This guide provides best practices for communicating Edlink to your school and district partners.
The most important principle is to remember that Edlink is a technology provider that powers your integrations, similar to how a company might use AWS for its cloud infrastructure. For schools, Edlink is an implementation detail. Edlink occupies a unique space in the edtech ecosystem and is not a platform that is "adopted" by schools in the way that Clever and Classlink are.
The focus of your communication should always be on the features and integrations that your application offers, not the specific technology (i.e. Edlink) that enables them.
Even though Edlink helps thousands of districts and universities get integrated with the edtech platforms they use, IT Administrators likely do not have more than a passing familiarity with Edlink. Therefore, it's crucial to manage expectations and avoid unnecessary confusion.
During the Sales Process
Your product's ability to integrate with a school's systems is a feature of your product, not Edlink's. Therefore, we generally suggest that you avoid mentioning Edlink during the sales process as it will only serve to cause confusion (i.e. a school thinking that in order to utilize your product they also need to adopt some other product, which is not the case).
For example, if a school asks, "Does your platform integrate with PowerSchool?"
- Bad answer: "We use Edlink to power our integrations."
- Good answer: "Yes, Your App Name connects with PowerSchool for rostering and grade passback."
During the Implementation Process
Most schools assume you use technology partners (e.g. for hosting) and are primarily concerned with the outcome, not the specific tools.
If asked, "What is Edlink?", you can explain:
"Edlink is our technology partner that helps us connect with your school's LMS / SIS."
If you need to include your Edlink client success manager on a setup or troubleshooting call, you are welcome to introduce them as a member of your implementation team or ours (it's totally up to you).
Legal and Compliance
- Sub-processors: Always include Edlink in your list of third-party sub-processors.
- Privacy Agreements: Disclose Edlink in relevant sections of your student data privacy agreements.
- Security Reports: If a school requests security documentation, we can provide our SOC 2 Type II report directly to them. We also have a HECVAT for higher education institutions.
- Direct Agreements: We can sign a district's data privacy agreement if required. Please notify your Edlink CSM if a school makes this request.
Please note, just because Edlink is able to provide this documentation does not mean that your product is automatically compliant with a school's requirements. Always ensure that your product meets the necessary standards. Your company is not "covered" by Edlink's agreements, security practices, or certifications.
Key Questions for Schools
Asking the right questions early in the implementation process can save significant time and prevent future issues. Here are some recommended questions for your school partners. You probably shouldn't ask all of these questions, but pick the ones that are most relevant to your product and implementation.
Data Systems
- What Student Information System (SIS) do you use? (e.g., PowerSchool, Skyward)
- What Learning Management System (LMS) do you use? (e.g., Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom)
- Do you use an identity provider like Clever or ClassLink for rostering or Single Sign-On (SSO)?
Key Contacts
- Who is the primary administrator for your SIS and LMS?
- Who is the best person on your IT team to handle the technical setup and configuration?
- Who should we contact for questions related to data privacy and security?
Data Management
- How often is your roster data updated?
- Who at your district / university needs access to our platform (e.g. which grade levels, departments)?
- Are there any specific data fields or attributes that you are expecting to be populated into Your Platform Name?
User Experience
- How do teachers and students typically log into their learning applications? (e.g., through a school portal, through their LMS, through a direct link)
- What expectations do you have around assignment and grade sync?