Awards

“Innovation is the successful exploitation of ideas, generated at the intersection of invention and insight, which leads to social or economic value.”

This definition of innovation by Futurelab, a nonprofit organization dedicated to innovation in education, is one of the best that exists among all others.

Minnesota's public charter schools are, by law, expected to be labs of innovation in terms of creating different learning opportunities for students, teaching methodologies, formats for measuring outcomes, formats of accountability, and professional opportunities for teachers.

Minnesota's charter schools are required to declare the innovative purposes each school intends to address in its ongoing operation and to report on the implementation of those innovations.

The school's annual report must document the implementation the school's innovative practices.