Driving EdTech Systems: Racial Equity

Equitable edtech systems promote racial equity

Natick Public Schools

Driving EdTech Systems: Natick Public Schools

What does edtech systems improvement look like in practice?

Chicopee Public Schools

Driving EdTech Systems: Chicopee Public Schools

What does edtech systems improvement look like in practice?

Driving EdTech Systems: Assemble an EdTech Leadership Team

Effective and powerful edtech systems distribute leadership.

Driving EdTech Systems: Engaging Stakeholders

Powerful edtech systems consistently engage stakeholders

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Investing in Infrastructure to Solve Complex Challenges

Step-by-step guidance on investing in educational infrastructure to transform learning

Teacher and students in classroom; teacher leans over toward two students working and gestures at book that one student holds

Using Data to Drive Equitable Edtech Investments

Collecting and analyzing data at key points to inform edtech selection and procurement processes

Hopkins Public Schools

School-Based Budget Decision Making with District-Facilitated Support

Providing school leaders with school-based autonomy for budgeting

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District

Flexibly Redeploying Classified Staff to Student Support

Using classified staff time to address attendance and family engagement during virtual learning

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District

Empathy Interviews and Co-Design Sessions

Integrating empathy interviews and student-teacher co-design sessions to inform systems change and program pilots

Two high school students standing, smiling at camera

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District

Student-Led Equity Task Force

Creating opportunities for students to design and lead district-wide equity and inclusion work

Two people sitting in front of laptop, writing down on paper, pointing

Financial Planning in the Time of COVID-19

Tools from Afton Partners to support resourcing and financial planning

One person leads a discussion, holding paper in his hand and gesturing toward it with a pen while others look on

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot

Take time to step back and ensure that your solution has the desired impact

Activity: Pilot Next Steps - Ditch, Iterate, or Scale

Reflect on your pilot and choose your next steps

People sitting in a row, writing in notebooks

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution

Take time to step back and ensure that your proposed solution is an equitable one

Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem

How to narrow your set of potential solutions to one aligned idea

Activity: Brainstorm Solutions and Refine Ideas

Ideate a range of potential solutions to your problem

Activity: Define a Problem of Practice

Translate feedback into a clear problem statement that your design team will address

Activity: Get Inspired! Explore Innovative Schools

Explore districts and schools that are on the “leading edge” of equitable, resilient teaching and learning

Activity: District Self-Assessment

Use current data and historical narratives to better understand inequities

Activity: Build a Shared Commitment to Change

Clarify your purpose for embarking on design work

Activity: Build a Diverse Design Team

Bring a diverse group of stakeholders together who will help design the future of teaching and learning

Teacher sits on floor in classroom, chin in hand, as students around her talk

White Paper: Look Both Ways

A framework to help education leaders navigate through competing approaches to system-wide change

Closeup of person typing at laptop keyboard with a pencil in hand

Collecting School-Level Data to Create Feedback Loops

“Not only can schools track their development, but they are also honing their understanding of personalized learning.” (Kimberly Richards)

Two students work together, one student, with pencil in hand, gestures at paper

Developing a Culture of Experimentation

“It’s not pilot, then scale everywhere. We are developing a culture where experimenting can happen.” (Deagan Andrews)

Teacher holds up clipboard, showing it to others and writing on it with marker

Letting Schools Determine Their Implementation Timing

“We were intentional about having fewer directives and erred on the side of experimentation and innovation.” (Heather Van Looy)

Person writes with pencil on a paper that reads, "Reasoning"

Letting Schools Define Their Own Pathways in Blended Learning

“Our job is to empower the innovators, empower the schools, and our communities.” (Kevin Connors)

Student raises his hand, looking forward, while sitting between other students

Locust Grove Middle School

District Support for Schools Shifting to Personalized Learning

Henry County Schools supports its personalized learning schools based on theory and resources

Cover artwork for Blended Learning Implementation Guide 3.0, showing a circular photo of two students working with a teacher. Beneath are logos for: Foundation for Excellence in Education, Digital Learning now, The Learning Accelerator, and Getting Smart.

Guide: Blended Learning Implementation Guide 3.0

A comprehensive whitepaper outlining key actions leaders need to undertake to implement blended learning.

Orange circle labeled "The Big Opportunity" sits in the center of eight blue smaller circles along the outside

Change Management at Summit Public Schools

A school system describes early change management using Kotter

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Change Management Strategies

Frameworks for addressing change management

Students sit, smiling, at outdoor picnic table with arms raised in the air

Trailblazer Elementary School

Change Management at Trailblazer Elementary

Creating a strategic plan to effect change over time

Wyoming's RIDE (Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education) Initiative: Evaluation Report

The Wyoming RIDE (Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education) initiative is the inaugural program of Wyoming’s Future of Learning...

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 1, Year 4

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) evaluation report offers insights and strategies for anyone working to shift K-12 schools,...

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 2, Year 2

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) evaluation report offers insights and strategies for anyone working to shift K-12 schools,...

Starting Smart with AI: A Quick Guide for School and System Leaders

This brief helps local education agency (LEA) leaders take their first steps toward thoughtful AI integration in K-12 education. Framed...

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative: Cohort 2, Year 1 (SY 24) Report

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) is a demonstration project taking place in 47 schools in Washington State led by the...

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 1, Year 3

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) evaluation report offers insights and strategies for anyone working to shift K-12 schools,...

Activity: Assemble an EdTech Leadership Team

This activity supports school- and system-level edtech leaders in developing an edtech leadership team to help translate the EdTech Systems...

Virtual & Hybrid Learning Model Design Guide Workbook

This tool accompanies The Learning Accelerator (TLA)'s Virtual and Hybrid Learning Model Design Guide. As you navigate the guide, capture...

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report, Year 2

The Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) is a demonstration project taking place in 24 schools in Washington State. The schools...

Beyond Brick and Mortar Podcast: My Tech High's Tuition-Free & Student-Centered Approach to Virtual Learning

In this episode of TLA's "Beyond Brick and Mortar" podcast series, which features leaders of established virtual and hybrid learning...

White Paper: Launching Forward: Leveraging pandemic innovations to advance school systems

This white paper release from The Learning Accelerator is a companion piece to our Hop, Skip, Leapfrog work to identify pandemic...

Milford High School Return to School Plan

School leadership built in time for staff members to give feedback on and poke holes in the return to school plan in order to strengthen...

School-Based Budgeting with District Support at Hopkins Public Schools

Ann Ertl, Interim Director of Innovation, Design, and Learning at Hopkins Public Schools describes the district’s shift to providing school...

Equity Task Force Slide deck

This example slide deck by Monterey Peninsula Unified School District showcases how they ran a student-led, district-wide equity task force...

Back to School Kick-Off

In this video, students from Monterey Peninsula Unified School District came together to share their work launching a district-wide equity...

“Co-Creating with Our Students” presentation

This “mini-PD” training was developed by Monterey Peninsula Unified School District leaders to help teachers understand design processes...

Back to School Kick-Off

In this video, students from Monterey Peninsula Unified School District came together to share their work launching a district-wide equity...

Building Partnership with Union and Others to Create One "Meriden Plan"

Meriden Public Schools describes its collaborative partnership with the local teachers’ union and other community partners to problem solve...

Reimagining High School Grading Slidedeck

In response to the high failure rate with students during the pandemic, Renton School District sought to make changes to grading policies...

District Leadership Gets Feedback Directly from School-Based Practitioners

Dr. Jeanette Westfall, Assistant Superintendent- Instructional Design, Liberty Public Schools, explains how she established a two-way...

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot

PDF version of Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution

PDF version of Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution

Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem

PDF version of Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem

Activity: Brainstorm Solutions and Refine Ideas

PDF version of Activity: Brainstorm Solutions and Refine Ideas

Activity: Define a Problem of Practice

PDF version of Activity: Define a Problem of Practice

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Process

PDF version of Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Process

Activity: District Self-Assessment

PDF version of Activity: District Self-Assessment

Strategy Lab Published Work

Resources, blogs, and other learnings from the Always Ready for Learning Strategy Lab.

Questions for the Field on School & System Redesign

We created the Real-Time Redesign process through our work with school systems facing increased pressure to adapt teaching and learning to...

Where Real-Time Redesign Originated: Always Ready for Learning Strategy Lab

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Learning Accelerator, along with Bellwether Education Partners, created a new networked learning...

Advice: Common Pitfalls & Tips for Success in Design Work

The design process is transformational and thrilling – but not without its challenges. Here, we surface six common pitfalls, along with...

Real-Time Redesign: Path Forward Planner

Regardless of the path you choose for your immediate next steps following a redesign process such as Real-Time Redesign, get specific on...

Real-Time Redesign: Approaches to Broader Change

Where do you go after completing the Real-Time Redesign process? We see two primary pathways for working toward more equitable, resilient...

Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot strategy card.

Pilot Next Steps - Scale: Planning Template

This planning template accompanies the Activity: Pilot Next Steps strategy card.

Pilot Next Steps - Iterate: Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Pilot Next Steps strategy card.

Pilot Next Steps - Ditch: Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Pilot Next Steps strategy card.

IDEO Design Kit: Role Play

When building a prototype, it is important to get clear on what the solution looks like in practice. This exercise from IDEO helps teams...

IDEO Design Kit: Rapid Prototyping

Building a prototype is a key step in the design process to clarify your idea and get feedback. Use this simple exercise from IDEO to...

IDEO Design Kit: Storyboard

When building a prototype, it is important to get clear on what the solution looks like in practice. This exercise from IDEO helps teams...

Reflect on Equity in Your Solution Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution strategy card.

Match the Right Solution to Your Problem: Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem strategy card.

IDEO Design Kit: Get Visual

When brainstorming potential solutions to a problem of practice, a visual brainstorming activity can more deeply tap into teams’...

IDEO Design Kit: Ways to Grow Framework

When brainstorming potential solutions to a problem of practice, it's important to understand what kind of impact your ideas may have. This...

Article: How to: Run a Crazy Eights Exercise to Generate Design Ideas

When brainstorming potential solutions to a problem of practice, a structured brainstorming activity can help ignite creative thinking....

IDEO: 7 Simple Rules of Brainstorming

When brainstorming potential solutions to a problem of practice, it is important to think outside the box. These rules from IDEO help set...

Getting Started Guides

When brainstorming potential solutions to a district problem of practice, it can often be helpful to look to others for inspiration. This...

Stanford d.School: “How Might We” Questions

When designing change in a district, it is essential that leaders hear directly from students, families, teachers, and classified staff...

Cedar Rapids: Getting Inspired by Real-World Relevance in Learning

Cedar Rapids Community School District has a well-defined Profile of a Graduate, or clear depiction of what a graduate of the district...

Explore Innovative Schools Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: Get Inspired! Explore Innovative Schools strategy card.

Article: Building the Car While We’re Driving It

Data from across four districts shows that no design team feels like they’ve got everything “right” in their district when it comes to...

District Self-Assessment Discussion Questions

These discussion questions accompany the Activity: District Self-Assessment strategy.

Know Your District Reflection Activity

When designing change, teams start with an in-depth analysis of what is currently working well in the district and where the district’s...

Mastery Charter Schools: Vision for Personalized, Blended, and Culturally Responsive Teaching

As it started a design process to improve teaching and learning, Mastery Charter Schools first described their ideal future for teaching...

Cedar Rapids: Defining a Commitment to Equity and Resiliency

Cedar Rapids Community School District used its existing district vision for teaching and learning as an important anchor for its process...

Build a Shared Commitment to Change Discussion Questions

These discussion questions to accompany the Activity: Build a Shared Commitment to Change strategy card.

equityXdesign Spectrum of Design Power Dynamics

The equityXdesign Collaborative has defined a spectrum of design power dynamics to help people starting on a design process to determine...

Monterey Peninsula: Co-Designing Change with Teachers and Students

Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) began a design process to improve teaching and learning with a team consisting of the...

Mastery Charter Schools: Including a Diverse Array of Voices

Mastery Charter Schools began a design process to improve teaching and learning with a team of academic executives. Important among the...

Cedar Rapids: Engaging Students and Teachers in Design

When Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) began a design process to improve teaching and learning, they started with a set of...

Activity: Build a Diverse Design Team

PDF version of Activity: Build a Diverse Design Team

Design Team Discussion Questions

These discussion questions support the process of building a diverse design team. For more information on this process, explore the...

Remote Learning: Planning for Improvement

This resource is intended to help school and district leaders understand, reflect upon, and prioritize actions to improve student learning...

Dallas Independent School District

The Personalized Learning Journey of Dallas ISD

This video, created by Dallas ISD, provides an overview of the district’s personalized learning journey. Explore a timeline of key events,...

White Paper: Look Both Ways

This downloadable white paper provides a framework to help education leaders navigate through competing approaches to system-wide change.

Problem of Practice: Share Best Practices vs. Share Process/Failures

One of the key challenges articulated by district and CMO leaders is deciding how to share information across their systems – should we...

Problem of Practice: Fixed Strategy vs. Adapt with Experience

This guide unpacks the relative benefits of creating fixed versus adaptive scaling strategies and offers examples of the way systems across...

Problem of Practice: Prioritize Need vs. Prioritize Readiness

This guide unpacks the relative benefits of allocating resources based on the need versus the readiness of schools and offers examples of...

Problem of Practice: "Fast and Furious" vs. "Slow and Steady"

This guide unpacks the relative benefits of accelerating versus slowing down the pace of change implementation to achieve sustainability...

Henry County’s School Redesign Process Presentation

Slide presentation of Henry County’s school redesign process.

Problem of Practice: Centralized vs. Decentralized Implementation

This guide unpacks the relative benefits of centralized or decentralized implementation of new instructional models and offers examples of...

North Carolina Digital Learning Plan

Developed by The Friday Institute, the goal of the Digital Learning Plan is to build upon the existing foundation to develop a coherent...

Policy Barriers to School Improvement: What's Real and What's Imagined?

States and districts have traditionally controlled the resources that go into schools and regulated the practices that governed them. Today...

Summit Public Schools

Document: Summit's Change Management Framework

This playlist, created by Summit Public Schools, outline's the organization's framework and practice strategies for managing your...

Kotter's Eight-Step Change Process

Dr. John Kotter has researched the processes of leaders trying to transform or execute their strategies for over four decades. Through this...

Change Management at Trailblazer

The district supports strategic vision setting and action planning through change management structures.

How Blended Learning Started at Pleasant View

Learn more about Pleasant View's decision to move to a blended and personalized model.

Select Practice Area

Leadership Choices

Driving EdTech Systems: Racial Equity

Driving EdTech Systems: Natick Public Schools

Driving EdTech Systems: Chicopee Public Schools

Driving EdTech Systems: Assemble an EdTech Leadership Team

Driving EdTech Systems: Engaging Stakeholders

Investing in Infrastructure to Solve Complex Challenges

Using Data to Drive Equitable Edtech Investments

School-Based Budget Decision Making with District-Facilitated Support

Flexibly Redeploying Classified Staff to Student Support

Empathy Interviews and Co-Design Sessions

Student-Led Equity Task Force

Financial Planning in the Time of COVID-19

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot

Activity: Pilot Next Steps - Ditch, Iterate, or Scale

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution

Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem

Activity: Brainstorm Solutions and Refine Ideas

Activity: Define a Problem of Practice

Activity: Get Inspired! Explore Innovative Schools

Activity: District Self-Assessment

Activity: Build a Shared Commitment to Change

Activity: Build a Diverse Design Team

White Paper: Look Both Ways

Collecting School-Level Data to Create Feedback Loops

Developing a Culture of Experimentation

Letting Schools Determine Their Implementation Timing

Letting Schools Define Their Own Pathways in Blended Learning

District Support for Schools Shifting to Personalized Learning

Guide: Blended Learning Implementation Guide 3.0

Change Management at Summit Public Schools

Change Management Strategies

Change Management at Trailblazer Elementary

Wyoming's RIDE (Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education) Initiative: Evaluation Report

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 1, Year 4

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 2, Year 2

Starting Smart with AI: A Quick Guide for School and System Leaders

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative: Cohort 2, Year 1 (SY 24) Report

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report – Cohort 1, Year 3

Activity: Assemble an EdTech Leadership Team

Virtual & Hybrid Learning Model Design Guide Workbook

Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative Evaluation Report, Year 2

Beyond Brick and Mortar Podcast: My Tech High's Tuition-Free & Student-Centered Approach to Virtual Learning

White Paper: Launching Forward: Leveraging pandemic ﻿innovations to advance ﻿school systems

Milford High School Return to School Plan

School-Based Budgeting with District Support at Hopkins Public Schools

Equity Task Force Slide deck

Back to School Kick-Off

“Co-Creating with Our Students” presentation

Back to School Kick-Off

Building Partnership with Union and Others to Create One "Meriden Plan"

Reimagining High School Grading Slidedeck

District Leadership Gets Feedback Directly from School-Based Practitioners

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Solution

Activity: Match the Right Solution to Your Problem

Activity: Brainstorm Solutions and Refine Ideas

Activity: Define a Problem of Practice

Activity: Reflect on Equity in Your Process

Activity: District Self-Assessment

Strategy Lab Published Work

Questions for the Field on School & System Redesign

Where Real-Time Redesign Originated: Always Ready for Learning Strategy Lab

Advice: Common Pitfalls & Tips for Success in Design Work

Real-Time Redesign: Path Forward Planner

Real-Time Redesign: Approaches to Broader Change

Reflect on Equity in Your Pilot Discussion Questions

Pilot Next Steps - Scale: Planning Template

Pilot Next Steps - Iterate: Discussion Questions

Pilot Next Steps - Ditch: Discussion Questions

IDEO Design Kit: Role Play

IDEO Design Kit: Rapid Prototyping

IDEO Design Kit: Storyboard

Reflect on Equity in Your Solution Discussion Questions

Match the Right Solution to Your Problem: Discussion Questions

IDEO Design Kit: Get Visual

IDEO Design Kit: Ways to Grow Framework

Article: How to: Run a Crazy Eights Exercise to Generate Design Ideas

IDEO: 7 Simple Rules of Brainstorming

White Paper: Launching Forward: Leveraging pandemic innovations to advance school systems