League Application

Now is the time to join the League of Innovative Schools.

The pandemic has continued to challenge school systems across the nation in providing academic learning while addressing the social-emotional well-being and health of students. It has also exposed racial, economic, and educational inequities, underscoring the necessity for systemic change and bold, courageous leadership.

The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools was launched at the White House under President Barack Obama within the U.S. Department of Education in 2011. As a national network focused on creating and advancing innovative teaching and learning systems and practices, the League of Innovative Schools is uniquely positioned to support and partner with school districts to address the most difficult challenges in education.

In the development of the Digital Promise Challenge Map, stakeholders working across all levels of public schools identified equity as a pressing, high priority challenge area. The League of Innovative Schools intentionally centers equity in our projects, procedures, and outputs to address this need head-on, taking action with renewed urgency due to the pandemic.

Whether it’s advocating for universal broadband, building capacity for data equity, or developing tools to improve secondary writing, our leaders are at the forefront of designing, piloting, and scaling solutions that can impact the outcomes for all students, with a focus on traditionally marginalized and underserved students.

Working at the intersection of education leaders, researchers, and developers, the League offers a space for superintendents to learn from best practices, apply research and continuous improvement models, engage in R&D projects to tackle challenges with peers across the country and implement new technologies and innovations.

Together, we can ensure that every student has equitable access and opportunities for powerful learning. We invite you to join us!

Application Criteria for the 2022-2023 Cohort

To best meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population in the United States and to strengthen the composition and reach of the network, we are prioritizing district applications that meet at least one of the following criteria:

• The district’s free and reduced-price meals rate is 50 percent or greater
• The district’s student body is 50 percent or greater students of color
• The superintendent identifies with a demographic that is underrepresented in national superintendency statistics (ex., superintendent is a person of color, superintendent is a woman)
• The superintendent leads a district that is located in a geographic area currently underrepresented by the League of Innovative Schools—defined as a region in a state without League representation or a state where there is no League member

Application Overview

Call for applications for the 2022-2023 cohort of the League of Innovative Schools opens on February 14, 2022. We are accepting applications until 11:59 p.m. PT on May 20, 2022.

The new member application process will follow the timeline detailed below:

Round One: Application

Applicants submit a written application with multimedia artifacts to validate and supplement their responses.

To preview or download a copy of the application for planning purposes, click here.

Round Two: Interview

Finalists will participate in an interview with a Digital Promise staff person and member of the League Advisory Board. In addition, Digital Promise staff may request and conduct additional interviews with district staff members.

Virtual Information Sessions

We will be hosting two virtual information sessions to share more about League membership and to answer questions the application process. Please register for the sessions using the links below:

Wednesday, March 23, 12-1 p.m. ET – Register here

Wednesday, April 27, 3–4 p.m. ET – Register here

Who Should Apply

Superintendents are the core members of the League. However, superintendents may invite other members of their district team to participate in League activities. Membership in the League is for superintendents who demonstrate a proven track record and/or willingness to:

• Improve outcomes for students and solve the challenges facing K-12 schools through powerful and smart use of learning innovations and technologies
• Partner with researchers, entrepreneurs, and leading education thinkers to pilot new approaches to teaching and learning
• Use their voice to advance positive, lasting change in public education
• Commit to delivering educational equity for every student, everywhere

Candidates are selected based on the following factors:

• Vision and key achievements
• Potential for impacting student learning and educational leadership
• Openness to networking and knowledge sharing
• Demonstrated commitment to racial, digital, and educational equity

Successful candidates are committed to achieving equity in public school systems, have a demonstrated record of district and community impact, and deeply respect and value diversity of voices, perspectives, and experiences.

*Please note: Attendance at the Fall Convening is required for new membership. At this time, we are planning for an in-person convening on Oct. 19-21, 2022, in Los Angeles, CA. If you are unable to attend this meeting, please defer your application until next year.

About The League of Innovative Schools

The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools is a national network that connects and supports the most forward-thinking leaders in education. League members represent 125 districts in 34 states serving more than 3 million students. Their diverse experiences reflect the advancements, challenges, and vital work of public education in the United States.

Digital Promise works at the intersection of education leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs and developers to improve learning with the power of technology. By collaborating on shared priorities, the League spearheads innovative learning and leadership practices to achieve equitable outcomes for every student. To that end, the League aims to:

Design, validate, champion, and scale effective, innovative learning opportunities to advance equity and excellence for every student.

• Design: Create policies, programs, tools, and models
• Validate: Inform design and efficacy with research
• Champion: Advocate for policies, programs and models that transform systems
• Scale: Share and drive adoption models for replication
• Effective: Proven positive impact
• Innovative: New or improved solutions to challenges
• Advance Equity: Ensure historically underserved student populations participate, benefit, and thrive
• Advance Excellence: Support solutions that increase knowledge and skills for student success

Learn more about League district members.

Membership Benefits

The League of Innovative Schools supports leadership development and district efforts to advance teaching and learning through technology and innovation through:

• Advocacy: Strategic partnerships and support to spread ethos and influence policies
• Co-designed Solutions: Opportunities to tackle big challenges; co-design, prototype, and pilot new models, practices, and tools; and produce evidence-based solutions to benefit thousands of educators and students through Challenge Collaboratives, Inclusive Innovation, Innovation Study Tours, and more
• Cohorts: Learning communities focused on discussing challenges and sharing best practices and resources
• Communications: Amplification of efforts and accomplishments and subscription to Digital Promise newsletters containing relevant research, resources, and opportunities for district leaders
• Convenings: In-person meetings to build capacity, deepen relationships, share know-how and best practices, and learn from diverse school communities
• National Showcase: Platform and multimedia communications tools, such as Innovation Portfolios, to highlight and feature district innovation efforts
• National Thought Leadership: Recognition as a forward-thinking leader in the education field
• Networking: Connection to a national network that incubates and celebrates effective innovation to support equity and excellence for all learners
• Professional Development: Opportunities and access to processes, resources, credentials, and events to expand knowledge and advance outcomes
• Research: Access to learning sciences research to support practical, scalable, equitable improvements in education, and ongoing, sustained relationships with Digital Promise researchers

Membership Requirements

League member superintendents commit to:

• Attend biannual League meetings to collaboratively solve problems, build relationships with peers, and share and learn from district and school visits
• Join and actively participate in Challenge Collaboratives, cohorts, R&D projects, and/or other League initiatives designed to address the challenges and changing needs of school districts
• Publish a district innovation portfolio and contribute to stories that showcase the League’s work and collective advocacy
• Collaborate with peers, researchers, and entrepreneurs to advance teaching and learning

To support new program opportunities and membership growth, League members pay dues on an annual basis according to their district size. Fees range from $1,500 to $5,000 depending on student enrollment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Additional questions? Email us at league@digitalpromise.org.