docs/html/distribute/essentials/gpfe-guidelines.jd

page.title=Education Guidelines
page.metaDescription=These guidelines and requirements help you develop great apps for students, which offer compelling content and an intuitive user experience on Android tablets.
page.image=/distribute/images/edu-guidelines.jpg
Xnonavpage=true

@jd:body


<div id="qv-wrapper"><div id="qv">
<h2>Guidelines</h2>
<ol>
<li><a href="#basic-reqts">Basic Requirements</a></li>
<li><a href="#monetizing-ads">Monetizing and Ads</a></li>
<li><a href="#e-value">Educational Value</a></li>
<li><a href="#quality">App Quality</a></li>
<li><a href="#related-resources">Related Resources</a></li>
</ol>

<h2>
  Testing
</h2>

<ol>
  <li>
    <a href="#test-environment">Setting Up a Test Environment</a>
  </li>
</ol>

</div></div>

<div style="margin:0 0 1em 0;">
  <img src="{@docRoot}distribute/images/edu-guidelines.jpg" style=
  "width:274px;">
</div>

<p>
  These guidelines and requirements help you develop great apps for students,
  which offer compelling content and an intuitive user experience on Android
  tablets.
</p>

<p>
  You’ll also need to ensure that your apps comply with the terms of the
  <a href=
  "https://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement-addendum.html">
  Google Play for Education Addendum</a>, <a href=
  "http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
  Developer Program Policies</a>, and <a href=
  "http://play.google.com/about/developer-distribution-agreement.html">Developer
  Distribution Agreement</a>.
</p>

<div class="headerLine clearfloat">
  <h1 id="basic-reqts">
    Basic Requirements
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  To participate, your apps must be designed for the K-12 market. The basic
  requirements that your apps must meet are:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Apps and the ads they contain must not collect personally identifiable
      information, other than user credentials or data required to operate and
      improve the app.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Apps must not use student data for purposes unrelated to its educational
      function.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Apps must have a content rating of "Everyone" or "Low Maturity" (apps
      with a "Medium Maturity" rating are allowed, if they have that rating
      solely because they allow communication between students).
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      App content, including ads displayed by the app, must be consistent with
      the app's maturity rating. The app must not display any "offensive"
      content, as described in the <a href=
      "http://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy.html">Google Play
      Developer Program Policies</a> and <a href=
      "https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/188189">content-rating
      guidelines</a>.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Apps must comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and
      all other applicable laws and regulations.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="headerLine">
  <h1 id="monetizing-ads">
    Monetizing and Ads
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<div class="figure">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-edu-monetize.png">
</div>

<p>
  In-app purchase is currently not supported with Google Play for Education, so
  a student device will block any transactions. To avoid confusion, be sure to
  remove any in-app purchase buttons and related UI elements from your apps.
  We’re investigating additional purchase mechanisms to enable more flexible
  pricing models for developers and schools.
</p>

<p>
  If your apps are priced In Google Play for Education, you must allow Google
  Play to offer teachers limited free trials before purchase (you provide this
  through business terms only, no development work is needed.)
</p>

<p>
  You can only choose not to remove in-app purchasing from your apps where all
  content and services are sold through Google Play for Education using In-app
  Billing. If you choose not to remove In-app Billing features, ensure that:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Users can access your apps’ core functionality for a classroom setting
      without an in-app purchase.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      In-app purchases are clearly identifiable in your UI.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      You declare the use of in-app purchases at <a href=
      "{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/edu/start.html#publish">opt-in</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  For each app that you publish, you can set a single price that applies to
  both Google Play and Google Play for Education. You can’t set a different
  price for a given app (based on a single package name) in Google Play for
  Education.
</p>

<p>
  If your apps display ads, you should disable the display of ads if possible,
  or ensure that:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>Ads are not distracting for students or teachers (this includes
  Flash-based ads, video ads, and ads that flash or move)
  </li>

  <li>Interstitial ads are not served in the app
  </li>

  <li>Ad walls do not appear in the app UI
  </li>

  <li>Ads do not occupy a significant portion of the screen
  </li>

  <li>Ads content does not exceed the maturity rating of the app.
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      You declare the use of ads at <a href=
      "{@docRoot}distribute/googleplay/edu/start.html#publish">opt-in</a>.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="headerLine">
  <h1 id="e-value">
    Educational Value
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<div class="figure">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-e-value.png" class="border-img">
</div>

<p>
  Apps submitted to Google Play for Education will be evaluated by a
  third-party educator network, which will review them based on alignment with
  <a href="http://www.corestandards.org/">Common Core Standards</a> and other
  educational considerations. This will help make your content more
  discoverable for teachers and administrators as they browse by grade level,
  subject, core curriculum, and other parameters.
</p>

<p>
  Apps with highest educational value will have these characteristics:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Designed for use in K-12 classrooms.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Aligned with a common core standard or support common-core learning.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Simple, easy to use, and intuitive for the grade levels the apps are
      targeting. Apps are relatively easy to navigate without teacher guidance.
      Not distracting or overwhelming to students.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Enjoyable and interactive. Apps are engaging to students and lets them
      control their experience.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Versatile. Apps have features that make them useful for more than one
      classroom function or lesson throughout the school year.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Supports the "4Cs":
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        <p>
          <em>Creativity</em> &mdash; Allows students to create in order to
          express understanding of the learning objectives, and try new
          approaches, innovation, and invention to get things done.
        </p>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          <em>Critical thinking</em> &mdash; Allows students to look at
          problems in a new way, linking learning across subjects and
          disciplines.
        </p>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          <em>Collaboration</em> &mdash; Allows students and (if appropriate)
          educators to work together to reach a goal.
        </p>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          <em>Communication</em> &mdash; Allows students to comprehend,
          critique and share thoughts, questions, ideas, and solutions.
        </p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>

<p>
  As you design and develop your apps, make sure they offer high educational
  value by addressing as many of these characteristics as possible.
</p>

<div class="headerLine">
  <h1 id="quality">
    App Quality
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<div class="figure">
  <img src="{@docRoot}images/gp-edu-quality.png">
</div>

<p>
  Your apps should be designed to perform well and look great on Android
  tablets, and they should offer the best user experience possible.
</p>

<p>
  High quality apps are engaging, intuitive, and offer compelling content.
  Google Play for Education will highlight high-quality apps for easy discovery
  in the store. Here are some recommendations for making your app easy for
  students and teachers to enjoy:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      Meet the Core Quality Guidelines:
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        <p>
          Follow <a href="{@docRoot}design/index.html">Android Design
          Guidelines</a>. Pay special attention to the sections on <a href=
          "{@docRoot}design/patterns/actionbar.html">Action Bar</a>, <a href=
          "{@docRoot}design/patterns/navigation.html">Navigation</a>, and
          <a href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/pure-android.html">Pure
          Android</a>.
        </p>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          Test your apps against the <a href=
          "{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/core.html">Core Quality
          Guidelines</a>.
        </p>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      Meet the Tablet App Quality guidelines:
    </p>

    <ul>
      <li>
        <p>
          Follow our best practices for tablet app development.
        </p>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          Review the <a href=
          "{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/tablets.html">Tablet App
          Quality</a> guidelines and <a href=
          "http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2012/11/designing-for-tablets-were-here-to-help.html">
          blog post on designing for tablets.</a>
        </p>

        <ul>
          <li>Check your Optimization Tips in the <a href=
          "https://play.google.com/apps/publish/">Developer Console</a> (if
          you've already uploaded your apps.)
          </li>
        </ul>
      </li>

      <li>
        <p>
          Strive for simplicity and highest usability for students:
        </p>

        <ul>
          <li>
            <p>
              Design your app so that teachers and students can use all the
              capabilities of your app without having to sign-in to multiple
              accounts and remember multiple passwords.
            </p>
          </li>

          <li>
            <p>
              Every student or teacher using a Google Play for Education tablet
              will already be signed in with a Google account on the device.
              You can take advantage of that to provide a simple, seamless
              sign-in experience in your app. A recommended approach is to use
              <a href="{@docRoot}google/play-services/auth.html">Google OAuth 2
              authorization</a> through Google Play Services.
            </p>
          </li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="headerLine">
  <h1 id="test-environment">
    Test Environment
  </h1>

  <hr>
</div>

<p>
  To test your app and assess it against the guidelines in this document, it's
  recommended that you <a href=
  "{@docRoot}distribute/essentials/quality/tablets.html#test-environment">set
  up a test environment</a> that replicates the actual environment in which
  students and teachers will run your app.
</p>

<h3>
  Test conditions
</h3>

<p>
  Make sure to test your apps under conditions that simulate those of schools.
  For example, Google Play for Education lets administrators <a href=
  "https://support.google.com/a/answer/182442?hl=en">control or disable certain
  capabilities</a> for students, so it's good to test your app with those
  capabilities disabled. Below are some conditions to test your apps for, to
  ensure best results in the Google Play for Education environment:
</p>

<ul>
  <li>
    <p>
      <em>Android version</em> &mdash; Test the apps on devices running Android
      4.2. Google Play for Education devices will be running Android 4.2 or
      higher (API level 17+).
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <em>Proxy server</em> &mdash; Test the apps in a network environment that
      uses proxies. Many schools use proxies.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <em>No location services</em> &mdash; Test the apps to make sure they
      work properly with location services disabled. Many schools will disable
      location services for student devices.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <em>No In-app Billing</em> &mdash; Test the apps to make sure they work
      properly without access to In-app Billing. In-app purchases are blocked
      on Google Play for Education devices.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <em>No Bluetooth</em> &mdash; Test the apps to make sure they work
      properly when Bluetooth is disabled. Many schools will disable Bluetooth
      on student devices.
    </p>
  </li>

  <li>
    <p>
      <em>No access to network</em> &mdash; Test the app to make sure it works
      properly when the device cannot connect to the internet.
    </p>
  </li>
</ul>

<div class="headerLine">
<h1>Related Resources</h1><hr>
</div>

<div class="dynamic-grid">
<h3>FOR DEVELOPERS</h3>

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    data-sortOrder="-timestamp"
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    data-maxResults="6"></div>

<h3>FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS</h3>

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    data-query="collection:distribute/essentials/eduessentials/educators"
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    data-maxResults="3"></div>
</div>