Last Updated: February 9, 2026

Educational technology
you can trust

Toddle is certified by leading organizations against shared standards
for safety, privacy, accessibility, and evidence-based design.

Introduction

Public school district leaders face a difficult paradox: with thousands of edtech tools to choose from, it's never been harder to determine which products are actually safe, effective, and compatible with existing systems. Rising expectations around AI, data security, and instructional quality mean leaders are spending an extraordinary amount of time vetting each tool's impact on learning. And without a shared framework, individual school systems must perform a detailed review of every product before approval, creating redundancies at a time when leaders are already overwhelmed.

To ease this burden, seven leading edtech organizations—ISTE, Digital Promise, 1EdTech, CAST, CoSN, InnovateEDU, and SETDA—have identified five shared indicators that define high-quality edtech. These indicators give district leaders a common language for evaluating tools and a foundation for decision-making. To make them actionable, these organizations provide independent expert validations confirming when products meet specific standards.

Five edtech quality indicators

Safe

Evidence-based

Inclusive

Usable

Interoperable

Toddle was built around the principles these indicators reflect. Certifications from ISTE, Digital Promise, and 1EdTech validate a system designed—not retrofitted—for modern learning, responsible AI, district-grade privacy, and interoperability.

Read on to learn how Toddle meets each of the five indicators—and what these validations mean for district leaders evaluating tools for teaching and learning.

Indicator 1: Safe

Safe edtech protects student data through robust security, transparent privacy practices, data minimization, and responsible AI use.

Toddle's approach to safety is built on transparent, verifiable data practices, as evidenced by its Responsibly Designed AI certification from Digital Promise. Toddle's AI systems are designed to assess and mitigate algorithmic bias, protect sensitive information, and clearly label when AI is in use. Digital Promise reviewers examined Toddle's publicly accessible privacy documentation, which outlines what data is collected, how it's stored, how long it's retained, and whether it's shared with third parties. Educators can override AI outputs, ensuring human judgment remains central to instruction.

IEDTECH TrustEd Apps Certified Data Privacy

Toddle also earned a data privacy certification from 1EdTech after a multi-layered review of its privacy policies, security protocols, and data protection practices. This validation confirms strong security safeguards, transparent disclosures, and responsible data-sharing—including confirmation that Toddle does not advertise to students.

The platform complies with FERPA and COPPA, clearly communicating what data is collected, why, and what control educators and families retain. These safeguards meet federal requirements, align with emerging best practices, and have been validated through independent third-party review. For more, visit https://www.toddleapp.com/privacy-policy/.

Indicator 2: Evidence-Based

Evidence-based products are grounded in learning sciences and aligned to ESSA Tiers of Evidence.

Toddle earned Digital Promise's Research-Based Design certification (ESSA Tier 4), demonstrating that its foundational design decisions are rooted in empirical research about how students learn.

To qualify, Toddle developed a detailed logic model, mapping the platform's core features—curriculum planning, instructional workflows, assessment structures, and feedback mechanisms—to established research. This model is supported by an annotated bibliography of empirical studies that informed each major design choice.

Toddle also commissioned a qualitative research study led by researchers from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to examine teacher and student experiences with the platform and provide user evidence to support Toddle’s theory of action.

“When product designers leverage learning sciences to design their programs, educators can better target instruction, and students' skills soar. Through interviews with product designers, an evaluation of Toddle's research-informed activities, and a planning of an efficacy study, Toddle meets the criteria for ESSA Tier 4 Evidence.”

— LXD Research

LXD Research, an independent evaluator, reviewed Toddle's documentation for ESSA validation and confirmed that Toddle's instructional scaffolds, planning structures, and learning workflows are intentionally designed and grounded in the learning sciences.

Indicator 3: Inclusive

Inclusive edtech ensures all learners can access and participate equitably, without bias or barriers related to background, identity, or ability.

In its comprehensive ISTE Seal evaluation, ISTE found that inclusivity is embedded throughout Toddle's platform.

ISTE's review highlighted how Toddle brings representation and relevance into everyday learning. The content library features diverse career exploration units and narratives reflecting a wide range of cultures, identities, and lived experiences. Structured reflection prompts encourage students to consider perspective, social context, and power dynamics, helping them build empathy and critical thinking.

“Through its integration of pedagogical best practices and inclusive content representation, this solution successfully supports transformational learning experiences that align with educational standards and prepare learners for success in an increasingly connected world.”

— ISTE

Reviewers also noted Toddle’s attention to accessibility, citing adjustable video playback speed and high-contrast button design that clearly distinguishes important functions.

Indicator 4: Usable

Usable edtech is intuitive and easy to navigate for both educators and students.

In its Seal evaluation, ISTE found usability to be one of Toddle's strongest dimensions. Reviewers noted Toddle's consistent, predictable layout: clear left-hand navigation, a streamlined action bar, and powerful search and filtering that help teachers find what they need quickly. Customizable dashboards, flexible layout options, and intuitive planning tools reduce time spent managing the platform and keep the focus on instruction.

For students, Toddle offers straightforward submission flows, "to-do/done" progress indicators, and multiple response formats—from text and images to audio, drawings, and interactive items. ISTE also highlighted Toddle's integrated feedback loop, where teachers and students can exchange comments, audio notes, and files within the same workspace, making feedback seamless and timely.

Indicator 5: Interoperable

Interoperable edtech connects seamlessly with other systems through established standards for secure data exchange.

As districts modernize their infrastructure, interoperability has become a critical requirement—closely linked to data privacy, operational efficiency, and sustainable digital ecosystems.

Toddle’s interoperability is anchored in its alignment with 1EdTech’s leading standards, ensuring that the platform connects smoothly with with Student Information Systems, authentication tools, and third-party learning applications.

Through certification-ready support for OneRoster 1.1, Toddle enables secure, standardized rostering and data exchange—reducing custom setup work and helping districts maintain accurate, synchronized information. Alignment with LTI Advantage allows third-party tools to open directly inside Toddle with seamless authentication and automatic grade passback, creating a unified workflow instead of a patchwork of separate logins.

Alignment with industry best practices enables smoother onboarding and reliable provisioning. As digital ecosystems grow more complex, Toddle's interoperability ensures clean integration with existing workflows and future tools.

These five edtech quality indicators offer districts a clearer way to assess tools at a moment when expectations around platform safety and quality continue to rise. Toddle is built around these principles to support secure, modern, and effective teaching and learning.

For more on our approach and the full validation reports, visit Toddle’s edtech index product listing.

Educational technology
you can trust

Toddle is certified by leading organizations against shared standards
for safety, privacy, accessibility, and evidence-based design.

Introduction

Five edtech quality indicators