Renaissance Next for Leaders: Innovations in Learning

Jeff Bradbury is an author, podcaster, public speaker, creator of the TeacherCast Educational Network and father of the world famous #EduTriplets.

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Wow, what an incredible week at the ISTE+ASCD Conference in San Antonio, Texas! For those who were able to join, you know the energy was electric. It was a powerful gathering of brilliant minds, all united by a shared passion for shaping the future of learning. The conference was a vibrant showcase of the latest innovations in educational technology, and I had the opportunity to take a deep dive into the groundbreaking announcements from Renaissance that have significant implications for teachers, coaches, and especially school and district leaders.

Here’s a focused look at the three biggest developments from Renaissance that are set to redefine data-driven leadership and instruction.

Actionable Insights with Renaissance Next for Leaders

For school and district administrators, the challenge has always been to synthesize vast amounts of data into a clear, actionable story. Renaissance Next for Leaders is a powerful new dashboard designed to solve exactly that. This platform unifies data from across the entire Renaissance ecosystem—Star Assessments, Accelerated Reader, Freckle, myON, and more—into one centralized location.

Instead of hunting through different platforms, leaders now have a single source of truth. You can monitor high-level trends across your district, compare progress between schools, and filter by specific student demographics to ensure equitable growth. One of the most innovative features is Shareable Stories, which transforms complex data into compelling, ready-to-share presentations. This saves invaluable time and empowers leaders to clearly communicate the impact of their educational investments to school boards, families, and the community.

Insights from the Source: An Interview with Eric Swanson

To get a deeper understanding of the vision behind these powerful new tools, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eric Swanson, Senior Vice President of Practice and Instructional Products at Renaissance, right on the bustling ISTE+ASCD expo floor. In our conversation, Eric explains the “why” behind Renaissance Next and shares how bringing assessment, practice, and instruction into one cohesive ecosystem is designed to empower both teachers and administrators.

He offers fantastic insights into the future of data-driven leadership and the thoughtful approach Renaissance is taking with AI. Watch the full interview below to hear directly from him about how these innovations will translate into meaningful impact in your schools.

Harnessing AI to Empower Educators

Artificial intelligence was a dominant theme at the conference, and Renaissance showcased its “human-in-the-loop” approach, focusing on AI tools that enhance, not replace, the art of teaching. Integrated into the new Renaissance Next platform, these AI features are designed to save teachers time and provide powerful instructional supports.

For example, the new AI Create tool in Nearpod can instantly generate high-quality, interactive lessons customized by topic, grade, and standard. In Flocabulary, AI-Powered Playlists help educators quickly curate engaging, standards-aligned video lessons. For differentiation, Freckle’s AI identifies where students need extra support or are ready for a greater challenge, while Lalilo uses advanced speech recognition to assess oral reading fluency and create a personalized learning path. This thoughtful integration of AI gives teachers data-informed suggestions and resources, allowing them to focus more on direct student interaction and targeted support.

Unifying Curriculum and Data: The Core Publisher Experience

Perhaps the most forward-thinking announcement is the new Core Publisher Experience. This groundbreaking solution finally bridges the gap between assessment and core curriculum. Powered by Renaissance Next, it allows districts to integrate their chosen high-quality instructional materials directly with data from Star Assessments.

This creates a dynamic, responsive instructional model. As students complete assessments, teachers receive AI-powered recommendations and resources from their own core curriculum that are perfectly aligned to address identified skill gaps or accelerate learning. It’s an open ecosystem designed to work with top-tier publisher content, enabling educators to deliver truly personalized, data-driven instruction without leaving the platform. This model streamlines tools, maximizes instructional time, and ensures that every student receives the targeted support they need to succeed.

These innovations from Renaissance represent a significant leap forward in creating a more connected and responsive educational ecosystem. By providing clear insights for leaders, powerful AI tools for teachers, and a seamless link between data and curriculum, they are paving the way for a future where every student can achieve their full potential.

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