The path to an excellent education can be complex for students who have been historically and systemically excluded, including students of color, students experiencing poverty, students with learning differences, and multi-language learners.

The global nonprofit Digital Promise is supporting school districts in developing systemic solutions through Inclusive Innovation — an equity-centered, multiyear research and design process that engages communities collaborating with educators and district leaders to co-research and co-design solutions to education challenges.

In 2020, Digital Promise implemented Inclusive Innovation by launching the Equitable School Systems Transformation (ESST) Initiative, engaging eight K-12 school districts nationwide to address specific equity challenges within their districts through a multiyear process of systems transformation.

The Bellwether research team partnered with Digital Promise to capture lessons from the eight school districts in their first year of ESST. Inclusive Innovation: Eight Districts’ First Year Journey to Creating School Systems for All Learners includes an overview of processes, takeaways, and useful resources for school systems seeking to implement an inclusive approach to make their schools more equitable.