Seizing the Opportunity for State Education R&D

BY Sarah Bishop-Root and Leslie Colwell

Read the report here.

Reflecting our values of partnership and collective action, we are pleased to announce the release of Seizing the Opportunity for State Education R&D: Findings and Recommendations for Action, a collaboration between Transcend and Education Reimagined, in partnership with the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI). This brief is the result of a qualitative research study that gathered diverse perspectives across the education sector about the barriers to and opportunities for R&D investment and infrastructure at the state level. It elevates bright spots across the country, synthesizes key themes from the research, and details eight actionable recommendations for state leaders across two mechanisms: the conditions to incentivize and foster innovation and the infrastructure to support, evaluate, embed, and sustain it.

In our mission to make learner-centered education available to every young person in the United States, we recognize how invaluable it is to have system-wide infrastructure, conditions, and support for the R&D efforts needed to enable necessary transformation. This brief offers actionable recommendations for states to leverage R&D to enable innovation, shifting from a state top-down approach to one that honors inclusive education transformation informed by stakeholders across systems.

This is a pivotal moment for states to prioritize innovation and education R&D to remain competitive and prepare all young people for success aligned with evolving economic and societal needs. Regardless of where states fall on the continuum of investment in innovation, all can take action to support or expand education R&D system-wide.

Please contact us if you are interested in discussing the findings further.

Read the report here.

Sarah Bishop-Root

Partner for Policy Leadership, Education Reimagined

Sarah Bishop-Root is the Partner for Policy Leadership at Education Reimagined. She was formerly the Policy Director of Next Generation Learning at ExcelinEd and led the Network of State Innovation Partners, a community of practice supporting state education agencies. Prior to ExcelinEd, Sarah worked at Blackboard, focusing on open education and educators’ adoption of online best practices. Sarah earned an MSEd in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University Bloomington.

Leslie Colwell

Partner, Transcend

Leslie believes deeply that community-driven policy change is a critical lever for education transformation. At Transcend, she is a Partner leading our efforts to elevate the voices and insights from school communities directly to policy leaders so that policy can better support effective and enduring innovation in schools.

Leslie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from American University and a teaching credential from the University of California – Los Angeles. She serves on the boards of two Colorado-based non-profits, the Colorado Latino Leadership, Advocacy & Research Organization (CLLARO) and The Civic Canopy. Leslie lives in Denver with her partner, their daughters Maya and Lucia, and pup Pepper.