Authors: Rebecca Griffiths, Erin Higgins
https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/321
Abstract
Education research and development (R&D) too rarely translates discoveries into classroom change, and traditional research cycles struggle to keep pace with urgent needs and rapid technological shifts such as generative AI. The Institute of Education Sciences’ Accelerate, Transform, Scale (ATS) Initiative, modeled on DARPA’s high-reward, responsible risk-taking approach, seeks to build a subfield of education R&D capable of producing breakthrough solutions to persistent challenges. To bring coherence to this work, we adapt the Bridgespan Group’s (2009) “strong field” framework into five interlocking, measurable conditions: shared language and identity, essential practices, a knowledge base, leadership and ecosystem, and pathways to success. For each condition, we offer a definition specific to breakthrough-oriented education R&D and propose assessment approaches using methods such as network and bibliometric analyses, arguing that the process of measuring these conditions can lead to actionable insights. We identify pathways to success as the field’s weakest condition, given decentralized procurement and a severe “valley of death” between pilot and scale. We present the framework as a starting point and invite the field to refine these indicators to guide investment in the infrastructure and capacity needed for breakthroughs.
Suggested Citation: Griffiths, R. & Higgins, E. (2026). Cultivating a strong field: Reengineering education R&D for speed, scale, and impact. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/321
This material was developed under The Institute of Education Sciences Award R305N250006 from the U.S. Department of Education. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IES.