Why does the Lite version not have more measures and features?

Unfortunately the Lite version remains as it was first created. We won't be adding anymore measures to the Lite account and it all has to do with funding.

We began easyCBM as a free tool for teachers to use. As it's popularity grew, and we received requests for a district-wide application of our program, we added our District version and joined with our partners at Riverside Insights to manage those accounts. 

As time went on, we had customers who wanted some of the features and additional measures the District version offered, but were too small to utilize this type of account. This brought us to the creation of the Deluxe version. 

It was at this time, we were trying to bring Spanish measures to our new expanded program. Although we applied for a number of grants to allow us to expand the system to include Spanish language assessments, no federal funds were ever granted for that purpose. Because we believed strongly that it was important to provide Spanish language assessments, we personally (as in from  personal bank accounts, not university, state, or federal funds) underwrote the cost of developing and piloting the Spanish language measures. We were excited to be able to offer this to our Teacher Deluxe program.

Because the Deluxe version was developed several years after the grant funding that underwrote the cost of developing the Lite version, we needed to generate funds in order to upgrade the new Deluxe program with additional measures and features as well as manage the new program. Today, we offer this upgraded Deluxe version with an annual cost of 49.99. To date we are still seeking to obtain a grant that would allow us to develop high school measures.