OUR MISSION
The Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) brings together education nonprofits, philanthropy, and the private sector, to advocate for building a better research and development (R&D) infrastructure in education. ALI advocates for increased capacity of education R&D and supports the research and development of evidence-based innovation in education that centers students and practitioners, advances achievement for all, improves talent pathways, and expands the workforce needed in a globally competitive world.
Who We Are
As a coalition, ALI advocates for education research and development investments across the federal government. Through strategic federal investments and policy changes, the federal government can build robust state and local infrastructure that enables community-driven education research and development to benefit all students. Successful advocacy for education R&D will require a broad coalition of invested parties including practitioners, researchers, philanthropy, educational technologists, and civil and disability rights organizations.
Why We Need Increased Education R&D
Recent national data shows alarming declines in student achievement, with math and reading scores at historic lows and persistent opportunity gaps widening between high-poverty and low-poverty districts. Despite these pressing challenges, the federal government invests a staggeringly low 0.4 percent of the U.S. Department of Education's budget in education R&D. This underinvestment threatens both student futures and U.S. global competitiveness. Over the next decade, the tech workforce will grow twice as fast as the overall U.S. workforce, with more than 1.4 million jobs at risk of going unfilled due to skills gaps. We urgently need innovative educational practices and tools that can accelerate student learning and are readily accessible to practitioners. Increasing federal investment in education R&D—and ensuring it's directly connected to the needs of teachers and students—is crucial for developing evidence-based solutions that work in real classrooms and prepare students for future success.
Advocacy
ALI educates and engages with policymakers in Congress and federal agencies to advocate for increased investment in education research and development. We believe that increased federal investment in education R&D coupled with key policy changes can address barriers that prevent innovative and evidence-based approaches to long-standing educational disparities from accelerating student success at scale. This includes strengthening partnerships between federal agencies like the National Science Foundation and the Department of Education as well as supporting public-private partnerships.
To accelerate educational innovation, we must expand federal investment in the development and testing of evidence-based solutions, while strengthening state longitudinal data systems that enable educators and policymakers to track what works in improving student achievement and career outcomes. States and school districts should be empowered to conduct R&D and deploy evidence-based, innovative solutions that meet the needs of their communities.
Comparatively little money is spent on education R&D, meaning promising practices in teaching, learning, and technology go undeveloped, untested, and lack sustainability and scale.
An appropriately sized, inclusive, and community-centered education research and development ecosystem would help address the economic and social disparities we experience today by providing all students with an educational experience that creates a learning system, ensures economic mobility, and supports communities, parents, and educators with the knowledge and resources to meet the challenges of today to unlock opportunity for tomorrow.
Ways to Participate
ALI Coalition members participate via:
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Participation in ALI Coalition meetings, including receiving key updates on the federal state-of-play;
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Opportunities to participate in ALI advocacy efforts including comment letters, advocacy meetings, task forces and events (briefings, roundtables, outreach to federal policymakers, etc.);
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Providing feedback and support of ALI Coalition priorities and actions;
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Incorporating ALI Coalition advocacy efforts into participants' advocacy efforts.
CURRENT ALI MEMBERSHIP
Current membership of the Alliance for Learning Innovation is listed below.
