Downloadable Resource
This resource explores the significance of strengthening state and local education R&D infrastructure, focusing on the importance of context-driven approaches and human capacity. It discusses the barriers to improving outcomes, recommendations for increasing knowledge mobilization, and strategies for ensuring that R&D outputs support local educators and communities in making evidence-based improvements.
This brief highlights a key barrier to scaling evidence-based practices in education: the lack of robust learning-oriented systems at various levels of government. Unlike healthcare, which benefits from well-established research infrastructures, education systems often prioritize compliance over innovation. Strengthening state and local education R&D infrastructure is essential, given that over 90% of education funding and decision-making occur at these levels. Investment in R&D at these levels will bring research closer to educators, learners, and communities. The brief emphasizes the need to focus on human capacity—knowledge, skills, and mindsets—alongside tangible components like data systems and collaborative partnerships. It also calls for a concerted effort to mobilize and disseminate knowledge in accessible, actionable ways, helping local educators foster continuous improvement and make better use of public resources.