MUSD receives $4.5k grant from AGILE, partnership into educational research & development think tank

Milpitas Unified School District (MUSD) was recently one of only 20 educational entities nationwide selected for membership in the American Group of Innovative Learning Environments (AGILE) Network, part of the international collaborative Global EdTech Testbed Network (GETN).

By doing so, MUSD attained an unrestricted $4,500 grant as well as training in transferable community-led innovation skills; recognition as an elite leader in education innovation; access to research-informed solutions to MUSD’s needs and priorities; and access to additional technical support for fundraising and teacher-level grants.

“MUSD’s partnership will AGILE will augment our Strategic Goal work, particularly SG #s 3 & 4 -- Develop Educational Pathways to Career, and Focus Services and Support Systems to ensure All Learners are Successful,” said Superintendent Cheryl Jordan. “MUSD thrives at the cutting edge of technology integration with learning tools designed to equip our graduates with the skills they'll need to create and lead in the future of work and life.”

AGILE is a vibrant network of diverse and innovative school systems across the United States, focused on partnering in inclusive research and development (R&D) initiatives.  “These opportunities also come with additional grant opportunities that validate the investment made by MUSD leaders, teachers, support team, students, and parent/caregiver time in the R&D process.  This past school year we received $30K for our Assessment for Good partnership,” shared Director of Learning and Innovation Priti Johari, who is spearheading MUSD’s involvement in this educational R&D think tank.
 
MUSD is now part of AGILE’s new initiative to engage learning communities in the co-design and co-development of emerging technologies by amplifying the voices of our students of African and Latinx ancestry in the design process. Partnering schools and educators influence the development and evaluation of emerging education solutions, including curriculum and technology--addressing a well-documented evidence shortage in the market. Studies in the 2024-2025 school year will cover topics including generative AI, literacy, assessment, and mathematical reasoning. 

“By systematically elevating school community perspectives, we believe we will accelerate the pace of breakthroughs in the field of teaching and learning,” said research nonprofit Leanlab Education Founder Katie Boody Adorno of the new network in a June 25th announcement. Leanlab Education is a nonprofit organization that specializes in codesign research between education technology companies and K12 learning communities.