EdReports Use Policy: Why it Matters

EdReports is an independent nonprofit that brings together expert educators to produce evidence-rich reviews of instructional materials. Our mission is to increase the capacity of teachers, administrators, and leaders to seek, identify, and demand the highest-quality instructional materials in support of improving student outcomes. In that spirit, all decisions made by EdReports are driven by what best informs the education field about our reviews and work.

To accomplish our mission, EdReports relies in large part on our reputation of transparency, integrity, and impartiality in the rigorous research and review processes we conduct to inform instructional materials selection practices, purchase decisions, and the resulting improvement of products that publishers deliver. EdReports’ Use Policy is intended to preserve that independent reputation and to protect the integrity of our process as a provider of information. 

We do not rank materials or make recommendations. Granting permission to distribute our content does not constitute an endorsement of any product or service. The following guidelines seek to ensure that users of our reviews enjoy the full context of our information and not hear about our ratings and reports through the language of salesmanship. FAQs can be found here.

To that end, we encourage the following:

• Linking through websites or social media to any of our free content using neutral language. For example:

“See what EdReports says about  ______.”

“Read the full review of _______ on EdReports.org.”

• Retweeting, tweeting us @EdReports, use of hashtags, links, and other sharing through social media.
• Sharing if your materials met expectations for standards alignment and usability (collectively gateways 1 – 3).

We expressly prohibit:

1. Use of EdReports’ trademark and/or logo without prior written approval. Please see the approved usage section.
   
2. Stating or implying that EdReports endorses you, your products, or your services.
   
3. Excerpts from our reviews that do not provide a link to the complete review immediately following the excerpt. Excerpts include, but are not limited to, use of the EdReports Verification (see below), promotional language of a single gateway, criterion, or indicator scores. It is critical that our content not be presented in any way so as to alter EdReports’ meaning, implication or intent, or to otherwise render such content misleading or deceptive.
   
4. Presenting EdReports’ content in a way that might be confused with or indistinguishable from your own content.
   
5. The adding up of “gateway” scores to represent a total “overall” score or any reorganization of scoring that misrepresents the EdReports review process.  
   
6. Presenting products reviewed by EdReports as “#1 rated,” “highest rated,” “top rated,” “the only ‘all green’ program,” “the highest scoring,” or any other iteration that attempts to “rank” or “rate” the review against other reviews. We believe that encouraging use of all the information and evidence within reports, and considering it alongside local needs, will provide consumers with the data they need to make the best decision for themselves and compare materials on their own.
   
7. Referencing or predicting the scores of embargoed reports or programs under review.
   
8. Creating your own “badge” to reference or promote an EdReports review. 

If EdReports learns that our Brand Guidelines and Use Policy has been violated, it will take all steps necessary to prevent the misuse of its name or of any of its materials, including legal action where appropriate. The failure (if any) of EdReports to take such legal action shall not be a forfeiture of EdReports’ right to take legal action. 

Usage of EdReports Logo and Brand Requiring Approval

You must obtain written approval to use EdReports’ trademark and/or logo. These are EDREPORTS and  . All uses must be reviewed and approved prior to publishing. 

1. Use of EdReports’ trademark and/or logo: 
   1. The EdReports trademark and/or logo may not be used in association with any third-party trademarks (names or logos) in a manner that suggests co-branding or otherwise creates potential confusion about the source or sponsorship of the materials. 
   2. Our trademark and/or logo must remain intact, be placed properly in layout, be printed or published in an appropriate color from our palette or reversed to white, and be given adequate clear space around it. 
   3. Any use of the EdReports logo should be subtle, legible, and tasteful in appearance.
   4. When using the EdReports logo, the logo must only be linked back to the EdReports website.
2. The EdReports logo may be displayed alongside the logos of similar independent organizations; the logo should have appropriate white space so as not to present or promote any relationship with the other organizations. For example:
   
   
   
3. Use of the EdReports logo must include adequate clear space. The space must be equal to or greater than the diameter of the EdReports circle:
   
4. The use of EdReports’ trademark and/or logo must be factually correct in context; the promotion does not “rank” or “rate” the material, describe it as “top” rated, or make a comparison to other materials.

How to Qualify for Approved Use of the EdReports Verification* 

Instructional materials that claim to be standards-aligned have saturated the market. Yet we know many of those claims have not been verified by an independent, reliable source. EdReports’ rigorous review process helps educators to make informed decisions about which instructional materials to purchase. 

An EdReports Verification provides a clear way for consumers to know if a program has been reviewed by EdReports. It also encourages consumers to read the review to learn more about the product in order to make the best decision. 

What curriculum products qualify for an EdReports Verification?

• Core comprehensive and foundational skills supplemental materials that have undergone a review by EdReports and have been published on its website. 
  • For print materials: should the edition change for the product, it must undergo a new review before it can qualify for a Verification. 
  • For digital materials: The product must currently represent what was reviewed by EdReports. If products have changed in ways that would make a material difference in scoring, a new review must be conducted in order to qualify for a Verification. 
• Example of Verification:
  
  
  

How may the Verification be used?

The Verification may be used for marketing purposes including digital promotions (e.g. social media, website) and print products (e.g. mailers, conference banners).

Adhere to proper clear space

Use of the EdReports Verification must include spacing equal to or greater than 25% of the Verification diameter:

How can I obtain an EdReports Verification?

• For every new review, publishers automatically receive an EdReports Verification as part of the review process.
• If you need an EdReports Verification for an existing review (one that's already live on the EdReports site), contact communications@edreports.org.

EdReports Verification: Placement Guidance

* As of July 10, 2023, the use of non-EdReports approved “badges” on all digital marketing efforts will be considered a violation of this Use Policy. Print and video promotions have until December 31, 2023, to be updated or removed from circulation.

Please refer to EdReports Brand Use Guidance FAQs for more information. Additional questions may be directed to communications@edreports.org.

Updated as of August 2024