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Innovation in education involves leveraging technology to enhance learning experiences and create more personalized and accessible educational opportunities. Innovation and education go hand in hand – they empower individuals to navigate the rapidly changing world and push the boundaries of progress by constantly expanding their knowledge and skills.

“AI and education can go hand in hand.”

Sal Khan, Khan Academy

ChatGPT wrote the previous paragraph following a simple four-word prompt. You’ve likely heard of ChatGPT and the viral use of this artificial intelligence chatbot, but how is this revolutionary technology impacting education? What other promising innovations will improve school operations, strengthen curriculums, expand teaching tools, and boost parental engagement?

Most importantly, how can technology and innovation improve educational outcomes? Despite increased spending, The Nation’s Report Card from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) shows that literacy and math scores in the United States have been at the lowest level in decades.Scores have continued to decrease after the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the educational system. Arguably, the pandemic eroded two decades of upward progress.

To keep pace in our ever-changing world, educational practices must continue to evolve. The educational system must innovate. This Brief covers the latest innovative practices in education and demonstrates the types of policies and practices that can encourage more of it.

CASE STUDIES

THE URBAN COTTAGE EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIVE – TAMPA, FLORIDA

In 2015, Marissa Hess, a former public school teacher, started a unique learning environment in Tampa, Florida, that provides a mix of services for students, from small group classes for homeschooled students to after-school tutoring programs for students in traditional educational settings to summer camps.

As she describes it:

“I do not think there’s any one way, any one structure for every single child, for every family across the board. I have said it a thousand times, children are not computers, and teachers are not programmers. And so there are many, many innovators out there that see a problem in the system, and they want to do something different. And I think education has not been a free market.”

The Collaborative meets in a small bungalow on a busy street and aims to provide a nurturing environment where great educators have the freedom to create tailored lessons for the students who participate.

AIM EDUCATION – WICHITA, KANSAS

Dalena Wallace is an educational entrepreneur from rural Kansas. She started as a homeschooling mom more than a decade ago and has gradually expanded her role from managing a homeschooling co-operative (where multiple homeschooling families come together for shared classes and activities) to launching a micro-school (a small school of less than 15 students) to founding a hybrid homeschool (a school that meets in traditional classes for part of the week and students work from home during the other part). All of these fall under the umbrella of her organization, AIM Education, and all are oriented toward helping families find the best learning environment for their children. AIM Education shows that educational innovation is not just happening in cities and suburbs.

If you are interested in hearing more about the innovative ventures cropping up around the country, the VELA Founder Network has information about educational entrepreneurs.

WHY IT MATTERS

A strong education provides the foundation to unlock a higher quality of life, societal productivity, and overall well-being. While per-pupil spending has increased year over year since 2015, test scores continue to fall. According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the U.S. ranked 31st out of 81 countries for math.

The pandemic sparked necessary transformations, but consistent adoption of innovative practices is lacking in many school systems. Innovation is crucial in order to close educational achievement gaps and prepare students for a rapidly evolving world.

HISTORY

Education drives creativity, science, innovation, and technological advancements, but what technology has helped propel education practices into the modern world? For an overview, check out The Policy Circle’s Education: K-12 Brief. Below are approaches, advancements, and technological adaptations adopted throughout history in education practices.

1800S: DISTANCE LEARNING

“Remote learning may be seen as a recent trend, but this practice was in fact, implemented in the 1800s through mail services.”

In 1874, the United States launched the first “distance education program” at Illinois Wesleyan University. After training and reskilling coal miners via mailed textbooks in the late 1800s, the distance education approach dramatically boosted enrollment. The term “distance education” was coined by the University of Wisconsin Madison in 1892.

1920S: ON THE RADIO

Guglielmo Marconi sent the world’s first radio message in 1897. Radio then became an important tool in education. In the 1920s, Penn State released live academic courses through radio networks to students nationwide.

1930S: TELEVISION PROGRAMMING

Television has been used as a tool for education since the medium was first introduced in the 1930s, with the first television set installed in a California classroom in 1939.  In the early days, educational television programs were limited in scope and largely aimed at adults. However, in the 1950s and 1960s, television began to be used more extensively in schools to deliver educational content to students. Public television stations in the United States, such as PBS, became a major source of educational programming, with many shows becoming household names.

1940S: OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Overhead projectors have been a staple of classrooms for many years. The first known overhead projector was created in the 1940s by the 3M Company. The projector was introduced in the early 19th century and later adopted into several different settings. As the technology improved, the overhead projector found its way into classrooms.

1970S: HANDHELD CALCULATORS

The introduction of handheld calculators in education significantly impacted how students learn and approach math. In the 1970s, handheld calculatorsbecame widely available. Despite initial concerns that using calculators would hinder students’ ability to do mental arithmetic, handheld calculators became and continue to be an essential tool in mathematics education. They are commonly used in classrooms from elementary school through university-level courses.

1970S: SCANTRON

The Scantron was first introduced to education in the early 1970s to streamline the grading process for multiple-choice tests. It was initially used in large-scale standardized testing programs but quickly became a popular tool for teachers in individual classrooms. Its widespread adoption had a significant impact on the field of education, changing the way tests were taken and graded and influencing the development of education policy and assessment.

1980S: PERSONAL COMPUTERS

The introduction of personal computers into education in the 1980s and 1990s had a transformative effect. It revolutionized the way students learn, interact, and engage with information. Personal computers allowed for the creation of interactive educational software and online learning platforms, enabling students to explore complex topics in a more engaging and dynamic way.

1990S: INTERNET

In 1994, only 34% of U.S. schools had access to the internet. By 2002, 99% of schools had access.  The introduction of the Internet profoundly impacted the classroom, transforming how students learn and access information. It opened up a vast repository of knowledge and resources, allowing students to explore topics in greater depth and breadth.

Technology has revolutionized learning in the classroom and opened up new avenues for personalized and adaptive learning. With digital textbooks, educational apps, and online platforms, students can access educational resources 24/7.

This Brief will explore how technology today is transforming education and propelling learning forward.

BY THE NUMBERS

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), between fall 2019 and fall 2020, total public elementary and secondary school enrollment dropped from 50.8 million to 49.4 million students. This three percent drop erased a decade of steady growth. The most recent data from 2022 showed an increase to 49.6 million students enrolled.

The number of families choosing to homeschool their children doubled in 2020, according to a Census survey. According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), there were 3.7 million homeschooled students in the USA during the 2020/2021 school year. The institute’s data also shows that from late March to early May 2022, 5.22% of all school-age children were homeschooled. According to Johns Hopkins University Homeschool Hub, with EdChoice, there was an increase in homeschooling, but the cause is currently unknown.

As of the 2020-2021 school year, public schools employ approximately 3,032,471 teachers, and private schools employ about half a million teachers. Around 90% of K-12 schools have at least one computer for every five students, and 98% of American classrooms now have internet access. 87% of teachers said their technological skills improved during the pandemic, which has led to an increased technological presence in the classroom.

Innovative opportunities are plentiful within schools, tools, and talent, and examining potential options provides an optimistic look at the future of education.

SCHOOLS

MICRO-SCHOOLS

While a micro-school is not new, it has received new attention. Micro-schools, or learning pods, have one room, usually less than 15 students, and the curriculum is typically tailored to each class.

Micro-schooling allows students to learn in a smaller group, at their own pace, and receive personalized instruction and attention necessary for individual progress and success. One ed-tech startup, Prenda, recently raised over $20 million to continue developing its micro-school network. Typically incorporating around 15 students or less of mixed ages, micro-schooling can also provide a potentially more affordable option than private schools. Micro-schooling can be seen increasingly emerging across the country, including in Washington, D.C., with the Mysa School. Additionally, resources like the Microschool Revolution provide loans and financial assistance to help support the launch of new micro-schools. Micro-schooling offers a unique education option catered to an individual student’s needs.

“Now is the time for creative, innovative business minds with a passion and a vision for the future of education to step into this emerging arena as edupreneurs.”

KERI INGRAHAM, AMERICAN CENTER FOR TRANSFORMING EDUCATION

HYBRID HOMESCHOOLS

According to EdChoice’s polling, almost 40% of parents would prefer a school schedule that involved some days learning from home and some days learning from school. While many schools and districts struggled to provide a quality “hybrid” school schedule during the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of schools around the country have been using a hybrid schedule for years. For example, Grace Prep opened in 1992 as a hybrid school experience. The National Hybrid Schools Project at Kennesaw State University focuses on studying this model.

Hybrid schooling allows families to sync the rhythms of education with the rhythms of family life. Students and parents are often frustrated and overwhelmed by school schedules. The system has students completely scheduled in school, working, or participating in extracurricular activities. Hybrid schedules create space in the week for family time, relaxation, outdoor time, and much more, as students can work at their own pace and in their own time from home.

SCHOOL CHOICE

The core of school choice is allowing funds to flow where parents direct them. More precisely, it attaches funds to each child, which “follows” that child wherever they decide to go to school—public, private, charter, or at home. This option provides several key benefits to parents and kids, including flexibility. For more information on school choice, see the EdChoice Bundle, which answers the four most common questions about this option.

To review the basics of school choice, visit this video by EdChoice (2 min):

See this video by Kite & Key Media for more historical context and a brief overview of school choice (7 min):

Empowering families and parents through school choice uniquely supports each student’s different needs and learning styles. Polling from September 2024 reflects that a little more than 25% of American adults believe that national K-12 education is going in the right direction in the United States versus 52% that believe it is on the wrong track. This gap closes as the participants are asked about their state and local schools. Support for school choice policies from parents and the general public increases after a short description of school choice is given to the participant, indicating that educating parents on their options is important to garnering support for reform.

Further, school choice is predicted and shown to be a cost-effective option. An analysis of school choice programs across the U.S. showed savings of up to $7,800 per student.

Various programs and policies provide families the financial means to send their children to private schools, including options like Education Savings Accounts, school vouchers, tax-credit scholarships, and more. These programs aim to give families more control and flexibility in choosing the educational opportunities that best fit their needs and goals. Research what programs are available in your state.

TOOLS

Technological advancements have played a role in the classroom for decades. Revolutionary influences from the addition of the radio, television, personal calculators, and the internet have already forced education systems in the past to evolve, and the classroom must continue to adopt and implement new technology to remain relevant. With the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), new AI application systems, and other recent developments, education will undoubtedly rapidly change over the next few years.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND CHATGPT

Artificial intelligence (AI), according to IBM, is a “field, which combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving.” As AI has developed, new tools have been created. ChatGPT, one such tool, allows users to search and create prompts for desired outcomes. It can draft rhyming poetry, book reports, research essays, and more. While met with some hesitation surrounding fears of students becoming too reliant on the tool (the same hesitation detailed in the initial adoption of the personal calculator), educators are finding workarounds to still require independent writing with examples like in-person essay tests and prompts.

Within weeks of its adoption and release for public consumption, ChatGPT was utilized by 30% of college students. Since then, the number has increased to just under 40%.

Recent survey research from the Walton Family Foundation has shown that teachers and students are leveraging this technology. Over the past couple of years, they have found the following:

• In  2023, 51% of teachers reported using ChatGPT, including 10% used it every day.
• In 2024, 74% of teachers reported using the tool, and 11% used it every day.
• Of those who used ChatGPT, 49% of teachers and 57% of parents think it’s had a positive impact.

Listen to Sal Khan talk about how AI can save, not destroy, education (16 min):

VIRTUAL REALITY

Virtual reality (VR) has the potential to revolutionize education by creating immersive and interactive learning experiences for students. According to 2023 data, there were 65.9 million VR users in the United States, which amounts to 15% of the population. With VR technology, students can explore historical sites, travel through space, and participate in simulations that would otherwise be impossible or difficult to replicate in the real world.

VR can also provide opportunities for students to practice skills such as public speaking and problem-solving in a safe and controlled environment. By using VR in education, teachers can engage students in new and exciting ways, enhance their understanding of complex concepts, and help them develop valuable skills in academic and professional settings. VR can also be an effective tool for vocational courses and training.

VR energizes both teachers and students. About 97% of students are eager to take a VR course, and 93% of teachers report that they believe it will bring excitement to their classrooms.

ONLINE AND ADAPTIVE CURRICULA

Adaptive curriculum refers to educational programs designed to adjust and personalize the learning experience for individual students based on their progress, strengths, and weaknesses.

The goal of an adaptive curriculum is to provide an optimal learning path that maximizes the students’ potential and minimizes the time it takes to achieve their learning objectives. Adaptive curricula use various technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, to track and analyze student performance data in real-time. Then, they use this information to adjust the curriculum’s content and delivery to meet each student’s needs.

Adaptive curricula are becoming increasingly popular in education because they can provide a more engaging, personalized, and effective learning experience for students, especially those with different learning styles or needs. Resources like Khan Academy allow students to progress at their own pace. Micro-school networks, like Prenda, leverage adaptive learning software to take the burden off the teacher, who can then assist students and plan fun enrichment activities. The core academics are delivered via software, but all of the other elements of schooling (the social element, projects, art, music, etc.) are done in person. This allows each person/tool to do what it does best.

TALENT

Teachers are essential to any school, especially to well-organized and high-achieving ones. Recruiting, keeping, and rewarding good teachers is paramount to incentivizing them to innovate in the classroom.

However, that becomes expensive. Districts and all levels of government have struggled to address teacher employment and salaries, which many believe has led to a shortage. While there is a need for certain kinds of teachers, primarily in science and math, teacher employment has increased, and attrition rates have remained stable.

Another important note when looking at a possible shortage is vacancy rates. Most statistics consider whether or not a school reported at least one vacancy, but this may not accurately represent the ratio of open to filled positions. Further, as emergency federal funds expire, this number may shrink.As you research your own district, bear in mind how many total employees there are.

One looming problem when it comes to attracting and keeping teachers is money for salaries. While school funding has increased, teachers have not seen a proportional increase in their pay. Pay increases have often not kept pace with inflation, and districts often choose to hire more positions than give pay raises.

A challenge of the teacher supply also centers on the type of teacher that is still needed. To meet the need, schools are exploring creative recruitment strategies, modified work strategies, and exploring opportunities to leverage contractors to fill the gaps.

The teacher shortage is also partly due to licensing constraints. Current licensing requirements often make entering the teaching profession difficult for individuals with valuable skills and experience.  There have been pushes for alternative pathways into the classroom (Teach for America, for example), but there is still a way to go, and innovative practices are needed.

The use of technology and acceptance of new school models provide a different teaching environment just as much as a different learning environment. Opportunities found in school choice, micro-schools, private schools, and other newer models could potentially provide the environment to teach with fewer disruptions and frustrations and help attract and retain great teachers.

FEDERAL

The U.S. Constitution doesn’t mention education directly. Instead, it delegates power to the states in the 10th Amendment, meaning that anything not explicitly stated in the Constitution as a federal government power is left up to the states to decide. The U.S. Department of Education was established on May 4, 1980, under the Department of Education Organization Act, which was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. The U.S. Department of Education promotes “educational excellence and equal access,” and the federal government provides monetary support to states through grants to help fill funding gaps.

To read more about the process of the federal legislation and its role in education, visit The Policy Circle’s Education: K-12 Brief.

STATE AND LOCAL

Innovation and technological advancements can take place in any frame of traditional public, private, charter, or homeschool systems. The key is creating space for entrepreneurial educators and innovative practices within state and local education policies.

Education Savings Accounts, Charter Schools, Magnet Schools, and Open Enrollment are all ways that states and local school districts can promote school choice. Another less well-known type of school choice policy is “course access.” Course access programs, also known as course choice, “subdivide the funding that a student receives into smaller units and allow that student to take some of that funding to outside course providers.” This mechanism offers students many more options for courses than what might be available solely at their school.

State and local districts should also think about encouraging innovation within traditional public schools and consider supporting alternative approaches. For example, in Fleming County, Kentucky, the district superintendent embraced and supported the large home-schooling community. Working together, the district created a program that “operates as either a full-time virtual program, in which students follow a district-driven curriculum from home, or as a hybrid home-school program, in which students spend some time in local schools and some time at home.” Through cooperation and a willingness to break the traditional mold, the “district’s outreach built up trust and goodwill among those in the home-schooling community, many of the county’s home-schooling families signed up.”

To create a panoply of options through innovation, policymakers and parents can engage with schools and the authorities that manage them to bring different educational opportunities for their children to their area. Most states have rules and regulations that make innovative models, like those in Fleming County, more challenging to create. This could be an opportunity for parents and education advocates to focus on and create far-reaching impacts.

The most prominent example is seat time—many states award class credit based on the number of instructional hours spent in a classroom. Innovative schools are experimenting with the school day or week to let students progress at their own pace. This translates to a decreased focus on a set number of classroom hours. States can move to a competency-based framework that allows students to earn credit for a class after they have demonstrated mastery of the subject matter rather than a set amount of time.

Restrictive union contracts/collective bargaining agreements that set strict class sizes, instructional time, or duty regulations can also prevent rethinking what classes or schools can look like. Both can tie teachers’ and administrators’ hands.

THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Private companies are investing in research and development, creating innovative education products and solutions, and bringing their expertise and resources to drive education innovation.

U.S. education technology companies raised $5.2 billion of investment capital in 2022, down from $8.2 billion in 2021.  As of February 2022, there were 16,600+ EdTech startups that provide online courses, educational resources, learning platforms, management solutions, teaching resources, and other services for K-12 students, teachers, parents, and administrators.

Innovative companies like Tiny Tap help teachers, therapists, and educational experts worldwide create their own tools. (Tiny Tap has 200,000 activities and games used by 9.5 million registered parents.) Austin-based Trashbots provides a platform where any student can learn to code – starting as young as Kindergarten. Encouraging entrepreneurship in the education technology sector is critical to fostering innovation, and a cooperative space for educators and entrepreneurs to partner is important for collaboration.

One of the key areas of reform at the state level is the need for flexible legislation as described by EdChoice:

“School choice legislation written today needs to be flexible and thoughtful enough to facilitate new models of schooling that have not yet been widely implemented, especially those that rely on technology to leverage learning.” 

Here are some examples of legislative reforms that can foster innovation in education:

1. School choice: “The Biggest Education Innovation Is Growing Use of School Choice” – Legislative reforms that expand school choice options for families, such as education savings accounts, vouchers, and tax-credit scholarships, can encourage the development of innovative education models that better meet the needs of students.
2. Competency-based learning: Legislative reforms that allow for more flexibility in how students earn credit, such as competency-based learning, can enable students to learn at their own pace and focus on their individual strengths and interests.
3. Technology-focused professional development for teachers: Legislative reforms can play a critical role in ensuring that teachers are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills to effectively integrate technology and innovative teaching methods into their classrooms.
4. Public-private partnerships: Legislative reforms that encourage partnerships between public schools and private companies can foster innovation by leveraging the expertise and resources of the private sector.  In addition, by partnering with local businesses to understand their workforce needs, school districts can foster the development of classrooms-to-careers initiatives.
5. Research and development: The United States invests around 0.2% of the education budget in research. Grants and rewards can incentivize investment in education-focused research and startups.
6. Flexible funding: Legislative reforms that provide more flexibility in how education funds are allocated can enable schools and districts to invest in innovative approaches to teaching and learning, such as technology integration and project-based learning.

Overall, legislative reforms that prioritize flexibility, innovation, and student-centered approaches to education can help drive progress in the education sector and better prepare students for success in the 21st century.

Innovation and education are inextricably linked, and the need for continued development in the classroom has never been more critical. Implementing new technologies and approaches can help close achievement gaps and ensure students are prepared to meet the challenges of the modern world. Promoting educational innovation, school choice, and personalized learning will empower families to make informed decisions about their children’s education and offer new opportunities to individualize and enhance the learning experience. By embracing innovation in education, we can provide students with the highest quality education and empower them to achieve their full potential.

Measure: Find out what your state and district are doing about K-12 education and innovation.

• Do you know the state of K-12 education in your community or state?
  • Do you know how your district’s public school ranks? Are there private or vocational options?
• Do you know your school district’s budget?
• What are your state’s laws on school choice?
  • Does your state offer tax credits or similar scholarships?
    • Look up what programs your state currently offers in EdChoice’s State Index.
• How is technology integrated into your local school?

Identify: Who are the influencers in your state, county, or community? Learn about their priorities and consider how to contact them, including elected officials, attorneys general, law enforcement, boards of education, city councils, journalists, media outlets, community organizations, and local businesses.

• Who are the members of the school board in your community? Who is your state’s superintendent of schools?
• Who is your school district’s superintendent, and who are the principals?
• What steps have your state’s or community’s elected or appointed officials taken regarding education?

Reach Out: You are a catalyst. Finding a common cause is a great opportunity to develop relationships with people outside of your immediate network. All it takes is a small team of two or three people to set a path for real improvement. The Policy Circle is your platform to convene with experts you want to hear from.

• Find allies in your community, nearby towns, and elsewhere in the state regarding education issues such as school choice, teacher licensing, teacher training in technology, etc.
• Foster collaborative relationships with local businesses and schools – is there a pathway from classrooms to careers in your community?

Plan: Set some milestones based on your state’s legislative calendar and school district/board meeting calendar.

• Don’t hesitate to contact The Policy Circle team, [email protected], for connections to the broader network, advice, insights on how to build rapport with policymakers and establish yourself as a civic leader.

Execute: Give it your best shot and show up.

• Working with others, you may create something great for your community. Here are some tools to learn how to contact your representatives and write an op-ed.