Product Referrals = Cost-Savings and Benefits
August 2011
Some school districts have made recent referrals to the ERAC resource evaluation system and the number of products being evaluated is increasing every month. Here's why. When ERAC member districts or schools refer vendors to ERAC to have their products evaluated before purchase, we all benefit. The advantages of this evaluation and negotiation process are clear:
- Districts who send vendors to ERAC have more time to invest in their students since ERAC will deal with the many vendors and their growing assortment of products.
- ERAC evaluations are carried out by BC-certified teachers, trained to apply common criteria in a rigorous process that delivers consistent evaluation results.
- ERAC members can have 'current' knowledge of new products referred to ERAC by colleagues across the province.
- ERAC evaluations are paid for by the vendor so cost-savings are province wide. Even if a local review is still required, it will be shorter and less expensive for reviewers using the standardized ERAC evaluation report as a starting point.
- Sending vendors to ERAC for an evaluation gives you a quick and easy 'exit line' when you're interested in a vendor's product but simply don't have enough hours in your day.
Referrals to the ERAC evaluation system should be made through your designated school or District ERAC contact. Evaluations are typically completed just 4-6 weeks after the vendor approves the evaluation. For more information on the ERAC Evaluation System, click here. To access the ERAC Resource Collection to see what has already been evaluated, click here.
