EdGate Powers Podcast #2 - with Gina Faulk
Getting ready for a K–12 adoption or RFP involves much more than having a strong educational product. Publishers and edtech companies need to demonstrate that their content meets the standards used in the markets they are pursuing, while also being prepared for requirements around accessibility, cybersecurity, metadata, and documentation. The difficulty is that these expectations can vary significantly from state to state, and standards can change even after a company has completed its alignment work.
In this episode of the EdGate Powers Podcast, Rich Portelance speaks with Gina Faulk, General Manager at EdGate, about what companies often overlook when preparing to compete for opportunities in K–12 education. Drawing on her experience in both publishing and edtech, Faulk explains why aligning to Common Core or NGSS alone may not be enough when entering states with their own standards, and why companies should begin the process well before an adoption or RFP deadline. She also discusses how accessibility and cybersecurity have become important parts of being prepared to work with schools and districts.
The conversation takes a closer look at what happens behind the alignment process itself. Faulk explains how EdGate's ExACT Alignment Platform's Concept Index connects educational concepts to standards across states and grade levels, how subject matter experts help evaluate content and identify gaps, and how ExACT can provide alignment reports that show exactly where content meets or falls short of specific standards. She also discusses the practical value of organized metadata and ongoing standards monitoring, particularly when standards are released or revised unexpectedly, and companies need to understand quickly how those changes affect their content.
In this episode, you will learn:
- Why standards alignment should begin well before an adoption or RFP deadline.
- Why Common Core and NGSS alignments may not satisfy state-specific requirements.
- How state standards can differ substantially and change throughout the year.
- Why accessibility and cybersecurity should be addressed alongside curriculum alignment.
- How a taxonomy or Concept Index connects educational content to standards across states and grade levels.
- How subject matter experts contribute to alignment and quality assurance.
- How the ExACT Platform's Gap Analysis can identify specific areas where content does not meet a state's expectations.
- How alignment reporting can help companies prepare documentation for state reviews and identify areas for content improvement.
Why This Conversation Matters
A company can spend significant time developing an educational product and still discover that it is not ready for a particular state adoption or RFP. State-specific standards, accessibility expectations, cybersecurity requirements, and documentation can all become part of the evaluation process, and waiting until a submission deadline is approaching leaves little time to identify and address problems. Preparing early gives companies an opportunity to understand their content, find gaps, organize the information they will need, and make necessary changes before the pressure of a deadline arrives.
Keeping that preparation current presents another challenge. Standards can change in ways that range from small wording or numbering updates to entirely new standards that will not take effect for another year or two. Faulk describes how monitoring those changes across states can become a substantial undertaking, particularly when new standards are not always easy to locate, and why having an organized system for standards and content information can make it easier to respond.
Join Rich and Gina as they explore what it takes for edtech companies and publishers to prepare for K–12 adoptions and RFPs, from understanding state-specific standards and identifying content gaps to maintaining accurate metadata and staying ahead of changing requirements. Their conversation provides a practical look at the preparation that happens before a company ever reaches the submission stage, and why that groundwork can make a meaningful difference when the opportunity arrives.
Learn how edtech companies and publishers can use standards alignment to excel in the K-12 market.
Gina Faulk has over 25 years of experience in publishing: both online and print. As General Manager for EdGate, she focuses on strategic business development, B2B and industry partnerships. She works closely with the EdGate team of professional educators, taxonomists, and developers to create solutions to help publishers expand their market. Today EdGate provides education standards and alignment services and SAAS to over 250 clients across all K-12 subjects.
Rich is passionate about eEdTech and helping people discover pathways to successful careers. He leverages his many years of business experience in strategy, product development, brand creation and sales & marketing as a frequent industry speaker and sought after consultant.
Beginning his career in digital marketing and web development, Rich was recruited into the private, independent school market to help usher in digital technologies and social media. During this time, Richard served as a student advisor and was nominated to serve on the CAIS (Connecticut Association of Independent Schools) Technology Commission. In 2012, Rich joined York & Chapel, a brand and digital transformation agency where he began working with secondary and higher ed clients, developing strategies for student engagement and pathway creation. In 2014, Richard founded CareerPath, a SaaS engagement platform. Over the past ten years, Rich has given back to the industry as an advisor to numerous EdTech startups, and generally has had a blast doing what he loves to do — help others succeed.
Questions Answered
During the podcast, we tackle critical questions that edtech companies and publishers are asking about preparing for state adoptions, RFPs, and aligning standards.
- How does EdGate work with states and districts on standards reviews?
- What practices do edtech software companies overlook before an adoption or RFP?
- What challenges do edtech companies face when aligning content to state standards?
- How can companies stay up to date as education standards change?
- How does EdGate use subject matter experts (SMEs) to align content to standards?
- How does the ExACT Alignment Platform make standards and alignments easier to access?
- How does ExACT Alignment Platform reporting help companies identify standards gaps?
- How can the ExACT Alignment Platform’s Gap Analysis tool help companies improve their content?
- What do alignment, correlation, taxonomy, and Concept Index mean?
- Why should edtech companies make standards alignment a priority?
- How does EdGate help educators and education leaders?
- What can make edtech companies stand out in a competitive K-12 market?