Innovative Research and Design

Innovative Research and Design (IR&D) is the Maine DOE's ongoing version of the original Rethinking Responsive Education Ventures (RREV) initiative. The original RREV initiative was the result of a $16.9 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education. Maine was one of 11 states that received funding when it was awarded in 2020. That project and its funding ended in July of 2024. To learn more about the original RREV, please see our History page and the RREV Awardees page, where we share innovative pilot information from each of our 42 awarded pilot districts.

Upcoming Events

 

Since the Spring of 2024, our IR&D Team has visited over 25 of our pilots. On several of those trips, we have been accompanied by other educators interested in learning more about the innovative programming being offered to students. These trips, known as Learning Tours, offer educators the opportunity to engage in peer-to-peer learning. While most of our RREV awardees explored innovative programming in Outdoor Learning, we also have sites that showcase innovative Online Learning programs or programs that explore Alternative Education programming – often through ELO experiences or community-based Multiple Pathways. At each Learning Tour site, we work with school staff to create a schedule of events for the day. Here is a **sample tour schedule **from one of our more recent stops. The IR&D team has captured video footage and audio interviews from many of those visits. To see and hear the voices of innovation in action, we encourage you to explore those clips on our Awarded Pilots page.

Through collaboration with the 42 schools awarded pilot funding in the original RREV and with the support of the Region 1 Comprehensive Center, and the RREV external evaluator, ICF, the Maine DOE has learned a great deal about implementing innovative pilots for the purpose of creating and sustaining systemic change. IR&D uses tools, processes, and lessons learned from the original RREV thought partners and collaborators to help schools continue to seek systemic change through innovative solutions to various educational challenges. 

Whether you are a former RREV awardee still championing the innovation work that has already begun at your school or someone who wishes to explore innovation for the first time, our team is here to support your team’s efforts. There is a State Statute that supports innovative work in schools, and our team is here to help guide you in that process.

 

EnGiNE

One of the primary collaboration tools used by IR&D is our EnGiNE platform. This online platform was built for Maine educators with funds from the original RREV grant. This platform houses community forums, collaboration groups, resource sharing, and learning opportunities which are offered through our built-in learning management system.

If you are a Maine educator, you can sign up for a free EnGiNE account and become part of the state-wide education collaborative! With over 3100 members, EnGiNE is currently being used by several educators and Maine DOE teams to collaborate and offer opportunities for professional learning.

 

Upcoming Events