Name: NYC Schools Gap App Challenge
Start: 2013-01-07T11:00:00.000-05:00
End: 2013-04-10T17:00:00.000-04:00
Location: NYC Schools Gap App Challenge

What will NYC Department of Education and ChallengePost do with my submission?

NYC Department of Education and ChallengePost will have the right to publicly display your submission on the challenge website. They will also be allowed to publicize your name on the challenge website in connection with the submission and the challenge. For more information on publicity rights, please see the Official Rules.

What are the key competition dates?

The submission deadline is April 10, 2013, at 5 p.m. EST. Judging will begin on April 25, 2013 at 10 a.m. EST, and will end May 8, 2013 at 5 p.m. EST. Winners will be announced on or around May 22, 2013.

How do I enter?

Create an account or log in with an existing ChallengePost account.
On NYCSchools.ChallengePost.com, click on the Register button to confirm your interest in participating. This step ensures that you will receive important challenge updates.
Create a working software application that falls into one of these two categories: a) Instructional, or b) Administration/Engagement. See category definitions here.
Provide a link to a website where your application can be accessed or downloaded free of charge by NYC Department of Education, ChallengePost, and the judges OR provide a free login.
For iPad or desktop apps upload installation files.
Confirm that you have read and agree to the Official Rules, and submit your app by including:
1. a title, one or more images of the app;
2. a video demonstrating the working app on an iPad, web browser, Mac or PC computer, or an emulator;
3. a text description of the app’s functionality;
4. a text description of testing instructions for the app (including operating system, device, or testing environment requirements, etc.)
5. URL link to your app or file upload, and all other required submission form fields.

How do I follow the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge and get updates?

When you register for the challenge, you’ll automatically receive updates regarding the Challenge. But anyone can receive email updates by clicking “Register” to receive email updates. If you'd only like to be notified when the winners are announced click "Notify Me." Follow InnovateNYCSchools on Twitter at @innovatenycedu or join the conversation with #InnovateNYCEdu or #GapApp.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge?

Email Support@ChallengePost.com

Do I retain intellectual property ownership?

Yes. By submitting an application to the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge, you do not transfer any intellectual property rights to NYC Department of Education or ChallengePost. However the NYC Department of Education and ChallengePost will have the right to feature your application for promotional purposes. See the Official Rules for details.

Who is eligible to enter the competition?

The NYC Schools Gap App Challenge is open to legal residents of the United States who are 13 years of age or older, teams of eligible individuals, and legally registered corporations or organizations that are domiciled in the United States and employ no more than 100 people at the time of entry.

We are an organization. Can we enter?

Organizations with 100 or fewer employees may enter and compete for the cash prizes if they are legally established entities domiciled in the United States or its territories. Organizations with more than 100 employees are not eligible for this competition.

Can more than one person work on an application and receive credit for it? And if the application wins a prize, how will the prize money be split among the creators?

Yes, teams are encouraged. If a team of individuals, a corporation or an organization is selected as an award winner, the full prize amount will be sent to the submitter. It will be up to the winning team or organization to reallocate the prize money between the team members, as they deem appropriate.

Can my application win more than one prize?

No. Each application must be entered into one of two categories (instructional or administration/engagement) and cannot win a prize associated with the other category.

Can I enter more than one application?

Yes. There is no limit to how many times an eligible person, team or organization may enter the challenge. An individual may also participate on behalf of more than one team, corporation, or nonprofit organization. However, if you submit two or more applications that are identical or substantially similar, NYC Department of Education and ChallengePost reserve the right to disqualify all the submissions or require you to choose one submission to enter into the competition.

What device/platform should my app run on?

To be eligible for the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge your app must run on one of the following devices/platforms: iPads (via mobile browser or downloaded app), Desktop (Mac or PC), or web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer for any size screen). If you submit an iPad or Mac or PC desktop application, you must upload an installation file. See details here.

What category should I choose for my app?

You must choose a category for your application in order to enter the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge. To determine which category fits your app the best, think about its functionality.

Instructional. Apps that fall into the instructional category must do at least one of the following (and should align with Common Core Standards):

Teach middle school students math individually or help them to practice their math skills
Help educators deliver math content or lessons to middle school students
Assist middle school math educators with professional development related to classroom instruction and best practices

Administration/Engagement. Apps that fall into the administration/engagement category must do at least one of the following in an educational context for middle school:

Enhance communication between a student’s school and home, or school and parent/guardian
Help educators to manage classrooms or student groups
Help educators to collaborate, share, or get feedback from each other on best practices, curriculum, or other educational tools

Remember, all apps should have an educational slant. If you’re not sure if your idea fits in an educational setting and want to see if it meets the submission requirements, email support@challengepost.com.

Do I need to use any specific API, SDK, or dataset in my app?

There is no required API, SDK or dataset for the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge. However, you are encouraged to integrate the Clever API, or a similar API, in your application to facilitate importing and exporting student and teacher data. Check out the Data Resources page for more details.

Can I include external API’s or datasets in my app?

Yes. You may use external API’s and datasets as long as you have the legal authority to use and distribute them.

What if my app requires the use of an additional hardware device? Is it eligible?

Applications that meet all of the submission requirements listed in the Official Rules, but require the use of an additional hardware component are eligible for this competition. Please note that you must be able to provide access to the additional hardware for testing and judging if requested.

Why do I have to upload a video?

A video helps ensure that all users can view and experience your application. The video will also be helpful to the panel of judges. You may create a screencast or use a handheld video camera to make your video, or choose any other method that captures the application’s value and user interface.

There are a few things you can do to make sure that your submission showcases your hard work!

Consider adding a one-sentence description of the purpose of the application to your description (i.e. Why do people need this application?).
Make sure your video includes a step-by-step demo of your application’s key functionalities.
Consider audio narration or text bubbles in your video.

Not sure how to record your video? Here are a few resources to help:

Use your webcam to record a video on YouTube
Digital video tips from O’Reilly Media
Video tutorials from MediaCollege.com
Check out our Screencasting Tools page for more information.

Does my application need to have store approval prior to the submission deadline?

No, but if your application requires approval by a third party, such as an app store, to be available to the public, you must submit it for approval before the end of the competition submission period.

How can I provide ChallengePost with access to test my application if it hasn’t been approved yet by the relevant application store?

If you are submitting an iPad app, you must upload a .ipa file with your submission, regardless of whether the app is available on iTunes. Provision the .ipa with our UDID:

iPad (iOS 5.0.1) e21acf963c60919f6f0aa23d42cef5f06e25ee2d

iPad (iOS 6.0.1) 6a2cb1d4ba2d242db1db48c59c91744cebfc68a9

If you are submitting a desktop app, you must upload appropriate installation files even if the app is available for download on a website or app store.

For web or mobile web apps, please include a link to the website URL and a free login (if applicable) in the “Testing Instructions” field of the submission form.

Do the submitted apps have to be newly created for this competition, or can they be pre-existing applications?

A submission may be a new application or an existing application.

If I charge for my application, is it still eligible for NYC Schools Gap App Challenge?

Yes, you can charge for your application. However, if you do charge you must provide free access to your app for testing and judging. You can do so by providing a free login, including installation files with your submission, or you may list a free download link in the “Testing Instructions” field of the submission form.

Can my application include advertisements?

The challenge rules do not prohibit advertising in applications. Please note, however, that if the content of the ads is deemed inappropriate, your submission may be disqualified.

What are the criteria for judging the submissions?

All eligible software applications will be judged based on the following criteria: quality of the Idea (including creativity and originality), quality of the user experience (including design, graphics, typography, and visual aesthetic), potential impact (including the potential impact on student engagement, performance, and assessment), and feasibility of use (including teacher assessment of the feasibility and appeal of using or piloting the app).
Instructional applications will also be judged on their alignment with Common Core Standards (including how well the app integrates with the Common Core Standards). For full details, review the Official Rules.

Can companies enter more than one app in the competition (one instructional and one non-instructional)?

If you are building an app that will teach something other than mathematics, say basic electronics for example, is there any use in submitting it to this challenge?

Instructional apps must do at leas one of the following (and should align with Common Core Standards):

Teach middle school students math individually or help them to practice their math skills
Help educators deliver math content or lessons to middle school students
Assist middle school math educators with professional development related to classroom instruction and best practices

If your app does not meet this requirement but you would still like to be involved with the Innovate NYC Schools initiative, sign up on the Innovate NYC Schools Developer List.

Are open source apps eligible for the contest?

Submissions must be your own original work product. You may submit an app you’ve decided to make available via open source licenses but the app must be your own work and all contributors on the project must be identified as members of the team.

Do you need complete or near complete coverage of Common Core Standards to have a shot at winning?

The judges will rate eligible submissions based on the judging criteria listed on the challenge site and in the rules. Those criteria are:

Quality of the Idea
Quality of the User Experience
Potential Impact
Feasibility of Use
Alignment with Common Core Standards (For Instructional Apps Only)

Are independent developers eligible to apply?

Yes, the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge is open to legal residents of the United States who are 13 years of age or older, teams of eligible individuals, and legally registered corporations or organizations that are domiciled in the United States and employ no more than 100 people at the time of entry.

Should the app be launched in the app store before submission?

A submission may be a new application or an existing application. Applications are not required to be launched in an app store prior to submission.

Should companies have demonstrated use by NYC schools before the competition?

Submitters are not required to present demonstrated use in NYC schools before the competition.

What if it takes more than one app for the instructional category (for example one app for each grade)?

You may enter as many submissions as you wish. However, if you submit two or more applications that are identical or substantially similar, NYC Department of Education and ChallengePost reserve the right to disqualify all the submissions or require you to choose one submission to enter into the competition.

Will apps that cover a wider range of instructional material be more likely to win or will coverage of a single topic in a very effective manner be as likely to win?

The judges will rate eligible submissions based on the judging criteria listed on the challenge site and in the rules. The range of instructional material is not specified in the rules or judging criteria. The judging criteria are:

Quality of the Idea
Quality of the User Experience
Potential Impact
Feasibility of Use
Alignment with Common Core Standards (For Instructional Apps Only)

Does an app need to have an LMS associated with it?

No, apps are not required to have an LMS associated with it.

My firm has over 100 employees, we specialize in digital media and have built several best in class iOS apps. We have no interest in prize money but are interested in helping with the effort. Are we disqualified from participating?

Unfortunately, companies/organizations with more than 100 employees are not eligible for this challenge. If your organization does not meet this requirement but you would still like to be involved with the Innovate NYC Schools initiative, sign up on the Innovate NYC Schools Developer List.

How can a panel of judges use only one UDID code? It will be difficult for them to judge with just one iPad.

The judging panels are not required to test the application and may choose to judge based solely on the text description and video provided in your submission. Each application will be installed and tested for eligibility by ChallengePost, the Administrator, and this includes verifying that the app functions as depicted in the video or expressed in the text description. Your video must clearly demonstrate the application’s features and functionality (by walking through the app). ChallengePost may require that you provision additional devices for testing by the judges. However, to enter you just need to provision one device for eligibility testing.

I’ve already submitted an app but have heard nothing back. When can I expect to to hear something with regard to the application?

When you submit a confirmation email is automatically sent to you from ChallengePost confirming your submission was received. Once entered all submissions are reviewed for eligibility in the order they are received.

A demo or prototype of an app is acceptable for submission?

Per the Official Rules, the app must be able to be successfully installed and capable of running consistently, as described, on the platform for which it is intended.

Where can we find the signup form for the Innovate NYC Schools developer list?
Innovate NYC Schools Developer List.

Are iPad web apps intended only for in-school use or should we assume that students can use or leverage these at home with parental oversight as well?

There is no rule restricting in-home use cases. However in order to be eligible instructional apps must do at leas one of the following (and should align with Common Core Standards):

Teach middle school students math individually or help them to practice their math skills
Help educators deliver math content or lessons to middle school students
Assist middle school math educators with professional development related to classroom instruction and best practices

For the video requirement of this challenge is an overview video good enough or do you need an actual walk through of the site as a demo?

The submission video must clearly demonstrate the application’s features and functionality, should be no longer than five minutes, and must not include music or other copyrighted material or use third party trademarks unless the Contestant has written permission to use such material. If the video is primarily promotional rather than a demonstration of the application’s functionality and features (by walking through the application), the submission may be disqualified at the Sponsor’s and/or Administrator’s sole discretion.

Are the demo videos meant to be more of an app explanation/sales pitch that will be followed up by people trying the app or does the video need to be more all encompassing in depth so it doesn’t assume the viewer will actually try the app out to see how it works?

Can we develop a game that is instructional, collaborative (teacher can participate)?

There is no rule restricting games which include teacher/student collaboration. However in order to be eligible instructional apps must do at leas one of the following (and should align with Common Core Standards):

Teach middle school students math individually or help them to practice their math skills
Help educators deliver math content or lessons to middle school students
Assist middle school math educators with professional development related to classroom instruction and best practices

What’s the status of science related projects in this competition?

This particular challenge requires that applications fall into one of the following categories.
Instructional. Apps must do at leas one of the following (and should align with Common Core Standards):

Teach middle school students math individually or help them to practice their math skills
Help educators deliver math content or lessons to middle school students
Assist middle school math educators with professional development related to classroom instruction and best practices

Administration/Engagement. Apps that fall into the administration/engagement category must do at least one of the following in an educational context for middle school:

Enhance communication between a student’s school and home, or school and parent/guardian
Help educators to manage classrooms or student groups
Help educators to collaborate, share, or get feedback from each other on best practices, curriculum, or other educational tools

For an iPad app should we submit an ad hock IPA build of the app for judges to test?

For iPad apps you must submit a .ipa file with provisioning for our test device:

UDID: iPad (iOS 5.0.1) e21acf963c60919f6f0aa23d42cef5f06e25ee2d

This may include an ad hoc provisioning profile from the iOS Provision Portal. Go here for more information.

Is audio for an app encouraged?

Audio is neither encouraged nor discouraged for this challenge.

Can our app rely on students being able to use their phones on school wifi or will they need to rely on 3G or 4G?

To be eligible for the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge your app must run on one of the following devices/platforms: iPads (via mobile browser or downloaded app), Desktop (Mac or PC), or web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer for any size screen). Phones are not eligible devices for this challenge.

Can we assume that the judges will be using the latest version of popular browsers? Is it okay to not include Internet Explorer from the browser list?

There are no version requirements for this challenge, however, you are required to provide step-by-step testing instructions including the minimum operating system or web browser version required for testing and login instructions, if a login is required.

If you submit early will it be reviewed early or unofficially?

Submissions are reviewed for eligibility in the order they are received. If your submission is deemed ineligible for any reason you will be contacted with the reason for ineligibility. If the submission period has not yet ended you will be given instructions on how to edit your submission.

Will an app working on an iPod Touch be accepted?

No. To be eligible for the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge your app must run on one of the following devices/platforms: iPads (via mobile browser or downloaded app), Desktop (Mac or PC), or web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer for any size screen). The iPod Touch is not an eligible device for this challenge.

If we have an app that on the surface level appears to be based on elementary school content but is actually based on higher learning can we submit it and justify the instructional component in the submission description field?

Yes, provided the app includes functionality that meets the requirements of the Instructional Category.

Are you open to having an app in Spanish for ESL?

All Submission materials must be in English. This includes the application itself.

February 5th Gap App Challenge Informational Webinar

Program

Eligibility

Submission Requirements

Judging Process

Selected Webinar QA