Purpose: Technology-based collaborative learning (TBCL) is the manner in which students can use technological tools and digital platforms to share knowledge and learn collaboratively. It can help increase students' participation, motivation and achievement due to the stimulating teaching environment. The study intends to examine the effect of TBCL…

The new world of work demands not only academic knowledge and skills but also transferable skills such as communications, creativity, and collaboration--skills that are rarely captured formally. Meeting that demand will require a new approach to the high school diploma. The opportunity is ripe to redesign credentials to enable competency-based…

Students need far more than traditional academic skills to succeed in school, work and civic life. Decades of discussion about the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors that facilitate success in the information age have produced consensus that students should learn 21st century competencies. However, many schools struggle to meaningfully…

The mandate of the UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-UNESCO) is to strengthen the educational planning and management capacity of UNESCO Member States. It does so through training, technical cooperation and research, and working with education planners worldwide. As education systems are faced with complexity,…

The traditional college-age population is shrinking: fewer high school graduates pursue higher education each year, resulting in declining student enrollment at colleges across the country. At the same time, there are now more than 40 million Americans who have stopped out of college with some credit and no credential or degree. By opting out or…

These proceedings contain papers of the 6th International Baltic Symposium on Science and Technology Education (BalticSTE2025) held in Šiauliai, Lithuania, June 16-19, 2025. This collection of BalticSTE25 articles presents 13 scientific articles and an introductory article on the topic of natural science and technology education. The articles…

Innovation zones help state policy leaders create space in state policy for local educators to design innovative education models. They allow local districts or schools to request a waiver from outdated state policies and regulations that communities have identified as a barrier to high-quality, student-centered learning. These models are also…

iNACOL published the report "Promising State Policies for Personalized Learning" to highlight specific state examples of promising policies to support and scale personalized, competency-based learning to close equity and achievement gaps. This executive summary outlines the policies in that report.

In the work of the authors with states over the years, they have observed that most follow a similar process when they develop policies or guidelines to support statewide implementation of social and emotional learning (SEL), such as establishing learning goals or standards for student social and emotional competencies, or providing guidance to…

Deeper learning has been defined as "the skills and knowledge that students must possess to succeed in 21st century jobs and civic life" (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, 2013). "Assessing Deeper Learning: Developing, Implementing, and Scoring Performance Tasks" examines the role of performance assessment to facilitate…

COVID-19 has exposed vast and systemic inequities, and calls for a redesigned education system are growing in number and volume. Top-of-mind issues, such as what reopening should look like, administering in-person versus remote instruction, and keeping students and staff safe, are incredibly important. But now, however, is also the time to…

This issue brief shares state policy recommendations and action steps for policymakers who are supporting the redesign of educator workforce systems to enable educators to build the skills, competencies and knowledge needed to thrive in modern, student-centered learning environments. By modernizing educator preparation and development systems,…

Competency-based education is a next generation learning model that focuses on all students achieving mastery, preparing them for success in college, careers and civic life. State leaders can support policy for K-12 competency-based education to help all students succeed. This iNACOL Issue Brief provides an overview of competency-based education,…

This report provides a roadmap and action steps for state policymakers to catalyze transformational change in K-12 education toward a future vision for systems that ensure success for all students. In this report, iNACOL articulates a vision for the future of K-12 education and offers action steps for state policymakers. Its purpose is to inspire…

In January 2018, iNACOL published "Current to Future State: Issues and Action Steps for State Policy to Support Personalized, Competency-Based Learning" to provide state policymakers with a set of action steps to drive transformation of education systems for the long-term. These policy actions are designed to ensure that every student…