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Buy Certified

Require IMS Global Certification When Purchasing EdTech Products

Ensuring that IMS certifies your educational technology applications is the best way to establish a plug-and-play ecosystem that enables all of your tools and content to work together.

If you are just starting out, review the IMS community-developed resources below to help you know what to ask for from your vendors and what to include in your RFPs. You'll also find procurement best practices—composed by and for K-12 districts and higher education institutions—and suggested language for requiring suppliers to be up-to-date on their IMS certifications. IMS offers assistance to members who need help or direction determining their needs.

Most importantly, you should verify that your products are IMS Certified by checking the product directory.

Sample RFP Language

For use when negotiating with suppliers to ensure the adoption and support of the most up-to-date features of IMS standards.


Sample Institutional Procurement Practices

K-12 Institutions

Higher Education Institutions

Additional institutional resources are available in the K-12 Playbook and HED Playbook.

Standards Specific Guidance

Resources not marked K-12 or HED are suitable for all institutions.

Caliper Analytics®

Common Cartridge®

Competencies and Academic Standards Exchange® (CASE)®

Comprehensive Learner Record (CLR)

  • CLR Procurement Guidance: Sample statements for inclusion in an institutional RFI/RFP document, additional guidelines, and a sample set of requirements for a CLR-conformant credential management platform.

Learning Tools Interoperability®  and LTI Advantage

LTI Resource Search

OneRoster®

Open Badges

  • Open Badges Procurement Guidance: Background information on the Open Badges standard, sample RFP language, and additional considerations when specifying support for IMS-certified Open Badges as part of your procurement process.

Question and Test Interoperability® (QTI®) and Accessible Portable Item Protocol® (APIP®)

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