Innovation Lab Network

The Innovation Lab Network (ILN) is a group of states dedicated to “spurring system-level change by scaling locally-led innovation to widespread implementation, both within and across states, with a constant focus on student outcomes.”

The ILN currently includes twelve states: California, Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The Council of State School Officers (CCSSO) serves as a centralizing entity for this state cohort, providing facilitation and communication for their efforts.

As members of the ILN, these twelve states are each actively supporting implementation of student-centered approaches to learning. They have identified six shared principles—or critical attributes—to guide this work: 1) Fostering world-class knowledge, skills; 2) Student agency; 3) Personalized learning; 4) Performance-based learning; 5) Anytime/anywhere opportunities; and 6) Providing comprehensive systems of learner support. While these principles ground the work, the ILN states do not mandate exactly how implementation plays out; instead, their state departments of  education create opportunities for schools and districts to “act as pressure-testers” of new, student-centered approaches, providing them with the necessary backing and freedoms along the way. In support of this locally-driven innovation, the ILN has focused on creating shared frameworks among the states and mutual learning networks within and across states. The CCSSO and ILN also host an extensive trove of resources that include reports on a wide range of topics.

Last updated on 12/22/2015