The Allegheny County Schools Join the 1EdTech Community
BURLINGTON, Mass., August 13, 2024 — Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) is making it easier for educators to find high-quality, secure and trusted educational technology resources, without adding additional burden to already overworked technology departments through a new partnership with 1EdTech® Consortium (1EdTech).
The partnership brings 46 members of the AIU’s Allegheny Connect consortium, consisting of 42 AIU member districts, three career centers, and the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children into the 1EdTech community. This initial cohort will have access to the TrustEd Apps™ Management Suite (TAMS), which will allow leaders to sort through thousands of educational applications and tools they may want to use and quickly assess if those tools meet their interoperability, data privacy, accessibility and other needs right away, and determine if deeper conversations are needed with the supplier.
TAMS will also allow the districts and schools to curate their own set of approved apps, which are then easy for educators to access, review, and select based on their individual classroom needs.
“School and district leaders have asked for guidance and support in keeping students and staff data safe,” said Richard Platts, Chief Technology Officer at the AIU. “We see an opportunity to collaborate through the AIU Digital Trust Hub, to demonstrate what common-sense data privacy and security best practices can look like, and serve as a model for the rest of the Commonwealth.”
TAMS is currently being used by more than 600 districts and higher education institutions across the country, saving them time and resources in the edtech procurement process.
“The 1EdTech community of K-12 districts and organizations, edtech suppliers and higher ed institutions, saw a need to simplify the process of selecting the best edtech tools, and that is how TAMS started,” explained Tim Clark, 1EdTech Vice President for K-12 Programs. “Our member districts tell us it saves them time and worry because it helps to bridge the gap of understanding between the tools teachers want to use in their classrooms and ensuring the technical requirements to provide security, privacy and interoperability are met. We are thrilled the AIU joined our growing community, committed to trust in the digital ecosystem.”
About 1EdTech
1EdTech is a member-based non-profit community partnership of leading education providers at all levels, government organizations, and edtech suppliers who collaborate to accelerate an open, trusted, and innovative digital learning ecosystem. We power learner potential by creating the foundation for a learner-centered and future-ready ecosystem where products work together to improve teaching and learning for all.
1EdTech hosts the annual Learning Impact Conference, Digital Credentials Summit, and other engagement opportunities to advance the leadership and ideas shaping the future of learning. The 1EdTech Foundation, an affiliated public charity, uses philanthropic funds to support 1EdTech's vision. Visit our website at 1edtech.org.
About the AIU
The Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) is a regional public education agency and a crucial part of Pennsylvania's public education system. Our caring staff of educators, administrators, and support staff provide specialized services to Allegheny County's suburban school districts as well as non-public, charter, and vocational-technical schools. Our agency is a liaison with the Pennsylvania Department of Education and we proudly operate three special education schools, 10 family centers, and about 130 programs for children, adults, and families. The AIU is one of 29 intermediate units across the state.