Choose your role to see tailored resources:
Our Partners
Together with our partners, we’ll explore how states and districts across the country are harnessing education R&D to advance key priorities—from AI adoption to career pathways and beyond—using evidence-driven strategies that deliver real outcomes for students, districts, and states.
I’m a state leader looking to…
Join the State Leaders Learning community to connect with like-minded leaders from other states.
Use the State Education R&D Playbook for policy and programmatic recommendations and practical guidance for action.
Connect with and learn from ALI’s Chiefs-in-Residence to progress your goals in your state’s education agency.
I’m a local systems leader looking to…
Explore the School System R&D Action Agenda, co-created by superintendents and system leaders to make R&D a core driver of continuous improvement.
Dive into the Research and Development in America’s Schools: How School Systems Drive Sustainable Improvement and Innovation to see what’s working in bright spots nationwide and access tools you can utilize to inform your local efforts.
Use the State Education R&D Playbook for recommendations tools and action steps that support systemic state education R&D.
Virtual State Leaders Learning Community
ALI and the Imagine Network launched a virtual State Leader Learning Community to share powerful examples of how research and innovation are improving learning outcomes in states across the country. The series will bring together the State Education R&D Leader Network for a series of virtual sessions in 2026:
- January 30: Ed R&D in the Age of AI
- February 27: Ed R&D and Career Pathways
- March 23: Creating Strong Researcher-Public Partnerships to Advance Ed R&D
Network leaders are asked to attend the virtual series, engage with their peers on the content, and provide input to inform ALI’s federal education R&D advocacy. There will also be an invite-only in-person convening in April 2026. To join, complete the form at the bottom of this page or reach out at contact@alicoalition.org.
The State Education R&D Playbook
This interactive policy playbook from ALI, Transcend Education, and Education Reimagined builds on the research and recommendations from “Seizing the Opportunity for State Education R&D: Findings and Recommendations for Action” and the State and Local R&D Task Force Brief, and is informed by stakeholder voices across the education sector and beyond. Explore the playbook for practical tools to help state and local leaders, philanthropists, and policymakers build robust state education R&D systems that transform learning outcomes for all students.
ALI Chiefs-in–Residence
Through the ALI Chief-in-Residence program, veteran state leaders join the ALI team to continue their impact after they’ve left office by providing strategic guidance and expertise to peers who are invested in driving education R&D forward in their state. ALI welcomed former State Superintendents Catherine Truitt (NC) and Dr. Sydnee Dickson (UT) and former Deputy State Superintendent Andrew Smith (NC) as our inaugural Chiefs in Residence earlier this year. To learn more about the program and how to engage, please reach out to contact@alicoalition.org.
Research and Development in America’s Schools: How School Systems Drive Sustainable Improvement and Innovation
This comprehensive report examines how districts across the nation are using evidence and research to drive innovation and improvement, and provides guidance and tools for school systems to introduce or deepen R&D conditions and practices. A range of case studies representing diverse contexts illustrates how systems design, test, and scale solutions in key focus areas. The report also includes a practical self-assessment rubric that district leaders can use to evaluate their R&D and innovation processes, identify strengths, and pinpoint opportunities for growth. The report draws on Digital Promise’s deep engagement with district leaders and will inform both local practice and state-level policy conversations.
Competitive Edge: An Action Agenda for How School Systems Can Advance Learning Through R&D
ALI and Digital Promise convened superintendents and system leaders from across the nation to co-create Competitive Edge: An Action Agenda for How School Systems Can Advance Learning Through R&D, a shared roadmap for embedding R&D as a core function of how schools improve, adapt, and lead. This agenda highlights the vital role school systems play in aligning research with teachers’ and students’ needs, so that interventions can have the greatest impact.
District Education R&D Advisory Committee
The District Education R&D Advisory Committee is a partnership between the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) and Digital Promise. The group is composed of 13 superintendents and charter management organization (CMO) leaders, including eight members of Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools to shape and advance district-led R&D nationally. Insights to directly inform tools, action agendas, and policy recommendations that support districts in embedding R&D as a core system function. Participants were selected for their engagement with R&D practices, commitment to evidence-based decision-making, and ability to represent diverse geographies and student populations.