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Harvesting Innovation encompasses all innovative educational initiatives that support students in graduating Choice Ready. Multiple strategies and levels of involvement exist, and NDDPI is readily available to cultivate ideas and aid along a school’s innovation journey. Schools currently on this journey inspire to grow and continuously improve in areas including improved stakeholder communication and engagement, personalized and/or competency-based learning, meaningful educational opportunities, and overall increased student academic success. 

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How to Get Started

Be Inspired

Join the Innovation conversation happening throughout North Dakota with #InnovativeND.

District Conditions for Scale

District Conditions for Scale: A Practical Guide to Scaling Personalized Learning provides an important step in identifying the conditions a school district should put in place to support the scaling of personalized learning and innovative learning. Working through the ten conditions outlined can provide the catalytic force districts need for education change.

Finding Your Path: A Navigation Tool for Scaling Personalized, Competency-Based Learning is designed to help learning communities understand the conditions for sustainable systems change and to develop and advance a strategic plan for district-wide transformation to personalized, competency-based learning.

What Schools Could Be

The What Schools Could Be initiative is a community-powered platform to bring together educators passionate about reimagining school in ways that prepare students for life. 

Innovation Playlist

The Innovation Playlist hosts a series of short videos to inspire schools, communities, principals, and teachers to deliver the best outcomes for their students. These ideas share best practices for accelerating change, moving learning outcomes forward, better engaging students, and empowering teachers. Join the growing ranks of schools creating cultures of innovation. Small steps lead to big change!

The Cutting Ed

The Cutting Ed podcast brings together ND United, the Department of Public Instruction, and filmmaker Ted Dintersmith to share stories. This podcast facilitates inspiring and thoughtful conversations with all stakeholders in our public education system. It celebrates great teaching practices, interesting innovations, and dives into putting the innovation playlist into practice.

The Canopy Project

The Canopy Project provides a portal allowing educational leaders, school designers and researchers to explore how a diverse set of learning environments contribute to innovative school designs. 

The Innovative Models Exchange

The Transcend Innovative Models Exchange is a source for inspiring learning models and the corresponding resources and supports that are available to help with implementation.

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Innovative Education Program (SB 2186)

In 2017, North Dakota legislators passed Senate Bill 2186 into law which officially authorized North Dakota schools and school districts to take advantage of state waiver options and develop Innovative Education Program proposals. These proposals allow schools and districts to take a more creative approach to the delivery and administration of education and provide increased educational opportunities, resulting in improved academic success.

Laws and Regulations

Application Guidance

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Learning Opportunities Through Sponsoring Entities

NDCC 15.1-07-35, also known as House Bill (HB) 1478, which was passed during the 67th Legislative Assembly in 2021, permits schools to offer credit for educational opportunities that take place outside the school building through a sponsoring entity. The bill is nicknamed the “Learn Everywhere Bill,” as it allows students to learn outside the walls of the classroom in conjunction with a sponsoring entity that provides educational opportunities in a more hands-on way than they may get in the classroom. NDAC 67-19-04 further outlines the procedures involved for schools wishing to participate in the program.

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North Dakota Personalized, Competency-Based Education (ND PCBL)

The North Dakota  Personalized, Competency-Based Learning (ND PCBL) initiative, led by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction (NDDPI) and supported by KnowledgeWorks, serves as an incubator for Personalized, Competency-Based Learning (PCBL) in North Dakota.

Through this five-year commitment, four school district will collaborate with each other, and received personalized, grant-funded technical assistance from the national, non-profit KnowledgeWorks, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction and other educational partners.

This initiative supports the North Dakota PK-12 Strategic Vision that all students will graduate choice ready with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to be successful, and contributes to a national effort by KnowledgeWorks to build a research-based framework that will help other districts and states across the nation.

Districts participating in this work include:

Highlights of the work are often captured on KnowledgeWorks website.

Questions on this work can be directed to the Office of Academic Support.