The League of Innovative Schools (League) convened in Park City, Utah last week for the biannual #DPLIS meeting, co-hosted with Juab School District, Uinta County School District #1, and Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. Over the course of two and a half days, education leaders discussed the challenges facing their most marginalized students, moved work forward in five Challenge Collaboratives, visited schools within the co-host districts, and formed meaningful partnerships and relationships with leaders across the country.
#DPLIS Uinta’s Evanston HS offered a comprehensive vocational Ed program. Female automotive class students repaired a 1950 Chevy pick-up. Female students attended to details. Girl power – pic.twitter.com/LT866v4UjD
— El Segundo Unified (@ElSegundoUSD) October 12, 2018
With 12 new districts and seven returning districts joining this year, the League of Innovative Schools now comprises 102 districts across the country who tackle education’s biggest challenges within their districts and with each other.
Based on research that included dozens of interviews and deep literature review, Digital Promise shared the first version of the Challenge Map with meeting participants, a resource created to communicate shared challenges that League districts are addressing with the goal of surfacing promising approaches and bringing educators and researchers together around high priority issues. Digital Promise has launched five Challenge Collaboratives centered on Challenge Map topics: Real World Learning, Assessment Data Interoperability, Computational Thinking Pathways, OER Deeper Learning for NGSS, and Computational Thinking for NGSS.
Honored & proud to work w these progressive leaders from Mentor, Middletown, & Lakota. Great things on the horizon from the League & these district teams! #DPLIS @DigitalPromise @MikeLynchMentor @MCSDSuper @LakotaSuper @MentorSupt @fmorrison79 @Lakota_Learning @GLSMoweryFalcon pic.twitter.com/OUUyBelp6E
— Kirk Koennecke (@GLSSuperFalcon) October 12, 2018
Beyond the Challenge Collaboratives, districts throughout the League are sharing knowledge and best practices within Cohorts, whose topics range from Innovative Assessment to Competency-based Professional Learning. Members of the League also began work at the fall meeting on “innovation portfolios,” multimedia-rich case studies that will surface innovative practices and launch in spring 2019. They also shared powerful stories of innovative work in their districts through the second #DPLIS Film Festival.
The League concluded two and a half days of conversation with a panel from the Sundance Film Festival, SpyHop, and Utah Film Center, discussing the power of film in elevating student voice.
“New media can build many key skills and competencies that students need today including collaboration, resourcefulness, and critical thinking.” – @sunnymere1 @sundanceorg #DPLIS
— Digital Promise (@DigitalPromise) October 12, 2018
The League is dedicated to advancing innovation that impacts all students through the League’s commitment to inclusive innovation; the journey has only just begun.
Learn more about League members by visiting our district map and keep up with the League by following the hashtag #DPLIS on Twitter.
