The Quakertown Community School District has been accepted into the League of Innovative Schools (The League), a national network of school districts that connects and supports the most forward-thinking leaders in education. The League is organized by Digital Promise, a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for every learner by bridging solutions across research, practice, and technology.
QCSD was selected from a competitive national pool of applicants based on its educational leadership, demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence, innovative vision for learning, key achievements, and collaborative spirit. QCSD is one of only four school districts in the five-county Philadelphia region that are members of The League, joining Abington, Bristol Township and Norristown Area school districts. The full list of members can be found at digitalpromise.org/districts.
QCSD Superintendent Matthew Friedman, Ed.D., said the district was selected to join The League based on its vision for innovation, its use of technology and next-generation teaching and learning, and the capacity of its leadership for engaging in Digital Promise research and projects, piloting initiatives, and scaling solutions for broader impact.
“This honor is a tribute to the dedication of our faculty and administration and their commitment to innovation and excellence,” Dr. Friedman said. “To prepare our students to be lifelong learners and engaged citizens in an ever-changing world, we need to be innovative and forward-thinking. Membership in The League gives us access to resources and a national network of innovative leaders to further strengthen these efforts and the opportunity to share our expertise and innovative initiatives with others.”
Since 2011, the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools has spearheaded innovative learning and leadership practices and accepts new members through an open application process once per year.
“As teaching and learning rapidly evolve amidst the advent of new technologies, the League’s mission to connect innovative education leaders is more vital than ever,” said Jillian Doggett, director of network support at Digital Promise. “Through its network of forward-thinking leaders, the League provides school districts with opportunities to leverage research-backed approaches for addressing complex challenges; stay at the forefront of cutting-edge educational practices; and implement innovative solutions that meet the needs of all students.”
League members are represented by their superintendent, who has access to unique professional learning opportunities, including:
Attending biannual League convenings, which feature school visits, deep-dive breakout sessions, and networking opportunities;
Connecting through regular in-person and virtual programs and events to see innovations from other districts in action, deepen relationships, and share and learn;
Engaging with other forward-thinking education leaders from around the country around key challenges and generating best practices and resources; and
Partnering with Digital Promise to pilot new models and co-design solutions that benefit educators and students.
Working with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities, the League of Innovative Schools equips superintendents and district leaders to help shape the future of teaching and learning through hands-on opportunities to collaborate, connect, and learn. League members have access to unique opportunities to co-create, pilot, and scale innovative practices, apply learnings to their own districts, and identify and promote promising practices to other districts across the country.
The League officially welcomed QCSD and other new members at its fall convening from Sept. 30-Oct. 2 in Lindsay, California. The new members’ entrance into the League contributes toward the network’s reach of more than 150 districts across 34 states, and expands its cumulative impact to 4.4 million students served over time. For more information on the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, visit digitalpromise.org/league.
Digital Promise is a global nonprofit working to expand opportunity for each learner. We work with educators, researchers, technology leaders, and communities to design, investigate, and scale up innovations that empower learners, especially those who have been historically and systematically excluded. Our work is done so that every learner can engage in powerful learning experiences that lead to a life of well-being, fulfillment, and economic mobility. For more information, visit the Digital Promise website and follow @digitalpromise for updates.