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POLICY IN PRACTICE

Exploring North Dakota's policy flexibilities that make personalized learning possible.

North Dakota offers several innovation options that give schools and districts the freedom to design learning systems that work best for their students.

These tools are meant to:

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  • Help you understand what’s available

  • See how other schools are using them

  • Take your next step toward personalized, competency-based learning.

UNDERSTANDING POLICY FLEXIBILITIES

North Dakota has created pathways for schools to design, test, and expand innovative approaches to learning through:

CONNECTING POLICY TO PRACTICE

Policy flexibilities make it possible to bring personalized learning to life.


They open doors for schools to:

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  • Design learning experiences that fit local needs.

  • Redefine what counts as “instructional time.”

  • Build stronger connections between schools and communities.

  • Measure progress by mastery, not seat time.

These waivers
are more than paperwork, they're opportunities to reimagine how students learn.

Bismark Public Schools

Innovative Education Program and Waiver

What it opened up:

North Dakota’s Innovative Education Program and Waiver gave Bismarck Public Schools the flexibility to rethink time, credit and instruction, enabling students to earn core academic credits through interdisciplinary, project-based learning in real-world settings beyond the traditional school day and classroom.

WANT TO LEARN MORE?

You can reach out to ND DPI for direct support or connect with us and we can point you in the right direction.

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