Companies have developed a dizzying array of new software tools designed to do everything from assessing and monitoring students' progress to supporting a blended-learning environment to supplying entire curricula, complete with online activities and homework assignments. Educators seem to have developed a taste for these new digital tools, because the K-12 ed-tech market is on the rise. About 30 percent of school districts are increasing their software spending, according to a 2015 report from EdNET Insight. EdWeek Market Brief reports that U.S. spending on K-12 ed-tech is expected to grow to $1.83 billion by 2020, a 38 percent increase relative to 2014. As the CEO of a leading ed-tech company, the author has worked with hundreds of school districts over the years. He has witnessed most every purchasing mistake that can be made, and, on the flip side, has developed a detailed understanding of what works. In this article, the author taps into this expertise to help educators make the most of their ed-tech dollars when purchasing software for K-12 students. He presents his top-10 tips.