- Software-advisory-k12 - lists.uen.org

Content Filtering Software - Response Needed
by Justin Brooksby 14 May '26

14 May '26

K-12 Advisory Group, I’ve been asked to check with this group to confirm that we have the correct individuals involved for communications regarding content filtering software. Historically, this type of software has been outside the scope of Instructional Services and managed primarily by our security team. As you may know, UEN is seeking an addendum to our content filtering solutions for the 2026/2027 school year to address the new legislative requirement for a parent portal, and we will also be issuing a new RFP for the 2027/2028 school year. We want to ensure that we have the appropriate contacts involved in helping us develop the requirements for this software. Please review the list below and either verify the current contact person, provide an updated contact, or share the appropriate contact for your organization. Thank you. Alpine Davis Jordan - anthony.muto(a)jordandistrict.org Granite - jddarling(a)graniteschools.org Nebo - don.remy(a)nebo.edu and zachary.hanks(a)nebo.edu Washington Canyons - Kristine.Kartchner(a)canyonsdistrict.org Weber SEDC - scott(a)sedck12.org NUES - mark(a)nucenter.org CUES - byron(a)mycues.org SESC - jeremiah(a)mysescutah.gov Cheers, Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions Utah Education Network

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Update on YouTube Education Player Project
by Justin Brooksby 05 May '26

05 May '26

K12 Software Advisory Group, After careful consideration, we have decided to pause plans to move forward with the YouTube Education Player. At this time, we do not have sufficient district participation to meet the minimum requirement of 208,000 users. We had hoped for broader support that would allow us to proceed, but given current interest levels and how late it is in the year, it makes sense to hold at this stage. We will revisit the project if and when there is enough interest to meet participation requirements. Thank you for your time, collaboration, and the thoughtful feedback you’ve provided throughout this process. Cheers, Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions Utah Education Network

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YouTube Education Player Beta Group
by Justin Brooksby 24 Apr '26

24 Apr '26

Hi, We are currently seeking a small group of districts to participate in a beta rollout of the YouTube Education Player in Canvas. This pilot would involve installing a Canvas LTI integration and providing feedback on functionality and classroom use. To move forward with licensing, we need to reach a minimum threshold of approximately 208,000 student licenses across participating districts. If you’re open to participating, we’d appreciate your input on a few questions: 1. Would your district be interested in joining the beta rollout? 2. Would you be willing to contribute financially toward the initial licensing required for the pilot? (Estimated at approximately $0.12 per student.) If so, approximately how many student licenses would you anticipate purchasing? 3. If the pilot is successful, would your district be interested in continuing with a full license? Please let me know if you’d like additional details or have any questions. Cheers, Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions Utah Education Network

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Nearpod Update
by Justin Brooksby 13 Apr '26

13 Apr '26

We are going to move forward with the proposal from Nearpod. Jacinto has submitted this as a sole source, but that approval process takes some time. As soon as the contract is signed, we will share out details and schedule a webinar with the Nearpod Team so that you can ask questions about the transition. Once again, we will have a base-level access to Nearpod for all students at zero cost to LEA’s. Add-ons will be available at a cost and will be available at the school level. We do know that pricing to restore your access to what you have this year will be around $2.50 per student. What we have this year is called (Nearpod Instructional Suite (incudes math, social studies). That price is lower than what they were offering at $3 per person with nothing free. So, I do believe our negotiations were successful. Please keep this information internal for now until we can make an official announcement. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. What's changing: Utah educators will transition to the Nearpod Platform Package maintaining access to core interactive tools including: * Flexible lesson creation and delivery (including AI Create) * Core interactive instructional tools and features * Real-time insights, student engagement features * Unlimited lesson storage. What this means: Educators will continue using Nearpod’s core platform to create and deliver lessons, with continued access to previously created content. Built-in content (Nearpod Lesson Library, Math & Social Studies Programs) and shared libraries are no longer included. Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions [Image]

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Proposed Plan for Nearpod (Feedback Requested)
by Justin Brooksby 31 Mar '26

31 Mar '26

Hi all, I think we finally have a good option with Nearpod, thanks for your patience as we work through this negotiation. Please review this option below and respond with comments. I feel this is the best solution based on what funding we have. Please do not share this information broadly until we have secured a contract. --------------------------------- As you requested, we explored the possibility of providing access to the base Nearpod platform statewide. While this is not our standard model, we are prepared to make an exception in Utah to support broader access. Our goal is to ensure all districts can continue using Nearpod at a foundational level, while retaining the flexibility to expand functionality based on their individual needs. What this means for districts currently using the Instructional Suite Today, Utah educators have access to the full Nearpod Instructional Suite, including: * Nearpod platform functionality * School and district lesson sharing * Nearpod Lesson Library * Math and Social Studies content libraries Under the proposed model, all Utah educators would transition to Platform Only access, which includes: Platform Only functionality * Access to Nearpod’s core instructional tools, including, real-time insights and student engagement features * Continued ability to deliver and create lessons using the platform Key changes * Removal of built-in content, including the Lesson Library and Math and Social Studies programs * Removal of access to school and district shared Nearpod libraries * Teachers will be responsible for creating or sourcing instructional materials moving forward We recognize this represents a shift from the current experience. However, given the constraints discussed, we believe this approach preserves the core instructional value of Nearpod while enabling statewide access. For districts that wish to maintain their current level of functionality, we will continue to offer upgrade options directly through Renaissance. Available upgrades from Platform Only include: * 21st Century Skills content * English Learner (EL) support * Instructional Suite content (Lesson Library, Math, and Social Studies) * Restoration of school and district shared libraries through Instructional Suite licensing This structure ensures all educators retain access to the platform, while providing districts the ability to opt into additional capabilities as needed. ----------------------------------- Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions [Image]

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Nearpod Licensing Options – Feedback Requested
by Justin Brooksby 24 Mar '26

24 Mar '26

We’ve continued discussions with the Nearpod team, but unfortunately, we have not made much progress. One of the primary challenges is how licensing must be structured. We had initially been told that Silver, Gold, and Premium subscription tiers were available; however, they have since clarified that those options are no longer being offered to us. As things currently stand, we have a few potential paths forward: Option 1: Use the $500,000 to purchase licenses directly. At the current rate, this would cover approximately 83,300 student licenses statewide. Because licensing must be applied at the school level, we cannot distribute smaller portions (e.g., 500 licenses) to an LEA. In practice, this means some LEAs—such as single-school charters—could be fully funded, while larger districts may only be able to cover one or a few schools. Option 2: Apply the $500,000 as a subsidy and have Nearpod offer a reduced rate of $3 per student to LEAs. Licenses would still need to be purchased at the school level under this model. Option 3: Issue an RFP to explore whether we can secure a lower cost from Nearpod or open the opportunity to other vendors. I believe this is a viable option, though we would need to confirm alignment with legislative requirements. I would appreciate your feedback on these options. Since this funding is intended to support your needs, I want to ensure we move in a direction that is most beneficial and practical for you. Thank you, Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions [Image]

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Nearpod Licensing
by Justin Brooksby 16 Mar '26

16 Mar '26

Hi everyone, As you might know, Nearpod received some funding (500K) this year. It is not enough to fund it in the same way we have in years past. At this point I am hoping to get some information from you. Considering funding is limited. * How many licenses would you need next year? I am hoping to see if we really need 680,000 licenses for the state. I don’t think we do. The more of you who respond the better estimate we can make and hopefully purchase less licenses and still make it available to everyone. We know budgets are small. We are also open to suggestions as we negotiate with them. It would be helpful to have this information by the end of this week or early next week. Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions [Image]

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Requesting Information for Necessity of Derivita
by Jacinto Treto 12 Mar '26

12 Mar '26

Hello everyone, As we approach the end of FY26, it's time to start reviewing contracts that are set to expire this fiscal year. One of the important ones we want to discuss is Derivita. Derivita was procured by UEN through a sole-source means in 2021 for a five-year period. The purpose of this email is to reach out directly to you as an administrator of your school/district. UEN is considering the effort required to secure another sole-source agreement to extend or renew this contract; however, we would like your input on the impact of Derivita at your LEA and the impact if it were no longer provided at a consortium discount from UEN. Please have your responses to me by the end of this week, 3/13/2026, 4:00 PM. Thank you, Jacinto Treto Software Procurement Manager Utah Education Network jacinto(a)uen.org<mailto:cathleen@uen.org> 801-587-1742 [cid:image001.jpg@01DCAFD4.C92BA300]

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Re: Requesting Information for Necessity of Derivita
by Gebhardt, Katie 10 Mar '26

10 Mar '26

Hi Jacinto, Thanks for letting us weigh in on this. Canyons School District strongly supports UEN in securing another sole-source agreement with Derivita. CSD was among the first districts to adopt Derivita on a districtwide scale. Initially, approximately 30 secondary teachers used the platform; Five years later, its use has expanded to nearly all secondary schools in the district. Currently, about 85% of high school mathematics teachers use Derivita for homework and assessments. At the middle school level, all math teachers use the platform to administer district assessments, and approximately 50% also use it to assign homework. In addition, Canyons teachers regularly use Derivita’s reporting tools to conduct individual and PLC data analysis. Canyons educators prefer Derivita over comparable platforms (e.g., MyOpenMath and MasteryConnect) because of its advanced mathematical modeling capabilities, which allow both students and teachers to engage deeply with complex mathematics. The platform also enables teachers to share and administer common assessments and collaboratively analyze results. Additionally, Derivita provides students with immediate, personalized feedback on assignments, helping them develop a stronger understanding of mathematical concepts. No other math software currently offers this same combination of features and functionality. If Derivita were no longer available at the discounted rate provided through UEN, Canyons School District would not be able to sustain the cost of the licenses. While alternative products exist, they do not offer the same depth of mathematical capability or integrated assessment and feedback features that Derivita provides. Thanks! [Logo, icon Description automatically generated] Katie Gebhardt Digital Teaching & Learning Specialist Instructional Supports Department 📞 (385)226-4522 🗓 Schedule an appointment<https://calendly.com/katie-gebhardt/experiment1et?back=1&month=2022-07> 📧 katie.gebhardt(a)canyonsdistrict.org<mailto:katie.gebhardt@canyonsdistrict.org> From: Jacinto Treto <jacinto(a)uen.org> Date: Monday, March 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM To: "software-advisory-k12(a)lists.uen.org" <software-advisory-k12(a)lists.uen.org> Subject: [Software-advisory-k12] Requesting Information for Necessity of Derivita Hello everyone, As we approach the end of FY26, it's time to start reviewing contracts that are set to expire this fiscal year. One of the important ones we want to discuss is Derivita. Derivita was procured by UEN through a sole-source means in 2021 for a five-year period. The purpose of this email is to reach out directly to you as an administrator of your school/district. UEN is considering the effort required to secure another sole-source agreement to extend or renew this contract; however, we would like your input on the impact of Derivita at your LEA and the impact if it were no longer provided at a consortium discount from UEN. Please have your responses to me by the end of this week, 3/13/2026, 4:00 PM. Thank you, Jacinto Treto Software Procurement Manager Utah Education Network jacinto(a)uen.org<mailto:cathleen@uen.org> 801-587-1742 [cid:image002.jpg@01DCB076.CC57AE00]

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Keyboarding Software
by Justin Brooksby 24 Feb '26

24 Feb '26

This is not a space UEN has traditionally been in. What are your thoughts? Is this a space where UEN might be able to help get pricing down? Is there enough agreement among LEAs for a single or multiple award? How does your district fund this? Cheers, Justin Brooksby Associate Director Ed. Tech Solutions [cid:image001.png@01DB73E1.8977D790]

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2026

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