THE EVOLUTION LAB

Pioneering a Better Tomorrow for you and your School

Supporting innovation in education

The purpose of the MSA Evolution Lab’s (MSA EvoLab) work is simple: to catalyze your school’s evolution.

When you want to dream up, design, and implement a transformational program, the Evolution Lab is here to guide you.

With our help, become one of education’s change leaders. The world needs your talents now more than ever.

WHAT’S NEW AT the LAB

NEW: FORCES AT PLAY REPORT

“At Middle States, we view generative AI as one of the “Forces at Play” that are reordering the world. Forces at Play have three primary characteristics:

1. They are highly context-dependent. Your external and internal situations will determine whether a force is “good” or “bad.”

2. They reshape the world. Forces at play may manifest differently according to context, but their influence cascades across the globe.

3. They are long term. Think decades, not years…”

NEW BLOG POST: How, When and Where Does Change Happen In Schools?

This essay by MSA President Christian Talbot was originally published in June 2024 by the Christensen Institute under the title, “AI accreditation for schools: Why innovative tech requires an innovative implementation framework.”

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FIRST COHORT I RAIL ENDORSED SCHOOLS IN THE WORLD !!

THE BEST TEACHERS ON EARTH

A NEW MSA WORKSHOP SERIES!!!

Calling All PK-12 Teachers— & The School Leaders Who Support Them!

2024 MSA LIVE CHAT+ Q&A SERIES

VIRTUAL EVENTS + PD EXPERIENCES

We offer virtual & in-person workshops for educators and educational leaders across a diverse range of topics.

recent Blog Posts

Blog
How, When and Where Does Change Happen In Schools?
How, When and Where Does Change Happen In Schools?

At Middle States, we worried that attitudes of compliance or credentialism would result in schools “integrating” AI into what they are already doing.

That’s why RAIL is not just an accreditation-style endorsement, but also an implementation framework. It relies on the wisdom of Stewart Brand’s “pace layering” model, which reflects how complex, adaptive systems change (or resist change) over time…

Read More →
Lessons in Change Leadership from Ren Parikh
Lessons in Change Leadership from Ren Parikh

Some leaders impress you with their intelligence. They seem to have mastered every angle of their work.

Other leaders impress you with their emotional intelligence. They make sure people feel seen and known and cared for.

And then there is a leader like Ren Parikh, the founder of Ideal Institute of Technology (“Ideal”). He’s more like a force of nature…

Read More →
The 3 Currencies of Leadership
The 3 Currencies of Leadership

Over a decade ago, I was speaking at a faculty meeting at Malvern Prep, where I was a new Head of School. Not long before I had shared a short paper describing a vision for student-centered learning.

“We need to develop entrepreneurial students,” I said during this faculty meeting. “In a world like ours, they will need to solve problems critically and creatively.”

One teacher—whom I tremendously respected—erupted…

Read More →

ALL ABOUT AI: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WORLD OF EDUCATION

Join The Movement

* indicates required
MSA Communications