Strategic Education Opens Second Cohort for EdTech Pilot Program

Strategic Education has opened a second cohort for its edtech pilot program, extending the opportunity for education technology providers and participating education communities to test tools in authentic learning settings. A second cohort is more than a new intake: it is a chance to apply lessons from an earlier round, refine implementation, and put learner and teacher experience at the center of technology decisions.

For students, parents, and teachers, pilot programs can make new digital tools feel less mysterious. Instead of adopting a platform across an entire school immediately, a pilot creates a defined period to try it, gather feedback, identify limits, and decide whether it genuinely supports learning.

What an edtech pilot cohort is designed to do

An edtech pilot is a limited, structured trial of an educational technology product or service. Depending on the program, participating organizations may include schools, districts, teachers, students, or companies building tools for instruction, assessment, tutoring, accessibility, or school operations. A cohort brings several participants through a shared timeline, often with common milestones for onboarding, testing, feedback, and review.

The strongest pilots do not treat technology as the solution by default. They begin with a specific educational need. That might be helping learners practise difficult concepts, reducing routine administrative work, improving access to feedback, supporting multilingual learners, or making materials more accessible.

Before a tool is introduced, participants should be able to answer a simple question: What problem are we trying to understand or improve? Clear goals make it easier to judge a pilot fairly. If the goal is vague, feedback can become vague too, and schools may confuse novelty with usefulness.

Why a second cohort matters

Opening a second cohort can give a pilot program more room to learn. The first group may reveal practical issues that are easy to overlook in a product demonstration: complicated logins, unclear directions, inconsistent internet access, limited teacher preparation time, or features that do not fit a classroom routine. Those insights can help organizers and providers improve the experience for the next group.

A new cohort can also broaden the range of perspectives involved. Educational tools work differently across grade levels, subjects, learning settings, and communities. A resource that is helpful for independent exam preparation may need a different approach in an elementary classroom. Listening to varied users helps prevent one-size-fits-all decisions.

A useful pilot asks not only whether a tool works, but for whom it works, under what conditions, and at what cost in time and attention.

For teachers, a well-run cohort should provide a manageable process rather than another disconnected initiative. For students and families, it should make expectations clear: which tool is being tried, what it is intended to support, what information is collected, and how feedback can be shared.

What teachers and schools should evaluate during a pilot

A thoughtful review looks beyond a dashboard or a list of features. Schools can create a small evaluation plan before the pilot begins and revisit it regularly. Evidence can include classroom observations, student work, teacher notes, learner reflections, and practical implementation records.

• Learning fit: Does the tool support the curriculum, lesson goals, and age group? Does it encourage understanding and practice rather than simply faster task completion?
• Usability: Can students and teachers use it without constant troubleshooting? Are instructions, navigation, and accessibility features clear?
• Teacher workload: Does the tool save meaningful time or add setup, monitoring, and reporting tasks that outweigh its benefits?
• Student experience: Do learners understand how to use it? Are they engaged in a productive way, and can they explain what they are learning?
• Equity and access: Can all intended participants access the tool, including learners who use assistive technology, share devices, or have limited connectivity?
• Privacy and data practices: What student data is needed, who can access it, how long is it retained, and what choices do families have?

It is also helpful to define what would count as a reason to pause or stop. For example, repeated access barriers, unclear data practices, or a substantial increase in teacher workload should be discussed early rather than discovered at the end.

How students and families can take part constructively

Students are not just end users of classroom technology; they are valuable sources of feedback. Their observations can show whether a tool’s explanations are understandable, whether practice feels appropriately challenging, and whether the experience supports independent learning. Students can keep brief notes on what helped, what was confusing, and what they would change.

Parents and caregivers can ask practical questions without needing technical expertise. Useful questions include:

1. What learning goal is this tool meant to support?
2. How long will the pilot last, and is participation optional?
3. What information will the tool collect about my child?
4. How will teachers use the results or feedback it generates?
5. Who should we contact if an access, privacy, or learning concern arises?

Families can also encourage balanced use. A digital tool may be part of learning, but it should not replace discussion, reading, writing, practice on paper when useful, movement, or time away from screens. The right balance depends on the learner, the subject, and the purpose of the activity.

Turning pilot feedback into better decisions

The value of a cohort depends on what happens after testing. Participants should know how feedback will be reviewed and whether results will inform product changes, future pilots, or adoption decisions. A short closing reflection can be especially useful: What should continue? What should change? What should not be repeated?

Strategic Education’s second edtech pilot cohort is a reminder that educational innovation works best when it is tested with care. Technology can be useful when it addresses a real need and fits the people who use it. By setting clear goals, protecting learners, and taking teacher and student feedback seriously, pilot programs can help schools make more informed choices about what belongs in the learning environment.