Distance Learning Core Suite of Apps
The following apps are part of SFUSD's Core Suite for distance learning. Pro licenses have been purchased centrally for the 2020-21 school year for Zoom, Seesaw, Newsela (essentials only), Raz-Kids (for K-3), Google Enterprise (includes Hangouts Meet), and Screencastify.
Google Classroom
Teachers can post assignments and resources, collect work, facilitate collaboration, & provide feedback. Classroom is SFUSD's official Learning Management System (LMS) for grades 3-12
Seesaw
Teachers can post activities and provide feedback. Students can respond using text, drawing, video, voice, etc. Seesaw is SFUSD’s official Learning Management System (LMS) for grades PK-2. Pro-licenses purchased for 2020-21.
Zoom
A video conferencing app teachers can use for synchronous direct instruction, discussion, and collaboration. Pro-licenses purchased for 2020-21.
Screencastify
A screen recording app teachers can use to provide asynchronous direct instruction. Pro-licenses purchased for 2020-21.
Newsela
Provides students access to leveled informational text, with a heavy emphasis on science and history/social studies content. Texts are organized as both standalone and text sets, with accompanying lessons and assessments. Newsela Essentials licenses purchased for all users in all grades in 2020-21.
Raz-Kids
Provides students access to leveled text, along with skills practice. Available in Spanish. Recommended for K-5. Raz Kids is available at clever.sfusd.edu by selecting "Learning A-Z." Raz Kids Plus is centrally-funded for grades PK-3, and is available for homeroom teachers, certain SPED teachers, IRF's, ARTIF's, and Lit Coaches.
Google Suite
The Google Suite supports student communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking with apps like Google Drive, Docs, Slides, Sheets, Forms, Drawing, and more!
Data Privacy at SFUSD
SFUSD takes student data privacy and is in compliance with regard to state and federal requirements including COPPA, CIPA, FERPA, and SOPIPA with our district-approved online applications. Learn more about Data Privacy in SFUSD.
Content Agnostic Apps and Digital Tools
The following apps and digital tools are great for any content area. These apps are approved and recommended for use by SFUSD students. They are organized below according to instructional purpose.
Apps that are not on this list, and which collect any student information should not be used with students: those applications may sell the students' information or use it for marketing purposes. Please be a champion for protecting student data privacy, by only using approved apps and by encouraging others to do the same.
The following icons are used to help you quickly find and identify the apps that are right for you based on grade-level, cost, and instructional priority:
Learning Management Systems
A Learning Management System (LMS) is an application used as your online learning classroom or hub. It is where you can post and receive assignments, provide ongoing feedback to students, and communicate learning back to families. Every teacher in SFUSD should create and maintain an online learning hub for students using the appropriate LMS for their grade-level.
Google Classroom
Teachers can post assignments and resources, collect work, facilitate collaboration, & provide feedback. Google Classroom is SFUSD's official LMS for grades 3-12. While grades 3-12 may leverage Seesaw for creation and sharing, they should do so in conjunction with Google Classroom. Learn more about Google Classroom.
Seesaw
Teachers can post activities and provide feedback. Students can use a variety of tools to create and post work, including text, drawing, video, voice, photos, and more! Seesaw is SFUSD’s official LMS for grades PK-2. Learn more about Seesaw.
Direct Instruction
Formative Assessment
Collaboration
Demonstration of Learning
Universal Design for Learning
Content Specific Apps and Digital Tools
The following apps and digital tools are great for specific content areas. These apps are approved and recommended for use by SFUSD students. They are organized below by content area.
Apps that are not on this list, and which collect any student information should not be used with students: those applications may sell the students' information or use it for marketing purposes. Please be a champion for protecting student data privacy, by only using approved apps and by encouraging others to do the same.
These apps may be purchased by completing an ISA. Sites should not use credit cards or PTA funds without prior authorization from Purchasing and DoT.
STEM
Dreambox: Adaptive technology that provides lessons as animated games. Recommended for PK-8. Dreambox is centrally-funded for kindergarten and up at Title I elementary schools. All other sites should complete an ISA to purchase.
Desmos: Platform that enables students to graph, plot data, evaluate equations and explore transformations. Includes standards aligned lessons and activities.
Tuva: Platform that enables students to explore and manipulate real-world data sets to create their own graphs and charts. Includes standards aligned lessons and activities. Recommended for 6-12.
GeoGebra: Platform that enables students to engage in geometry, algebra, statistics and calculus activities. Recommended for 6-12.
Blue Bot: Platform that supports students to write algorithms to control and move the “Blue Bot” robot.
Scratch and ScratchJr: Programming platform that allows students to code their own games, animations and stories.
Code.Org: CS Fundamentals (K-5) - Students learn the fundamentals of computer science with drag and drop blocks and can create drawings and games. CS Discoveries (6-12) - Introductory computer science course with lessons and programming practice (app design, animations, etc.).
Tinkercad: a free easy-to-use online 3D modeling design tool. Quickly turn your idea into a CAD model for a 3D printer with Tinkercad.
Humanities
Newsela: Provides students access to leveled informational text, with a heavy emphasis on science and history/social studies content. Texts are organized as both standalone and text sets, with accompanying lessons and assessments. Available in Spanish. Recommended for 3-12. *Pro-licenses have been purchased centrally for the 2020-21 school year.
Raz Kids Plus: Provides students access to leveled text, along with skills practice. Includes Headsprout, an adaptive literacy program. Available in Spanish. Recommended for K-5. Raz Kids Plus is centrally-funded for grades K-3, and is available in Clever for homeroom teachers, certain SPED teachers, IRF's, ARTIF's, and Lit Coaches.
Typing Club: Leverages a game-based structure to teach and develop typing skills.
Hoopla: Offered by the public library system, provides access for users to “borrow” ebooks, audiobooks and comics. Available in Spanish. Recommended for K-12.
Britannica and Britannica Escolar: Encyclopedia with up-to-date articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools. Available in Spanish as Britannica Escolar.Articles can be annotated & saved to Google Drive. Recommended for K-12.
SIRS Discoverer: Research database for beginning researchers, especially elementary and middle school students and educators. Articles can be annotated & saved to Google Drive. Recommended for K-8
Gale in Context: High School: Robust research database for a wide array of subjects up-to-date reference content with full-text magazines, academic journals, news articles, primary source documents, images, videos, and audio files. Articles can be annotated & saved to Google Drive. Recommended for 6-12.
Sirs Issues Researcher: Provides background and current analysis necessary for the research and understanding of current and pervasive issues. Articles can be saved to Google Drive. Recommended for 6-12
English Language Development
Newsela: Provides students access to leveled informational text, with a heavy emphasis on science and history/social studies content. Texts are organized as both standalone and text sets, with accompanying lessons and assessments. *Pro-licenses have been purchased for all users for the 2020-21 school year.
Quill: An interactive writing and grammar training tool. *Funded by Curriculum and Instruction for all high school users for the 2020-21 school year.
Wonders: Builds proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing with scaffolded support for all language proficiency levels.
Brainpop ELL: BrainPOP ELL is a web-based English language learning program comprising short, animated movies as well as games, quizzes, and interactive features. It encompasses the four main language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Conditionally Approved Free-only Apps
The free version of these apps are approved for use during distance learning. However, they are not available for purchase because the vendors have not completed our contracting requirements.
- Ed Puzzle, curate or create instructional videos, add voice narration, and embed formative assessment questions
- GoFormative, an assessment tool
- Kahoot, used to gamify instruction as a pre-assessment to spark interest and/or formative assessment to adjust instruction
- Loom, a video communication tool
- Miro, a whiteboarding tool
- Padlet, a collaboration tool
- You must not share the link or code outside of your class
- You must not set the privacy to public
- PearDeck, an assessment tool
- Socrative, a gamified assessment tool
- Sutori, a collaborative instruction & presentation tool
- Teachers and students must not share codes or links with the public.
- Teachers and students must not set classes or posts to “Public.”
Additional Approved Applications
|
Vendor and Product Names |
Subjects |
Free/Paid |
How to Access |
How to Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3P Learning sells the following programs:
|
Math, Science, Reading, Spelling, ELA |
All 3P Learning products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase a 3P Learning product should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
|
Literacy |
All Achieve3000 products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Achieve3000 should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Adobe Spark and Creative Cloud Mobile
|
Web Sites, Graphic Design, Video Editing, Rendering, Digital Storytelling, Digital Portfolios, etc. |
|
Adobe Spark is available to all students at https://spark.adobe.com/ or clever.sfusd.edu. Creative Cloud Mobile applications are available for free in iPad Self Service. Contact DoT at help@sfusd.edu if the app you need is not available. |
Adobe Spark and Creative Cloud Mobile applications are already available to all students. Contact DoT at help@sfusd.edu if you need assistance. |
|
Amplify sells products in the content areas listed at right
|
CKLA, ELA, Science, Reading |
Amplify Science is centrally funded for K-5. All other Amplify products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Amplify Science is available in Clever for all K-5 students and teachers. Sites or departments wishing to purchase other Amplify content should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Certain Apple Products, including:
|
iPad Monitoring, Audio Editing Note: Chromebook monitoring is provided by GoGuardian |
Included with Apple devices |
||
|
BrainPOP sells the following products:
|
Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health & SEL, Engineering & Tech, ELA |
All BrainPOP products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase BrainPOP should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Cloud Lab (New Visions) products:
|
Productivity, Assessment, Quizzes, Forms, Mail Merge, Google Drive, Google Docs |
Free |
Add the extensions from G Suite Marketplace, then access them from your Google Drive tools (such as Docs, Sheets, and Forms) |
|
|
Common Sense Media
|
Digital Agency (previously Digital Citizenship) |
Free |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Teachers can add Common Sense by going to clever.sfusd.edu, logging in, searching for Common Sense, and clicking install. When prompted, add the the application to your teacher page. Your students will access it by clicking your teacher page in Clever. |
|
DreamBox
|
Math |
DreamBox is centrally funded for all Title I elementary schools. Other sites and classes must fund DreamBox by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase DreamBox should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Edmentum sells the following products:
|
CCSS, NGSS, History-SS, AP, CTE, Literacy, Math, ELA |
All Edmentum products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Edmentum should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
EVERFI products cover the content areas at right
|
Workplace Training, Financial Literacy, Higher Education, Community Engagement, Health |
Free |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Contact the Digital Backpack team to have EVERFI activated at your site. |
|
Flocabulary - See Nearpod |
||||
|
Freckle - See Renaissance |
||||
|
GoGuardian (by Liminex)
|
Chromebook Monitoring, Classroom Monitoring Note: iOS users should look at Apple Classroom Note: Monitoring students at home is not permitted by SFUSD, so GoGuardian does not have an approved academic purpose during Shelter in Place |
GoGuardian must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* Please note that the ISA is listed under "Liminex." |
GoGuardian is automatically installed on student Chromebooks. Teachers access GoGuardian at account.goguardian.com, and use the "Login with Google" button. |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase GoGuardian should complete an Individual Service Agreement (listed under "Liminex").* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will install the program. |
|
Greenfield Learning sells the following products:
|
Reading, Math |
All Greenfield products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Greenfield should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
iChineseReader (by iChineseEdu) |
Reading and Audiobooks for Mandarin and Cantonese |
iChineseReader is provided for dual-language programs by Curriculum and Instruction. Other purchases may be made by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase iChineseReader should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Imagine Learning sells the following products:
|
Literacy, Math, ELA |
All Imagine Learning products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Imagine Learning should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
IXL products cover the content areas listed at right
|
Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Spanish, ELA |
All IXL products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase IXL should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Learning A-Z sells the following products:
|
Reading, Writing, Science, ELA |
All Learning A-Z products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Learning A-Z should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Newsela
|
ELA, Information Literacy |
Newsela Basic is available for free, and Newsela Premium must be funded by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* Certain SFUSD pilot programs include access to Seesaw Premium. |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Teachers can add Newsela free edition by going to clever.sfusd.edu, logging in, searching for Newsela, and clicking install. When prompted, add the the application to your teacher page. Your students will access it by clicking your teacher page in Clever. Sites or departments wishing to purchase Newsela Premium should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Renaissance sells the following products:
|
Math, Literacy, Social Studies, Science, ELA |
Freckle free addition is available in Clever - see instructions at right to add. All Renaissance products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Teachers can add Freckle free edition by going to clever.sfusd.edu, logging in, searching for Freckle, and clicking install. When prompted, add the the application to your teacher page. Your students will access it by clicking your teacher page in Clever. Sites or departments wishing to purchase Renaissance should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
TextHelp sells the following products:
|
Accessibility, Writing, Supportive Functionality | Some product licenses are provided by Special Education services. Other products products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* | auto-installed browser extension | Sites or departments wishing to purchase Text Help products should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
|
Wowzers
|
Math |
All Wowzers products must be funded by a site or Department by completing an ISA. Pricing is located on the ISA.* |
clever.sfusd.edu |
Sites or departments wishing to purchase Wowzers should complete an Individual Service Agreement.* After the ISA is finalized, DoT will make the program available in Clever. |
| *Please find all ISA's (and product pricing) on the Contracts page. | ||||
Approved with Reservations
Central office teams - if your resource appears in this list and you wish to have it fully recommended, please email help@sfusd.edu with the subject "Approvals for Backpack Resources."
The following applications are approved for use with students. We strongly recommend using a "Recommended" or "Additional Approved" application from above because they are significantly easier to use and manage, and offer strong integrations with existing SFUSD systems. Pricing and purchase details for these (and all other) applications can be found on the Contracts page.
- Adobe Creative Cloud (submit a ticket to help@sfusd.edu for information)
- Avant Assessment
- BookNook: a reading intervention tool
- Celtx: a script-writing and production tool
- Edgenuity: approved for use in credit recovery and provided by Curriculum & Instruction. (If you wish to purchase other Edgenuity services, please submit a ticket for the Digital Backpack team at help@sfusd.edu)
- Explore Learning: Explore Learning sells Reflex Math, a tool for practicing basic math skills
- GoalBook: (by Enome) is tool at SFUSD through the Special Education Department (If you wish to purchase other Enome services, please submit a ticket for the Digital Backpack team at help@sfusd.edu)
- Grammar Gallery (by SG Consulting) (If you wish to purchase other SG Consulting services, please submit a ticket for the Digital Backpack team at help@sfusd.edu)
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt: sells Reading Inventory, provided in Clever by RPA (If you wish to purchase other HMH services, please submit a ticket for the Digital Backpack team at help@sfusd.edu)
- Illuminate: assessments, tests, and reporting
- Learning Ally: an audiobook solution, with a focus on vision-impaired and dyslexic learners
- Loom: The expressiveness of video with the convenience of messaging. Communicate more effectively wherever you work with Loom.
- McGraw Hill: vendor of the WONDER and ALEKS tools (If you wish to purchase other MGH services, please submit a ticket for the Digital Backpack team at help@sfusd.edu)
- MIND Research Institute: creator of ST Math, a visual teaching tool for K-8
- Miro: a collaborative online whiteboard platform designed for remote and distributed teams.
- N2Y: develops curriculum and communication tools with a focus on Special Education
- PearDeck: with the Pear Deck for Google Slides Add-on, you can add the magic of formative assessments and interactive questions to your presentations right from Google Slides.
- Read Naturally: research-based reading interventions
- Rosetta Stone: provides SaaS-based subscription access to its language learning solutions and services for K12, including English listening, oral speaking, vocabulary, grammar and writing practice for newcomer students at various levels.
- SchoolMessenger: the District's communications platform
- School Specialty: makers of iSPIRE, a reading support and intervention tool
- Scientific Learning Corporation: Cloud-based educational software company providing effective intervention solutions that help every child achieve their learning potential.
- Starfall Education: provides games, books, and movies for reading, phonics, and math
- Tobii Dynavox: publishers of Boardmaker, a SPED tool
- TuVa Labs - a visual math-education tool
Other Applications
A very limited number of applications are approved for purchase under special circumstances and are not listed here. Please contact the Digital Backpack team by submitting a ticket to help@sfusd.edu if you have questions about a program or website that you do not see.
At this time, we are not accepting requests to approve additional applications. We appreciate your patience while we implement the approval process, which is expected in Fall 2020.
Unapproved Apps
The Legal, Technology, and Curriculum & Instruction Departments have strict requirements for student data privacy and curriculum compliance. We are also subject to various Federal and State laws, and Board of Education policies. Because of these requirements, you must not use these applications. This list is NOT complete - you may only use the applications listed above. This list is only here to communicate that these apps are frequently requested, but have not met our requirements. Please help us protect student privacy by not using these apps, or any other unapproved app:
- Chegg
- Class Dojo
- EPIC
- Flipgrid
- Kami
- Khan Academy
- Kidblog
- LiveSchool
- Parent Square
- PLT4m
- Prodigy
- Quizlet
- Quizziz
- Remind
- Zearn
Please do not use these applications. Please do not submit emails or help tickets about these applications - we have conducted rigorous reviews of these applications and they are not safe or appropriate for student use.