Mario Andrade

NASHUA – Digital Promise, an organization devoted to accelerating innovation in education, recently welcomed the Nashua School District to the League of Innovative Schools.

The Nashua School District is the first New Hampshire school district selected among a national pool of applicants to belong to the League of Innovative Schools, and is only one of four New England school districts currently serving as a member of the league.

“Keeping the Nashua School District moving forward as a place to foster creativity and innovation is important,” said Mario Andrade, superintendent of the Nashua School District. “Being a member of the league offers us access to a network of similar, forward-thinking schools to share best practices in teaching and learning.”

The League of Innovative Schools is part of Digital Promise, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., devoted to advancing “equitable education systems by bringing together solutions across research, practice, and technology,” according to the digitalpromise.org website. The League of Innovative Schools now includes 150 school across 38 states. The full list of members can be found at digitalpromise.org.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on learning, but it has also emphasized the need to introduce innovative educational approaches to better meet students’ needs,” said Dewayne J. McClary, senior director of Networks and Partnerships at Digital Promise. “The League strives to build a collaborative of close-knit districts that work together on shared priorities to design, validate, champion, and scale effective, innovative learning opportunities to advance equity and excellence for every student.”

League members are represented by their superintendents, who commit to:

• Attend biannual League meetings, which feature classroom visits, collaborative problem-solving, and relationship-building with peers and partners;

• Participate in League cohorts and research and development (R&D) pilots focusing on a broad range of topics relevant to the changing needs and priorities of school districts;

• Support Digital Promise research and provide critical feedback so it translates easily into classroom experiences and expands what we know about teaching and learning;

• Engage with entrepreneurs to advance edtech product development steeped in the latest learning science and meets district needs; and

• Participate in the League’s professional learning community by connecting with other members online, in person, and at each other’s school districts.

Working with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities, Digital Promise and the League of Innovative Schools provide an environment for superintendents and district leaders to share and learn from best practices; leverage research and participate in continuous improvement models; engage in R&D projects with peers to address education’s biggest challenges; and implement new technologies and innovations in their school systems.

For more information on the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, visit digitalpromise.org.

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