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22 districts join network of innovative school systems

 Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools members partner with other leading educators, entrepreneurs, and researchers from across the U.S.

Twenty-two new school districts have been accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of forward-thinking school districts organized by Digital Promise, an independent, bipartisan nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to accelerate innovation in education.

The League of Innovative Schools, launched in late 2011, accepts new members through an open application process once per year. With the new members, the League now includes 73 school districts in 33 states, representing 3.2 million students. The full list of members can be found at digitalpromise.org/districts [1]. A list of the 22 new districts being added is also available via a blog post from the league [2].

“The League’s goal is to find leaders pioneering bold, creative, and student-centric practices, connect them with each other, and amplify what they do best so others can learn,” said Sara Schapiro, director of the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools. “With these new members, we add a wealth of insights, ideas, and energy to help our members effectively support teaching and learning through technology.”

League members are represented by their superintendent, who commits to:
● Attend biannual League meetings, which feature classroom visits, collaborative problem-solving, and relationship-building with peers and partners
● Join working groups on a broad range of topics relevant to the changing needs of school districts
● Engage with entrepreneurs to advance product development and meet district needs
● Support research that expands what we know about teaching and learning
● Participate in the League’s professional learning community by connecting with other members online, in person, and at each other’s school districts

In addition to superintendents’ participation, there are also opportunities for other school administrators, principals, and teachers to participate in League and Digital Promise initiatives.

“It is an honor for Oxnard Union to be identified by the Linked Learning Alliance, the Partnership for the 21 Century Learning, the Future Ready Schools, and now the League of Innovative Schools for the efforts of our leadership team in transforming teaching and learning to support our students and community,” said Dr. Gabe Soumakian, whose district is one of the 22 being added to the league.

The League will officially welcome new members at its fall 2015 meeting on Oct. 25-27 in Pittsburgh. The meeting will host about 175 national school leaders and prominent education experts, entrepreneurs, and officials, with the goal of addressing shared priorities and setting goals that district leaders will pursue throughout the year.

For more information on the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools (including how to request information about applying) visit: digitalpromise.org/league [3].

Material from a press release was used in this report.