Center for Innovation in Education

Hold That Mandate! In the ever-evolving landscape of education reform, policymakers often find themselves caught between the urgency for change and the complexity of change that is embraced by the field for lasting improvements. "Hold that Mandate: Alternative Policy Actions for Scaling Deeper Learning," a new C!E paper by Paul Leather, Gretchen Morgan, Jenny Poon, and Doannie Tran, titled offers a case for expanding the policy toolbox beyond the traditional reliance on mandates and compliance monitoring. Drawing from real-world examples like Colorado's graduation policy reform, the paper illustrates how well-intentioned mandates can sometimes lead to unintended consequences. When districts are pressured to comply without adequate support or resources, they may opt for quick fixes that fail to achieve the deeper learning outcomes policymakers envision. This mismatch between intentions and strategy highlights the need for a more nuanced approach to important changes in your district or state. Mandates are often seen as the most direct route to scale. But, a broader understanding of "scaling" that goes beyond mere spread is necessary to understand how new ideas take hold. Depth, sustainability, and local ownership are important dimensions of scale that can create lasting reforms, and the good news is policymakers have a variety of policy tools at their disposal (including inducements, capacity building, system changing, and persuasion) to impact sustainable scale. By expanding their policy repertoire and embracing more collaborative approaches, policymakers and education leaders can improve outcomes for students, make education relevant for their community, and create a lasting legacy for themselves based on inclusive policy design. Download the paper here: https://rebrand.ly/0ueic6o

Our own Doannie Tran talking about some of the mindset shifts required to support students in a modern education system at #ForgeFutures2024. Remake Learning

This week we kicked off our CGSA Support Series. The first session covered the basics of pulling together a team and a project plan for your CGSA application that represents the co-creation approach we believe is important for ensuring what gets planned gets done. Too often we see new assessment systems that are built with the best of intentions, but because they didn’t have input and buy-in from the field and the community they were intended to benefit, they languish. Co-creation not only guards against your assessment projects becoming inconsequential, it increases the level of legitimacy and influence your agency may have because you’re building solutions with your community. If you haven’t yet signed up for the series, it’s not too late! Register at https://lnkd.in/gu7vr7vk.

#ICYMI - @mattblomstedt from @foresightL+P and CIE penned an op-ed in @the74 about innovating assessment and accountability through #IADA. That’s a piece that's become very timely again because earlier this month @USED opened the application window for Competitive Grants for State Assessment (#CGSA)—and CGSA is how you can fund your IADA work. If you’re working on an application with your state education agency, consider joining our virtual support series. Learn more about that at https://lnkd.in/g-AKMCsv.

CGSA application deadlines are approaching very quickly!  ~ April 8: Deadline for Intent to Apply (noncommittal) ~ May 22: Deadline for Transmittal of Applications ~ July 22: Deadline for Intergovernmental Review If you’re interested in working with some of your peers across the country, CIE is offering a no-cost (free!) virtual learning series that begins Tuesday, April 2 at 11:00 EDT. You can learn more about that at https://lnkd.in/gu7vr7vk. In the meantime, explore what’s possible through assessment innovation in this presentation from the New Hampshire Learning Initiative. https://lnkd.in/gP-SmVwR

This week we co-hosted a webinar with Getting Smart designed to help you with understanding U.S. Department of Education's Competitive Grants for State Assessment (#CGSA) and get you thinking about how you or your state education agency can leverage its funds to innovate how your state approaches assessment and accountability. The overview Webinar with examples from Kentucky and New York can be seen in its entirety below. If you’re interested in going deeper and collaborating with CIE and your peers across the country, we’re hosting a no-cost virtual support series. Learn more about that opportunity and register at https://lnkd.in/gu7vr7vk.

Secretary Cardona is calling on state education leaders to engage in assessment innovation with the U.S. Department of Education. Foresight Law + Policy's Matthew Blomstedt and C!E's Jennifer Poon and Paul Leather have an op-ed in The 74 Media with actionable steps. Read it here: https://rebrand.ly/r4g46eq #StatesLeading #Assessment #EdPolicy #StudentCentered

In a November letter to state chiefs, the U.S. Department of Education invited assessment innovation—now is the time to act! C!E’s Paul Leather and Jennifer Poon along and former Nebraska commissioner of education and current principal at Foresight Law + Policy Matthew Blomstedt have a four step plan to set state education leaders on the path to action: 1. Take the pulse of impacted communities (Engaging many parties to collaboratively design new assessment and accountability models helps build public and political will for change) 2. Start a dialogue with the Dept. of Ed (in “planning status” states can receive high-value technical feedback on early assessment design) 3. Leverage other federal programs to fund assessment innovation (the letter invites leaders to consider other federal funding sources, naming the CGSA program in particular) 4. Seek federal flexibility (this is an opportunity to work with the system rather than around it to see the innovation you need in your community) Read the full op-ed at The 74 Media. #StatesLeading #Assessment #EdPolicy #StudentCentered