A (Digital) Promise To Keep 

Technology is continually evolving.  To imagine and capture innovation that can come from the use of technology, school systems must actively collaborate, continually learn and seek out and embrace new opportunities.  In short, they must be willing to “get active” in the pursuit of innovation.

As demonstrated by a recent designation, the Knox County Schools is, indeed, actively pursuing possibilities through technology to best support its students.

This spring, Digital Promise, a national, independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to accelerate innovation in education, named the Knox County Schools as one of nine new members accepted into the League of Innovative Schools.  The League of Innovative Schools is a national coalition of school districts and educational agencies that is both a professional learning network and an incubator for innovative educational practices. The League brings together educators, researchers and entrepreneurs to demonstrate, evaluate and replicate promising ideas, with the goal of improving student achievement.

“We are thrilled to be selected to engage in this unique collaborative learning opportunity,” said Dr. Jim McIntyre, Superintendent of the Knox County Schools. “The League will help us to learn from other innovative school districts as well as better leverage the tremendous talents of our teachers and classroom technology to better prepare our students for success in our increasingly digital world.”

The Knox County Schools was selected from a competitive and national pool of applicants, based on its leadership, evidence of results, innovative vision for learning powered by technology and commitment to collaborating with other League members.  Upon joining the League, members will share lessons learned, participate in national and regional forums and partner with research institutions, technology developers and one another to deliver better results for students.

“The idea behind the League is simple but ambitious:  Innovative superintendents can support each other in transforming the learning environment and improving engagement and achievement,” said Karen Cator, President and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Promise. “By adding these nine new members and the sum of their experiences, the League can become an even stronger catalyst for improving opportunity for students around the country.”

The nine members of the League of Innovative Schools spring 2014 cohort are:

Department of Defense Education Activity Kaiserslautern District — Baumholder, Germany

Highline Public Schools — Burien, WA

Knox County Schools — Knoxville, TN

Lexington County School District One — Lexington, SC

Mentor Public Schools — Mentor, OH

Pascack Valley Regional High School District — Montvale, NJ

Richland School District Two — Columbia, SC

Rowan-Salisbury Schools — Salisbury, NC

South Fayette Township School District — McDonald, PA

With these additions, the League now includes 46 school districts and education agencies in 25 states, representing nearly 3 million students.  For more information, visit knoxschools.org and www.digitalpromise.org.