Research & Evidence
Every claim, substantiated.
Education demands a higher evidentiary standard. This page documents every external source we cite, every proprietary claim we make, and the distinction between the two. If we say it on this site, the evidence is here.
External Research & Sources
These are independently published reports, studies, and data sources that we cite on this website. Each link goes directly to the original source.
The Future of Jobs Report 2025
World Economic Forum · 2025
Claims supported:
39% of current core skills will change by 2030
170 million new roles will be created globally by 2030
63% of employers cite skill gaps as the single biggest barrier to business transformation
A Coming Crisis in Teaching? Teacher Supply, Demand, and Shortages in the U.S.
Learning Policy Institute · 2024
Claims supported:
400,000+ teaching positions are currently unfilled or filled by underqualified individuals nationwide
How Teachers Spend Their Time: A Look at the Data
Education Week · 2023
Claims supported:
Teachers spend only 46% of their time on direct instruction
Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER)
U.S. Department of Education · 2024
Claims supported:
$190 billion in ESSER funds have now expired
Best Learning Management Systems (LMS) of 2025
Forbes Advisor · 2025
Claims supported:
CYPHER Learning (Pdgogy.ai's underlying platform) rated 'Best Overall' LMS for 4 consecutive years
SOC 2 Type II Compliance
AICPA (American Institute of CPAs) · 2024
Claims supported:
SOC 2 Type II certification — independently audited security controls for data handling, availability, and confidentiality
Proprietary Research & Case Studies
These are studies conducted by or in partnership with 21stCenturyEd. We provide the full methodology and downloadable reports so you can evaluate the evidence yourself.
ACES ROI Case Study: STEM Literacy OS Implementation (2025–2026)
ACES (Area Cooperative Educational Services) · 2026
Methodology
Independent analysis by ACES.org using actual district budget data from four Connecticut school districts implementing the STEM Literacy OS framework. ROI calculated from documented vendor consolidation savings against platform investment.
Claims supported:
152%–426% ROI on a $30,000 investment, based on budget data from 4 Connecticut school districts
Elimination of 12+ redundant line items including PD, intervention, translation, assessment, and coaching
Compliance & Security
An important distinction: certification means an independent third party has audited and verified compliance. Compliance means the platform is designed to meet the requirements of a regulatory framework. We are transparent about which is which.
SOC 2 Type II
Independent third-party audit of security controls covering data handling, processing integrity, confidentiality, availability, and privacy. Certification renewed annually.
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects the privacy of student education records. Pdgogy.ai is designed to comply with FERPA requirements — FERPA is a compliance framework, not a certification.
COPPA
The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act governs the collection of personal information from children under 13. Pdgogy.ai is designed to comply with COPPA requirements — COPPA is a compliance framework, not a certification.
Transparency Notes
Some claims on this site are based on proprietary methodology, internal data, or implementation experience rather than independent external research. We believe transparency about this distinction builds trust.
70-30 Rule (30% online, 70% unplugged)
This is a proprietary instructional design principle developed by 21stCenturyEd based on classroom implementation experience. It is not derived from a single external study but reflects the company's pedagogical philosophy of using technology as a backbone for hands-on learning.
90-day implementation timeline
Based on the company's implementation experience across partner districts. The 90-day timeline refers to initial deployment and teacher onboarding, not full district-wide transformation. Individual results vary based on district size, readiness, and engagement level.
10+ hours/week recovered for teachers
Estimated based on time savings from unified planning, automated differentiation, and elimination of multi-platform workflows. This is a projected figure based on implementation data, not an independently validated study.
AI content verification (cross-check)
A built-in content verification system that uses a secondary AI model to review AI-generated educational content for accuracy, bias, and age-appropriateness. This is a standard capability of the enterprise LMS platform on which Pdgogy.ai is built.