Sarah Bishop-Root is the Policy Director for Next Generation Learning at ExcelinEd.
Many states are finding unique approaches to provide flexibility for their districts and schools to move away from a one-size-fits-all education system. They are successfully identifying more student-centered solutions that result in expanded personalization for learners. Some states are further committed to this transformation at scale. They have established either innovation or pilot programs that provide the flexibility that districts and schools need to design and implement innovative, student-centered learning.
Momentum to support innovation and to expand student-centered learning continues to build across the nation. Currently, 36 states have general innovation programs, and 16 states have innovation pilot programs.
Outcomes from this year’s state legislative sessions have surfaced two strong examples worth highlighting: Colorado’s creative policy solution to protect sustainability of existing innovation and Missouri’s thoughtful approach to jump-start student-centered learning.
Since 2008, Colorado’s Innovation Schools Act has served as an exemplary model to other states. The Innovation Schools Act creates a process for approved districts and schools to request the flexibilities needed to design and implement innovative instructional models. This allows them to personalize learning to reflect the unique needs of their students and communities.
“When the innovation schools did the work to identify and center their student’s unique needs, student outcomes improved. We can’t allow ever-changing political tides to slow this momentum, or disrupt the sustainability, of student-centered innovations that are working.”
Senator Paul Lundeen, Colorado
There are currently 17 districts of innovation in Colorado, including the state’s largest district of innovation, Denver Public Schools, which has 52 innovation schools. The innovative approaches established within these 52 schools became threatened when the Denver Public Schools Board of Education attempted to leverage its authority to block flexibility needed by these schools to implement their unique instructional models and approaches.
The solution was a bipartisan bill (SB22-197), which built on more than a decade of lessons learned from the Innovation Schools Act as well as feedback from stakeholders. The bill was approved and signed into law, creating a dispute resolution process between innovation districts or schools that have alternative governance with their local boards. The legislation also creates a review process with the state board if a local board revokes the innovation status of a district or school. These protections are key to allowing innovative approaches in public education to continue to thrive across the state, despite the potential volatility of local school board politics.
“We talked with innovation zone stakeholders, including leaders and families, and developed SB197 in response to the successes and challenges shared they with us. Policy has to reflect the unique and diverse needs of students and communities across the state. Policy has to come from the people who do the work every day.”
Senator James Coleman, Colorado
With extensive stakeholder engagement and inspiration from other states, Missouri explored the best approach to expand student-centered learning. This year, the legislature passed both SB681 & 662, which include comprehensive elements to create an innovative school model for the state. The new laws will enable this transition by establishing common definitions, addressing policy barriers and enabling a pathway for implementation.
“This is a unique time in K-12 education. By examining what did and did not work for students during the pandemic, state and local education leaders have a fresh perspective to reimagine education and how to best serve students. School innovation and initiatives like competency-based learning support educators throughout the system as we rethink our approach to student achievement and overall success.”
Tracy M. Hinds, Missouri’s Deputy Commissioner of Education
The bill established a competency-based education taskforce to “study and develop competency-based education programs in public schools” with diverse stakeholders from across the state. The task force will provide recommendations to the legislature for continuous improvement to ensure ongoing successful implementation of competency-based education.
Further, the new legislation establishes a competency-based education fund and pilot funding program. A process will be created for districts and schools to apply for grants to implement their innovative approaches to education, and a funding formula will be established for those students enrolled in competency-based education courses.
Missouri’s new “Show Me Success” diploma supports competency-based education. It establishes an accelerated alternative pathway to high school graduation through demonstration of mastery for any student in grades 10 through 12. It also allows students to be enrolled in school and access any school offerings until the time they would otherwise have completed high school.
This also means that if a student chooses to unenroll and attend a postsecondary institution, the local school will still receive funding for the student until they would have otherwise graduated from high school. This eliminates concerns from schools about losing money if a student graduates at an accelerated pace.
Furthermore, the bill establishes a process for innovation waiver requests, adding to Missouri’s comprehensive strategy to provide flexibility to districts and schools. As a result, they are positioned to jump-start their student-centered learning initiatives while ensuring that the flexibility and guidance needed for design and implementation is available.
Together, Colorado and Missouri demonstrate that making the shift to innovative student-centered learning is an intentional, iterative process. It requires establishing several key building blocks: providing guidance with a clear vision; creating opportunities for flexibility from rules and regulatory obstacles; and identifying ways to protect the momentum of innovative districts and schools with sustainable solutions.
