EdTech companies at every stage.

Early-Stage Startups

Districts and RFPs increasingly ask for evidence documentation, and many states tie funding to it. We help you build your evidence base affordably, so you can answer those questions with confidence from the start.

Growth-Stage Companies

You’re scaling, and you already have schools and districts using your product. What you need now is an expert to design a study that reaches the top-tier evidence goals you’re aiming for. State approval lists require rigorous, independently validated research, and educators trust studies conducted in real classrooms. We design and run studies built to hold up under review.

Established EdTech Leaders

You want ESSA Tier I or II — the highest levels of evidence. You need research that stands up to academic scrutiny and regulatory review. With 25+ Evidence for ESSA approvals, we have deep experience with what reviewers look for.