Stimulating Excellence: Unleashing the Power of Innovation in Education

[pdf] A small number of highly-successful entrepreneurial ventures in education have begun to transform schools with innovative solutions that have extraordinary potential to serve students more efficiently and effectively. Yet federal, state and local policies often hinder these types of innovations. This report, written by Julie Kowal and Bryan C. Hassel and jointly released by Public Impact, the American Enterprise Institute, the Center for American Progress, and New Profit Inc., offers politically viable solutions to address these barriers.

Based on research and interviews with leading education entrepreneurs, it outlines ways in which policymakers can support the success and growth of entrepreneurial problem-solvers, including:

• Collecting and using better information to create a performance culture in K-12 public schools;
• Opening the K-12 education system to a more diverse set of providers;
• Transforming districts and schools into genuine users of entrepreneurial services; and
• Using public policy to encourage financing for entrepreneurial ventures.