Effective Technology Guidelines
The CALIE Effective Technology Guidelines give school and district teams a shared framework for evaluating how technology supports teaching and learning. Built by educators, for educators.
Technology decisions shouldn’t happen in isolation
Teachers are expected to integrate an ever-growing mix of platforms and tools, often without the systems or support to know whether any of it is improving learning. Districts have no consistent way to see what’s working, where barriers exist, or where to focus next.
1,000+
Digital tools are used across California districts each year
Teachers make daily decisions about which tools support learning and which don’t, but without shared criteria or a common language across their school.
Students encounter hundreds of tools in a school year. Not all of those interactions carry the same depth of engagement or instructional purpose.
At the district level, there’s no consistent way to surface patterns across classrooms or connect technology spending to instructional outcomes.
A framework built for clarity, not complexity
The guidelines evaluate technology use across five connected domains, from student experience in the classroom through instructional design, evidence of impact, equitable access, and long-term sustainability. Each domain includes reflection prompts, indicators, and a growth-focused scoring scale.
System for decision making
Each domain addresses a critical condition of effective technology use, but together they form a structured system leaders can use to evaluate tools, guide instructional decisions, and ensure technology investments are improving learning.
Reflection, not evaluation
The accompanying quick gap analysis tool helps teams surface strengths, gaps, and blind spots based on real practice. Take 3 minutes to assess where you are—then discover how the CALIE Guidelines and CDSI pilot program can help you move from tools to transformation.
Built by California educators
Informed by educators, administrators, and technology leaders, grounded in the realities of California classrooms, and focused on helping schools make informed decisions about which technologies to keep, refine, and invest in based on their impact on learning.
For teams working to strengthen how technology supports learning
These guidelines are designed for school and district teams who want to move beyond tool adoption and toward a clearer understanding of what’s working, what isn’t, and where to focus next.
School leadership teams
Instructional coaches
District technology directors
Curriculum coordinators
School and district teams
Site administrators
Download the full framework
Enter your email to receive the CALIE Effective Technology Guidelines (Version 1.0), including the five-domain framework, reflection guidance, and the growth-focused scoring scale.
✓ 14-page framework
✓ Five domains with indicators
✓ Gap Analysis overview
Enter your email to download the guidelines.
The Most Effective Way to Use the Guidelines
Pilot Cohort →
Join the pilot cohort to identify your highest-impact opportunities
Walk away with a clear picture of where technology is (and isn’t) improving learning in your system.
CDSI →
Continue into CDSI to implement and sustain change
Walk away with a focused plan and support to improve teaching practice across classrooms.