Impact Update 2025

2025

A Message from Our Team

This past year has been one of growth, learning, and partnership. Together with partners from across the country, we’ve continued to imagine and design the future of learning for all students.

Two publications stand out in 2025.

We also know the best way to learn what’s possible is to see it in action. Over the years, our team has visited hundreds of innovative schools across the country. We’ve catalogued these visits into a growing collection of school profiles, now featured in our growing Innovative Schools Library resource. These exemplars highlight practices, supports, and environments that promote deep engagement, student-centered learning, and have the potential to scale.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re excited to continue building alongside you to develop new school models, support school and district redesign through the Innovation Framework, and amplify stories of innovation that inspire what’s possible.

Thank you for the trust you place in us and for your commitment to learners everywhere.

Our Impact at a Glance

9 Town Halls, 10 publications, 80 podcast episodes, and more than 200 blogs created to inspire and inform educators worldwide.

100+

organizations served through learning design, strategic advisory, professional learning, and storytelling

national and regional events attended, where we explored new learning models, AI, microschools, credentialing, and New Pathways

1M+

Visits to GettingSmart.com

What Resonated Most in 2025?

Partnerships

Learning and System Design

Over the last year, our team has worked closely with state-level leadership to drive systems change. A few of those projects include:

Washington State Board of Education – Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative

We partnered with the Washington State Board of Education (SBE) to provide lightweight advisory and thought partnership for the statewide Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC). The goal was to strengthen school and system implementation of mastery-based learning (MBL) practices and policies, and to build leadership capacity through customized coaching, professional learning observation, and design support for key convenings and resources.

Future of Learning Council – Professional Learning & Cross-District Collaboration

In 2025, we continued our partnership with the Future of Learning Council (FLC), a network of Michigan districts committed to advancing personalized, competency-based learning. Over multiple years, we have supported FLC by co-designing and co-facilitating a professional learning series for district and ISD leaders and supporting system-wide transformation.

Kauffman Foundation – Real World Learning

Getting Smart has served as a long-term partner to the Kauffman Foundation in advancing its Real World Learning (RWL) initiative, with a focus on supporting assistant superintendents across Kansas City metro-area districts. Through the design and facilitation of a yearlong RWL Fellowship, we helped build the leadership capacity needed to drive systemic change in high school learning models—expanding access to real-world experiences and pathways aligned to the region’s college, career, and life readiness goals.

Virginia Leads Innovation Network

This year, we launched an exciting new partnership with the Commonwealth Learning Partnership to support the Virginia Leads Innovation Network (VaLIN) and its High School Redesign Cohort. Over the next two years, we’re helping to lead a statewide initiative that brings together divisions committed to modernizing the high school experience.

Strategy

In 2025, Getting Smart worked with school districts and learning organizations to create strategic plans that center learners, engage communities, and drive measurable outcomes. Our co-design process brings stakeholders into every step, ensuring plans are inclusive, actionable, and grounded in the local context.

Greenfield CUSD, Illinois

We partnered with several districts, including Greenfield CUSD in Illinois (see their strategic plan here), guiding community-driven planning that produced clear goals, measurable initiatives, and roadmaps for transformational learning. These partnerships strengthened local capacity, fostered collaboration, and ensured each plan reflects the unique needs of learners and communities.

Ed3DAO

We partnered with Ed3DAO to analyze existing teacher competency frameworks and educator job descriptions to better understand the core roles and responsibilities of the modern educator. We then assessed how emerging technology and other drivers of change will impact both the profession and the sector to develop an advisory memo to inform a Portrait of a Teacher in the Age of AI.

Professional Learning

Through workshops, communities of practice, and tailored resources, we collaborated with leaders, educators and learners to explore new models, strengthen leadership, and translate bold ideas into actionable strategies.

Microschools Leadership Community of Practice

Across the country, microschools are emerging as powerful spaces for innovation—flexible, small-scale models designed to deeply center students, families, and communities. This year, Getting Smart convened a Microschool Leadership Community of Practice, bringing together leaders from both public and private microschool models to learn, design, and problem-solve in community.

Student Leadership at Notre Dame de Sion

This fall, we had the privilege of kicking off the school year with the incredible student leaders at Notre Dame de Sion in Kansas City. Together, we explored what real leadership looks like, dug into the realities of teen burnout, and shared tools for advocating for others through the lens of authenticity and community.

Success-Ready Students Network

In partnership with the Success-Ready Students Network (SRSN), we designed and facilitated a statewide professional learning series to help Missouri educators deepen their understanding of Real-World Learning and competency-based education.

Looking Ahead

We couldn’t have done this work without our partners—organizations and individuals dedicated to shaping the future of learning. Your trust, collaboration, and bold leadership fueled our shared impact. Thank you for believing in a learner-centered, innovative education system.

As we move into 2026, our core focus areas are:

Transformative and technology-enabled systems level change
School redesign and launch
Building learner leadership capacity
Accessing and credentialing valuable experiences for all high school students
Rethinking civic education
Broadening the reach of and contributions to our media channel

We are excited for what’s next and deeply grateful to have you with us.

Here’s to another year of connection, bold ideas, and real impact!

	Beginning	Piloting	Implementing
From Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery	BeginningFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Beginning	PilotingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Piloting	ImplementingFrom Fixed Standards to Competency-Based Mastery Implementing
From One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning	BeginningFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom One-Size-Fits-All to Adaptive Learning Implementing
From Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry	BeginningFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Beginning	PilotingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Piloting	ImplementingFrom Prescribed Knowledge to Innovation & Inquiry Implementing
From Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning	BeginningFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Beginning	PilotingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Piloting	ImplementingFrom Subjects as Silos to Transdisciplinary, Real-World Learning Implementing
From Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities	BeginningFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Beginning	PilotingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Piloting	ImplementingFrom Schools as Self-Contained to Schools as Embedded in Communities Implementing
From Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment	BeginningFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Beginning	PilotingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Piloting	ImplementingFrom Standardized Testing to Meaningful Assessment Implementing
From Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets	BeginningFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Beginning	PilotingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Piloting	ImplementingFrom Institutional Ownership of Student Data to Student-Controlled Learning Wallets Implementing

A Message from Our Team

First, we released the Public Microschools Playbook, an actionable guide for system leaders ready to explore small, innovative models that expand access, equity, and opportunity.

Second, we shared the Getting Smart Innovation Framework, a comprehensive tool to help schools and districts navigate redesign efforts with clarity and coherence (more below).

Our Impact at a Glance

What Resonated Most in 2025?