Research and data must be made more accessible and actionable to be utilized for either continuous improvement or rapid innovations. States and stakeholders engaged in R&D can prioritize the development of policies and the associated tools to increase accessibility and understanding of both, creating fundamental supporting infrastructure for effective R&D efforts.
Key Actions
- Partner with technology providers to build use cases to inform product development aligned with inclusive education R&D needs and frameworks.
- Develop policies and strategies to responsibly integrate and adopt technology platforms, including the use of artificial intelligence, that could contribute to improved application of R&D and the continuous improvement of implementation and systems.
- Provide secure, accessible, and inclusive tools, dashboards, and services that support research and data access and analysis designed for system-wide stakeholders, including academic researchers and community organizations leveraging research and data across different contexts.
Bright Spots: Learn From Other States
Discover how states across the country are leveraging technology to enable education R&D.
South Carolina: Using Real-Time Data to Drive Continuous Improvement
South Carolina’s Office of Personalized Learning partnered with KnowledgeWorks and the Riley Institute at Furman University to study and strengthen personalized, competency-based learning. Through annual statewide surveys and interactive implementation dashboards, educators and researchers access timely insights that guide improvement at school and district levels. By democratizing research and prioritizing rapid, actionable data, South Carolina is showing how technology can accelerate learning and system transformation.
Massachusetts: Leveraging Technology for Continuous Improvement and Equity
The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education partnered with districts to study how technology can better serve local priorities, from improving digital access to refining classroom tools. Through this collaboration, the state is helping districts use evidence to guide equitable, effective technology integration. By treating ed tech as a lever for learning rather than a one-time investment, Massachusetts is modeling how states can use technology to drive continuous improvement.
Utah: Pioneering AI Integration in Education R&D
Utah is harnessing artificial intelligence as a strategic tool for system innovation. Through its Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy and the State Board’s P-12 AI Framework, the state is advancing research-informed practice, deploying vetted AI tools in schools, and building educator capacity via summits and leadership collaboratives. By centering AI-enabled strategy, Utah is creating a lab environment for continuous improvement and evidence-driven models of teaching and learning.
Massachusetts: Connecting Educators and Innovators to Advance AI in Learning
Through a partnership with Playlab, the One8 Foundation is helping Massachusetts educators co-design and test AI tools that enhance teachers’ abilities to use high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) to support effective Applied Learning. Together, teachers and technologists developed CER-i, an AI assistant that helps middle school students using specific HQIM strengthen their Claims-Evidence-Reasoning writing. By piloting and refining the tool in real classrooms and then disseminating the tool to additional schools, One8 created an R&D pipeline that turns teacher insights into scalable, evidence-based AI applications.