The long-running LEAP Innovations Pilot Network has taken on a new name to spotlight the faster progress school teams are making toward their teaching and learning goals.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 24, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — CHICAGO, IL – LEAP Innovations has announced the 18 schools chosen for the 2026-2027 LEAP Innovations Accelerator. These schools are among the nearly 160 Chicago schools that have taken part in the initiative since it was launched in 2014. Formerly known as the Pilot Network, the professional learning program was renamed the Accelerator this year to better capture the purpose and impact of the yearlong design experience, and the new title does not reflect any significant programming changes.
The 2026-2027 Accelerator cohorts include returning schools and new partners, serve elementary and secondary grade levels, and draw from neighborhood, magnet, and charter schools across Chicago.
Every school has selected a design team to lead its participation for the year. Each team includes a school leader, two to four teachers, and another staff member, such as a counselor or instructional coach. Through design thinking and professional learning over the coming school year, the teams will strengthen their ability to lead instructional change that creates meaningful, scalable, and lasting improvements in student learning and engagement. The teams are organized into two cohorts to encourage peer learning and the development of best practices. The first cohort sessions for 2026-2027 are scheduled for September 17 and September 24 at the LEAP Innovation offices.
“I am so excited to welcome this year’s Accelerator schools,” said Colleen Padgett, the program’s director, “and begin this journey with educators that are putting students at the center of their vision for learning. There is tremendous energy and commitment across both cohorts. It is clear that these leaders and educators are deeply invested in creating personalized, meaningful educational experiences that meet the unique needs, strengths, and aspirations of every student. We are thrilled to learn alongside them and support the innovative work they will bring to life this year!”
With LEAP serving as facilitator, each design team in the Accelerator identifies an opportunity of practice linked to its school’s priorities, Continuous Improvement Work Plan (CIWP, for Chicago Public Schools), or School Improvement Plan. Shenethe Parks, chief of schools for Chicago Public Schools Network 12, explained why that approach matters for a participating school in her network:
“School improvement happens when we create the conditions for educators to innovate while remaining deeply focused on the needs and experiences of students. The LEAP Accelerator provides Avalon Park Fine & Performing Arts School with an opportunity to turn its improvement priorities into meaningful, student-centered practices that strengthen instruction, deepen engagement, and improve outcomes. I’m excited to see educators build on the strengths of their school community, use evidence to refine their approach, and develop practices that can be sustained and scaled over time.”
Throughout the program, LEAP’s experts will help school teams design instructional prototypes aimed at their opportunity of practice, discover what works, and create plans for scaling. Teams will also explore educational technology solutions and partners that align with that opportunity and may pilot one of those tools or approaches during the program.
Nationally recognized as a model for helping schools design, test, and scale student-centered learning strategies, the program has led to significant gains in student engagement, deeper learning outcomes, and stronger teacher capacity to lead innovation, according to independent research. That record has prompted many schools to return for additional support, continued professional learning, and help scaling effective student-centered practices.
Yadira Guzmán, principal of Whittier Dual Language Magnet School, explained why her school chose to join: “Whittier decided to join the LEAP Accelerator because we saw how much ownership students took in their learning last year when our first cohort of teachers went through it. Classrooms came alive with discussions, and anchor charts to support student learning went from teacher-created to student-created. What a transformation!”
Chicago Accelerator Schools for 2026-2027
Alexander Graham Elementary School
A. Philip Randolph Elementary School
Avalon Park Fine & Performing Arts School
Charles Evans Hughes Elementary School
CICS Longwood Elementary School
CICS Loomis
CICS Prairie
CICS West Belden
Edison Park Elementary School
Intrinsic Downtown
James R. Doolittle Academy
John Milton Gregory Math & Science Academy
Leif Ericson Scholastic Magnet Academy
Lincoln Park High School
Perkins Bass Elementary School
R.H. Lee Elementary School
Whittier Dual Language Magnet School
Wildwood IB World Magnet School
Kristen Vogt
LEAP Innovations
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