Innovating State Policy

Working at the state and federal levels, KnowledgeWorks partners with policymakers, educators and business and community leaders to develop a vision for student-centered systems transformation.

At KnowledgeWorks, we help state policymakers design education systems where each student benefits from high-quality personalized learning experiences that prepare them to thrive in postsecondary, the workforce and in their communities. Our comprehensive policy approach centers the student, emphasizing systems redesign aligned to personalized, competency-based learning.

A state policy framework that works

KnowledgeWorks created the first state policy framework for personalized learning a decade ago, inspiring nationwide trends in policymaking. Our third edition builds on feedback from policymakers, state leaders and education leaders to streamline content, offer more examples and include recommendations to help policymakers partner with the field to maximize the impact of policy change.

illustration of the capitol building at sunrise or sunset with glows of orange, pink and purple, with painted dots covering the illustration

Policy Conditions for Personalized Learning

The framework includes a set of policy conditions states will need to tackle as they refine and transform their policy system to one that ensures all students in the state benefit from high-quality personalized learning experiences.

Designing education policy solutions with you

Our collaborative engagements with policymakers and education stakeholders across the country shape our expertise, enabling KnowledgeWorks to advance equitable and sustainable policy solutions at every level of the education system. Our team helps policymakers advance their vision by cultivating shared ownership among a range of stakeholders, identifying policy barriers and opportunities, realigning systems around a shared vision, and designing implementation strategies to ensure the field maximizes policy change to reimagine teaching and learning systems.

Here’s what we offer:

  • Policy opportunity analysis: KnowledgeWorks thoroughly analyzes current state policies that may support or hinder personalized, competency-based learning and provides recommendations for policy change that could grow, deepen and sustain the work.
  • Policy strategy guide: Through facilitation of diverse state perspectives, KnowledgeWorks partners with state leaders to craft a strategy guide that prioritizes policy recommendations and presents a strategic plan to help states and communities move from ideas to action.
  • Customized technical assistance: KnowledgeWorks partners with state policymakers to provide technical policy support including facilitation of policy working groups, developing policy briefs and memos, crafting policy agendas and drafting legislation or regulations.
  • Policy innovation guides: Once policies are enacted, KnowledgeWorks partners with visionary state and district leaders to create innovation guides that highlight possibilities for educational transformation. District profiles show what is possible and descriptions of policy flexibilities identify the lever for change.

Driving the Next 10 Years

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.
Jeanine Collins Center for the Future of Learning

Mapping legislative trends

As legislators work to innovate their education policy systems, KnowledgeWorks tracks bills and analyzes trends in education policy aligned to the policy conditions from our state policy framework for personalized learning.

U.S. map color coded with KnowledgeWorks brand colors by number increments

Tracking Legislation

Take a glimpse at the state of the education policy landscape with bills supporting personalized, competency-based learning across the nation, using our legislative tracker.

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