Your product is research-based.
Now prove it.
District leaders want credentials, not claims. The ESSA Evidence Packet and Digital Promise Certification give you a third-party stamp of approval that opens conversations, satisfies RFP requirements, and sets your product apart from the thousands of other edtech companies competing for the same budget.
The ESSA Evidence Packet and Digital Promise Certification Guidance is LXD Research’s ESSA IV Package — designed for edtech companies that want to demonstrate their product is genuinely research-based. You don’t need a clinical trial to get started. ESSA Level 4 is built around the research that informed your product’s design — and it’s the baseline that opens doors to state funding in over 40 states.
We create a professional, co-branded evidence packet that pre-answers buyers’ most common research questions, then guide you through the Digital Promise certification application — so you arrive at district conversations with credentials they recognize and trust.
Built for companies that are serious about research — and ready to show it.
Most edtech companies have research behind them that they’ve never fully documented or communicated. This service is designed to close that gap: extracting the evidence that’s already there and presenting it in the format districts and procurement offices actually use to evaluate products.
You’re looking for an entry-level solution to show education and district leaders your company is genuinely research-based.
You’re hitting sales barriers and want more conversations — not just more marketing materials.
You want to stand out from competitors by adding academic materials and a well-respected accreditation to your sales toolkit.
You need a credible, third-party document to attach to RFP responses and leave with district decision-makers.
See what ESSA evidence looks like in practice.
Our YouTube series breaks down what each ESSA tier actually requires and how the evidence process works — in plain language, without the jargon. Watch before your consultation or share with your leadership team.
A complete evidence package — co-branded, client-ready, and certification-aligned.
Every deliverable is designed to satisfy the requirements for ESSA Level 4 and Digital Promise certification, while giving your sales team materials they can put in front of district leaders immediately.
By Dr. Rachel Schechter · What Tier 4 includes, why it matters, and how to build your evidence foundation.
ESSA Evidence Packet (Co-Branded PDF)
A customer-facing, product-branded PDF that includes a co-branded cover page, product overview, research summaries, and a third-party LXD Research ESSA Level 4 seal. Checks every box for ESSA Level 4 per U.S. Department of Education guidance. Designed to be attached to any RFP request or shared at conferences and district meetings.
Research Summary
A clear narrative of the academic studies and science-of-learning principles behind your product’s design — written for district leaders, not academic reviewers. Explains the customer problems, market gaps, and needs that shaped your product, in language buyers can follow and trust.
Logic Model
A visual tool that helps educational leaders understand the relationships between your product’s elements and its intended short- and long-term outcomes. Districts frequently request logic models in RFPs, and having a well-designed one signals preparation and rigor.
Qualitative Study Writeup
Required for the Digital Promise Tier 4 application, this writeup documents your company’s process of listening to educator voices and acting on user feedback. It’s an internal-facing deliverable used to satisfy the application requirement.
Digital Promise Application Guidance + Publication & Indexing Services
LXD Research guides you through the entire Digital Promise certification process — from evidence submission to final approval. Upon receipt, your product is featured in LearnPlatform and EdSurge’s Product Index and receives free marketing to a network of innovative schools through the League of Innovative Schools newsletter.
Every ESSA IV Package also includes our Publication & Indexing Services — EduEvidence (ICEIE) certification, submission to ERIC (the Education Resources Information Center), and indexing on ResearchGate. Your evidence is publicly archived and searchable by the educators, district leaders, and procurement teams who need to find and verify it.
Three certifications + Publication & Indexing Services — bundled into every package as standard.
Every ESSA IV Package includes certification from Digital Promise, ISTE, and EduEvidence (ICEIE), plus our Publication & Indexing Services — ERIC submission and ResearchGate indexing. Most firms treat these as separate engagements you pursue on your own. We include all of it as standard, so your evidence is certified, publicly archived, and discoverable from day one.
Digital Promise Research-Based Design Certification
Of the more than 2,200 products on the EdTech Index, fewer than 100 hold this certification. It’s listed on the Digital Promise website and earns your product a listing in LearnPlatform and EdSurge’s Product Index — free marketing to a network of innovative schools.
Learn about Digital Promise →ISTE Seal of Alignment
The ISTE Seal certifies that your product aligns with evidence-based learning practices and demonstrates a commitment to high-impact outcomes. Districts are giving extra points on procurement rubrics for this recognition, and your product is listed on the ISTE website.
Learn about the ISTE Seal →EduEvidence (ICEIE) Certification Included
The International Certification of Evidence of Impact in Education (ICEIE) is a global nonprofit that evaluates and certifies edtech tools against international standards. While EduEvidence is open to any company to pursue, LXD Research is an official ICEIE partner and includes this certification in every ESSA IV Package — so you don’t have to navigate the process separately. Certified products are listed in the Global EdTech database and receive a LinkedIn shoutout and backlink from ICEIE.
Learn about EduEvidence →Trusted nonprofit validation · Open Badge for websites & marketing · EdTech Index & LearnPlatform listing · Co-developed with educators and administrators
2-year digital seal for websites & marketing · Findings report usable as a white paper · Listed on ISTE Seal webpage · Social posts, newsletter blurb & media kit · Dedicated poster session & booth signage at ISTELive
ESSA IV alone opened a state approval door.
State approval lists are increasingly where purchasing decisions begin. Tumbleweed Publishing’s path shows that you don’t always need a large-scale efficacy study to get on one — sometimes the most strategic first step is documenting the research that already informs your product.
Tumbleweed Publishing
LXD Research documented the science-of-reading research behind Tumbleweed’s structured literacy decodable readers through an ESSA Evidence Packet. That foundational research documentation played a key role in their approval on Colorado’s READ Act Advisory List — giving Colorado districts access to READ Act funds to purchase their materials.
“Building your evidence base doesn’t always start with a large-scale efficacy study. Sometimes the most strategic first step is to document the research that already informs your materials.”
Banzai
Banzai is a free financial literacy platform for K–12. Their ESSA IV certification gives educators and district administrators the research-backed assurance they need to confidently recommend a free tool — because free doesn’t mean unvalidated. The EduEvidence Bronze badge is featured prominently on their site alongside their efficacy data.
QoreInsights
QoreInsights’ Classroom Education Plan earned the Digital Promise Research-Based Design Certification — now featured prominently on their awards page alongside a CODiE Award win, EdTech Awards recognition, and FERPA certification. The ESSA IV evidence packet gave them a credibility foundation that compounds with every additional award.
“We printed our ESSA evidence packet and put it in a report folder on the table at a recent conference. It was night and day with how leaders talked to us. When they saw our evidence with the Digital Promise Certification and the ESSA Level 3 badge, I didn’t have to prove the credibility. We have seen a higher return on investment since we’ve been able to show our LXD Research ESSA Evidence Packet.”
Toni Shub · QoreInsights
The researcher who has navigated more ESSA approvals than any other independent firm.
Dr. Rachel Schechter founded LXD Research after serving as Director of Research at Lexia Learning, where she built a 12-member research department and a portfolio of What Works Clearinghouse-aligned studies. LXD Research has produced more studies approved by Johns Hopkins’ Evidence for ESSA than any other independent research organization.
She has supported Digital Promise certifications for dozens of products across multiple evidence tiers, and has guided edtech companies through state approval processes in Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, and beyond. When LXD Research produces your ESSA Evidence Packet, it carries the weight of that track record.
Show district leaders the evidence they’re looking for — before they ask.
Schedule a free consultation to discuss your product’s existing research, what the ESSA IV Package process looks like for your specific situation, and what a realistic timeline and investment would be.