The traditional landscape of education innovation often feels siloed. Researchers conduct studies, edtech startups build tools, investors inject capital, and educators are left at the tail end, hoping something works for their students. This incoherent marketplace, where solutions often lack substantial evidence of their effectiveness and are built without a deep understanding of the problems, was the central challenge addressed during the session “Uncovering the Hidden Gems: A State and Regional Deep Dive into R&D” at this year’s ISTELive and ASCD Annual Conference with Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF), Leanlab Education, Learner-Centered Collaborative, Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), and InnovateEDU.
Can Regional Innovation Hubs Create a More Promising Future for K-12 Education?
With uncertainty across the educational landscape—the expiration of ESSER funds and shrinking public school district budgets, cuts to federally funded research initiatives, and opportunities and challenges around AI integration—we need to understand where, when, and how to create systems that support and sustain learner-centered change no matter what comes next.
In the Age of AI, Edtech Needs Inclusive Innovation More Than Ever
In an article for Edtech Insiders, Leanlab CEO Katie Boody Adorno discusses the importance of inclusive innovation in edtech—particularly with the rapid development and adoption of AI technologies— and how organizations are collaborating to transform education R&D to better support educators and students.
AGILE Network Launches to Accelerate Inclusive Education R&D
Leanlab Education launched the American Group of Innovative Learning Environments (AGILE) Network at ISTELive24 with members from learning environments across the country, including school systems, teachers, and non-traditional learning environments. Comprised of education communities on the cutting edge of innovation, the AGILE Network works to accelerate the pace of education research and development.
Empowering Educator Voice in the Innovation Process
How Do We Learn if Ed Innovations Really Work?
How do you learn whether music lessons can increase social-emotional learning; if inquiry-based learning can increase student engagement; or if an app can increase a student's STEM awareness? The entrepreneurs in our program worked diligently last year in concert with educators at our pilot sites to find out.