{"id":77236,"date":"2026-03-04T09:36:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:36:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/?p=77236"},"modified":"2026-03-04T09:36:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T16:36:17","slug":"permission-granted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/news\/permission-granted\/","title":{"rendered":"New statewide effort helps Arizona schools act on existing flexibility to improve student success"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy (AIEE) at Northern Arizona University\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0Center for the Future of Arizona\u00a0(CFA), with support from\u00a0KnowledgeWorks, have\u00a0jointly\u00a0launched\u00a0<\/span>Permission Granted<\/span><\/a>, a statewide effort designed to help Arizona school systems move from perceived constraints to practical action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Composed\u00a0of two complementary tools\u2014a\u00a0Policy Primer and\u00a0an\u00a0Innovation Guide\u2014Permission Granted clarifies what education policy flexibilities already exist and how school systems can use them\u00a0to improve student success and postsecondary readiness.\u00a0The effort translates current statute into practical options educators and system leaders can implement\u00a0immediately.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across Arizona, educators and leaders share the goal of helping students succeed.\u00a0Yet\u00a0improvement efforts often slow\u00a0or\u00a0even struggle to\u00a0get off the ground\u00a0because\u00a0of a belief that\u00a0meaningful change requires more\u00a0flexibility\u00a0or\u00a0even\u00a0permission\u00a0at\u00a0the state level.\u00a0In many cases, flexibility already exists,\u00a0but\u00a0schools need clear examples and practical support to put it into action.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cArizona has created significant flexibility over time and continues to pursue even more flexibility,\u201d said Chad\u00a0Gestson, executive director\u00a0of AIEE. \u201cBut policy language alone does not always translate into practice. When educators can clearly see both what is allowed and how schools across Arizona are using it, they are far more likely to act.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPermission Granted is about helping Arizona move from flexibility on paper to real change for students,\u201d said Amanda Burke,\u00a0executive\u00a0vice\u00a0president\u00a0of\u00a0CFA. \u201cSchools across Arizona are already using existing flexibility to redesign learning in powerful ways. By translating policy into practical tools and supporting implementation across communities,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0helping educators turn innovation into sustained practice that improves outcomes and expands opportunity for every student.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Permission Granted is designed to help school systems move from a mindset of \u201cwe can\u2019t\u201d to one of \u201cwe can\u201d\u2014and\u00a0ultimately to\u00a0sustained action on behalf of students.\u00a0By clarifying policy and elevating real examples, Permission Granted helps educators and partners design learning experiences aligned to student needs rather than institutional assumptions and move more quickly from understanding to implementation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From policy to practice<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Permission Granted includes two tools, the\u00a0Policy Primer and\u00a0the\u00a0Innovation Guide.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Policy Primer<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n