This paper reframes common narratives about AI replacing teachers by examining how current role definitions shape that perception and where those assumptions break down. It outlines a vision for redesigning educator roles around professional judgment, relational work, and learning design, and identifies the structural shifts needed to support that transition.
The Wyoming RIDE (Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education) initiative is the inaugural program of Wyoming’s Future of Learning Partnership, a state-level consortium working together to support innovative education across the state. The RIDE initiative created an opportunity for districts to update key elements of instruction and assessment to be more student-centered and aligned with the Wyoming Profile of a Graduate (Wyoming Future of Learning Partnership, 2024). Twenty-one districts (almost half of Wyoming’s 48 districts) and three community colleges have participated in the RIDE initiative since its inception in the 2023-24 school year.
We selected four deeply-implementing districts to feature in case studies, in consultation with 2Revolutions (the initiative’s lead design partner). These districts were all in their second year of RIDE involvement, but varied in geography, demographics, student-centered learning focus, and implementation approach. In exploring these districts’ RIDE experiences, we examined how they made sense of and enacted student-centered practices within their local contexts. We were especially interested in how leaders and educators defined what student-centered learning meant in their communities, what supported or hindered their implementation progress, and how early changes showed up in leadership, instruction, and student experiences.
In addition to the four case studies, we also used data from interviews conducted with professional learning providers, state, district, and school leaders, and survey data from 150 teachers and 800 students, to explore broader cross-district themes.
This guide helps state education agency leaders take practical, early steps to embed learning acceleration within daily instruction across their state. Organized around five foundational questions, it provides Hop, Skip, and Leapfrog actions that align vision, policy, and system supports to sustain learning acceleration as a core principle of teaching and learning. The guide includes curated resources, case studies, and tools to help SEAs move from fragmented initiatives to coherent, statewide progress.
This white paper sets a vision for reimagining learning acceleration as a systemwide approach to teaching and learning—one that moves beyond short-term recovery or supplemental programs to become part of the instructional core. Grounded in field research and practitioner insights, the paper offers a roadmap for aligning instructional practices, system structures, and policy conditions to enable durable, equitable progress for all students.
The State of Competency-Based Education Policy Map is an interactive tool developed in partnership with KnowledgeWorks. Designed to highlight state-level innovation, this map provides a comprehensive overview of how K-12 education policies nationwide are supporting the shift toward competency-based education (CBE). Whether you’re a policymaker, educator or advocate, this tool helps you explore how states are enabling personalized, student-centered learning through key policy levers.
Click on a state to view detailed information about:
You can also browse related stories and sort by topic or state to see where opportunities for policy growth exist. This map will be updated regularly as new policies emerge and systems evolve. Join us in tracking the transformation of education, one state at a time.
The Aurora Institute toured three Kentucky sites in 2025 to elevate lessons from past work and to assess progress to date and goals for the future. Using document review, on-the-ground interviews, observation, and existing expertise in deeper learning, each case study aims to authentically tell the story of each system’s shift to deeper learning and the way the changes have shaped the student experience. The three sites include: Metcalfe County Middle School, Woodford County Public Schools, and Beechwood Independent Schools.
Together, we uncovered four key themes as key elements of success at these sites: a shared vision to unite the community, clear expectations that enable flexibility, student demonstrations that unlock authentic applications of knowledge and skills, and opportunities for teacher learning and leadership to lay the groundwork.
These themes echo the existing body of work of the Aurora Institute, the field of competency-based education, and the education research field more broadly. Understanding the implementation journeys of real schools and districts helps bridge a transformative vision into reality for our young people.
This student-facing AI policy outlines clear guidelines for responsible, ethical, and transparent AI use across academic settings, emphasizing academic integrity, digital literacy, and data privacy.
This companion resource to Bridging Urgent to Future offers concrete, role-specific recommendations for SEA leaders, LEA leaders, funders, and researchers to take coordinated action on AI in education. Using the Hop, Skip, Leapfrog framework, it outlines practical steps that address today’s challenges while building toward long-term instructional transformation.
This slide deck details deeper engagement and leadership opportunities that Agua Fria’s AI Ambassadors can choose from to further the school district’s AI initiatives.
This slide deck features examples of AI integration from Agua Fria’s AI ambassadors and provides collaborative time for designing and planning AI-enabled teaching and learning practices.
