2025 Call for Effective Technology

The 2025-26 Call for Effective Technology (CET) program offers grants of up to $250,000 to support AI-driven and educational technology tools grounded in learning science and evidence-based practices. Eligibility is open to organizations with at least pilot-ready tools that support high-dosage tutoring, personalized learning, and instructional effectiveness – whether used directly by students or by teachers and other instructional personnel. Grantees will participate in research and evaluation focused on usability, implementation conditions, and early evidence of impact on learning.

• GRANT AMOUNT
  • Up to $250,000
  • Funds can be flexibly used to support:
    • » Program implementation
    • » Technology development and adaptation
    • » Costs related to evaluation activities
  • The research study will be funded separately and directly to a research partner by Accelerate.
• GRANT PURPOSE
  • This grant supports promising educational technology tools that are ready for implementation and evaluation in authentic learning environments. By funding both implementation and research, the program will:
  • » Support the development of effective ed-tech and AI solutions through evidence-based iteration
  • » Identify implementation factors that maximize impact in diverse educational settings
  • » Build an initial evidence base for promising tools with potential to improve student outcomes
  • » Establish quality benchmarks for effective educational technology and AI integration in classrooms
• ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
  • » Educational technology developers and tutoring providers (both nonprofit and for-profit) with AI-powered or tech-enabled learning solutions in all content areas, especially for mathematics and reading
  • » School districts, public charter schools, and charter management organizations implementing innovative technology or AI solutions
  • » EdTech accelerators, incubators, and support organizations that partner directly with learning technology providers
• ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
• Prior evidence of impact is not required, but applicants must demonstrate:
  • » A working prototype or existing tool ready for use in schools during the 2025-26 school year that provides personalized learning experiences or individualized instruction
  • » Theory of action grounded in scientific research and accepted evidence-based practices
  • » Clear definition of the educational challenge being addressed
  • » Minimum of 100 students across at least two partner districts for implementation (or strong justification for single-district implementation)
• ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• If selected as a grantee, before disbursement of grant funds, Accelerate will require your organization to secure letter(s) of commitment from partner districts confirming:
  • » Their support for implementation during the 2025-26 school year
  • » Their agreement to participate in research/evaluation activities and share student data
• Preference given to:
  • » Tools that have completed at least initial pilot testing
  • » Solutions addressing a clear educational need, especially in underserved communities
• GRANT TIMELINE
• » Implementation can occur at any point during the 2025-26 school year
• » Flexible implementation periods are acceptable (e.g., 6-week design sprints, semester-long pilots, or full-year implementations)
• » Grantees will be expected to work with Accelerate-assigned research partner to submit research findings and final reports by June 2026

All grantees are required to:

• » Implement the educational technology solution in traditional or public charter schools in grades PK-12 during the school day in SY 2025-26
• » Track implementation, including student and teacher engagement, usage, and design iteration, over the course of the grant term
• » Share de-identified student-level data with Accelerate-facilitated research partner at regular intervals throughout the grant period, the frequency of which to be determined during grantee onboarding
• » Secure data sharing agreements with partnering school district(s) in collaboration with the research partner
• » Engage in research activities and/or a program evaluation to assess the impact of the educational technology solution on relevant outcomes
• » Share insights regarding program cost with Accelerate

• Expectations for all grantees:
  • » Partner with Accelerate’s external CET research partner
  • » Share access to implementation data, achievement/assessment data, and internal metrics
    • Implementation Data Examples (non-exhaustive list):
      • » Usage statistics (time spent, features used, completion rates)
      • » User engagement patterns
      • » Student progress through content/activities
      • » Teacher utilization rates
      • » Technical performance metrics
      • » Support ticket themes/frequency
    • Internal Metrics Examples (non-exhaustive list):
      • » Student learning progress
      • » Results from any A/B testing
      • » User satisfaction scores
      • » Teacher feedback data
      • » Student assessment results
      • » Adoption/retention rates
    • External metrics examples include (where available and applicable):
      • » NWEA MAP
      • » iReady
      • » Star Renaissance
      • » End of Year state exams
      • » District benchmark assessments
  • » Participate in regular check-ins with Accelerate and CET research partner about implementation
  • » Allow access to internal team and external / district partners for research activities (interviews, observations, etc.)
  • » Share internal reports or dashboards already in use by the organization with the research partner
• Accelerate’s CET research partner(s) will:
  • » Partner with grantees to design research study (e.g., implementation or impact evaluation)
  • » Identify evaluation approaches, leveraging data that is already available or being used internally by grantee organizations
  • » Conduct data analysis and re-analysis, offering a second layer of technical support to grantee organizations
  • » Provide regular thought partnership and feedback to grantees as it relates to their educational technology solution
  • » Participate in Accelerate’s Research Learning Community to share individual and cross-cohort insights
  • » Create grantee final report and findings to be shared publicly

Research Focus Areas

• Tool Design & User Experience (Usability & Feasibility)
  • » User Interaction Patterns | Analyze when teachers and students engage with the tool and when they do not
  • » High-Value Features | Identify which aspects of the tool are most valued and utilized by different user groups
  • » Instructional Alignment | Determine how effectively the tool complements existing teaching pedagogy and instructional materials
• Implementation & Integration
  • » Classroom Integration | Understand when and how tools are effectively integrated into real classroom settings
  • » Adoption Conditions | Identify environmental factors that support or hinder effective implementation
  • » Resource Requirements | Document the personnel, time, and infrastructure needed for successful adoption and ongoing use
• Impact Assessment & Evaluation
  • » Student Achievement | Measure impact on students’ learning outcomes (e.g., on standardized assessments, state and national benchmarks)
  • » Equity Considerations (subgroup/heterogeneity analysis) | Evaluate differential effects across diverse student populations, including those with IEPs, multilingual learners, and economically disadvantaged students
  • » Longitudinal Outcomes | Track the persistence of learning gains over time to assess long-term educational value
  • » Feedback Mechanisms | Evaluate the impact and effectiveness of AI-driven instructional feedback for tutors
• Research Study Design & Methodology
  • » Rapid-Cycle Evaluation | Utilize methodologies that provide evidence on faster timelines while accommodating iterative design
  • » Impact Evidence | Prioritize studies that focus on policy-relevant student outcomes
  • » User Feedback Systems | Support tools with mechanisms for collecting and analyzing teacher and student experiences and uses those experiences to iterate
• Cost-Effectiveness & Scalability
  • » Comprehensive Costing | Collect detailed, itemized data on all implementation costs to schools/districts in order to facilitate a comparison to other modalities of individualized instruction
  • » Scaling Factors | Identify the key factors that support and constrain successful expansion to new settings
• Comparative Analysis (AI/Tech-Enabled vs. Human Tutoring)
  • » Program Design and Usability | Compare the design of and engagement with fully AI-enabled vs. AI-enhanced vs. human-only tutoring models
  • » Implementation | Assess whether AI tools successfully address common implementation and scaling barriers present in human-powered tutoring programs
  • » Impact | Assess the impact on student achievement of fully AI-enabled vs. AI-enhanced vs. human-only tutoring models

• APPLICATION PROCESS
  • All applicants must complete both the Eligibility Form and the full application to be considered for funding.
  • The full application includes sections on:
    • » Organizational information and background
    • » Problem-solution overview (upload a demo or provide a link)
    • » Equitable access
    • » Implementation plan
    • » Data collection and evaluation
    • » Additional information
• APPLICATION TIMELINE
  • Tuesday, May 27, 2025: Application available
  • Friday, June 13, 2025: Application deadline
  • Friday, June 20, 2025: Selection of applicants for interviews and notification
  • Monday, June 23 – Thursday, July 3, 2025: Interviews (30 mins)
  • July 2025: Award notifications
  • August 2025: Grant award finalization and research partner match for grantees
  • September 2025: Start of grant award year
  • September 2026: End of grant award year

Where can we learn more?

• For more details about the Call for Effective Technology grant program, including eligibility requirements, funding priorities, and additional information, please check the FAQs.

Who can we contact with questions?

• Questions may be emailed to program@accelerate.us at any time. Our team will be closely monitoring the inbox and will provide support as needed.