Across the country, leaders are looking for ways to support learner readiness and build stronger connections to their state economies. Many states already have the policy flexibility to do this but don’t always have the tools that enable schools and districts to operationalize those flexibilities.
Case in point: during the Kentucky Department of Education high school transformation work group, board chair Justin Pate said, “I had a set of formulated ideas of the change I wanted to see as a result of being on the board and having some input in state policy, only to find out that about two-thirds of everything I wanted to change was already in place and existing.”
KnowledgeWorks partners with states to change that.
Our team works alongside policymakers, educators, business leaders and community members to identify the policies that can accelerate transformation. Together, we create practical resources that help leaders understand the flexibilities they already have, as well as what they could have, and use them to design more student-centered learning experiences.
These resources serve as a call to action: Lean into the flexibilities, innovate locally and build learning environments that better meet the needs of students.
Policy resources designed to scale innovation
Innovation guides
Clear, accessible policy guidance and local implementation examples that support innovation.
- Identifies the policy flexibilities education leaders can leverage today
- Highlights implementation examples and best practice advice from local education leaders
- Customizable to each state’s context, priorities and goals
Policy primers
Concise, actionable roadmaps for designing and scaling new learning models.
- Practical guidance for piloting, testing and improving student-centered approaches
- Clarifies the pathways for using policy to support new learning models
- Helps leaders move confidently from understanding to action
Together, the Innovation Guide and Policy Primer provide both the “why” and the “how” of transforming learning. Check out some examples from states below.
Arizona
Kentucky
Montana
North Dakota
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
A growing national movement
KnowledgeWorks has partnered with several states including Montana, North Dakota, Nevada and Arizona to create innovation guides and policy primers that strengthen their capacity to scale education innovation.
“Collaborating with KnowledgeWorks on policy development to support and sustain learner-centered innovation has been critical learning for our community. Their action planning approach laid the groundwork for creating our state’s Portrait of a Learner, launching the Nevada Future of Learning Network and informing commission efforts that are now driving a 10-year plan for education in our state,” said Jeanine Collins, Chief Innovation Officer at the Center for the Future of Learning.
Each set of resources reflects the state’s unique landscape and vision while contributing to a broader national effort to reimagine what learning can look like. This expanding library of resources demonstrates the collective momentum across states to leverage policy as a catalyst for education transformation.
Kentucky State Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said of using their innovation guide, “We dare you to dream of where you can go.”
So let’s dream together.
