DOVER — The Capital School District has been accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, a national coalition of forward-thinking K-12 school districts organized by Digital Promise, a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner by bringing together solutions across research, practice and technology.

Capital was selected from a competitive pool of applicants based on its educational leadership, demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence, innovative vision for learning and key achievements.

“Senators are leaders. As the only district in our state to be selected to join the ranks of the League of Innovative Schools, we are humbled and honored,” said Dr. Vilicia Cade, CEO and superintendent of the district. “We do not take this prestigious opportunity lightly. We are committed to launching an era that hallmarks the significance of advancing excellence through innovation. This membership in the league gives us momentum to achieve this goal and create opportunities for membership for other districts in Delaware.”

The initiative, launched at the White House under President Barack Obama in 2011, accepts members through an application process each year. The full list of members can be found here.

“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 superintendent, who commits 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 pilots focusing on a broad range of topics relevant to the changing needs and priorities of school districts.
• Support Digital Promise research and provide feedback, so it translates easily into classroom experiences and expands what we know about teaching and learning.
• Engage with entrepreneurs to advance product development steeped in the latest learning science that meets district needs.
• Participate in the league’s professional learning community by connecting with other members online, in person and at each other’s 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 research projects with peers to address education’s biggest challenges; and implement new technologies and innovations in their school systems.

The league will officially welcome new members at its fall meeting Oct. 19-21 in Los Angeles. Their entrance extends the network’s reach to more than 150 districts across 38 states and expands its cumulative impact to 4.4 million students.

For information, visit here.