In response to systemic failures of conventional education, the concept of community-led learning ecosystems (CLLEs) has gained momentum, reflecting a paradigm shift in how education is conceived and delivered. CLLEs are reshaping how evidence informs education policy and practice by centering teachers, families, and communities in co-creating both learning environments and the evidence that guides them. Rather than treating evidence as something produced externally and pushed into schools, CLLEs emphasise local ownership over what data is collected, how it’s interpreted, and how it is applied. This approach is innovative in several ways: it values contextual knowledge alongside academic research; it allows for flexible, evolving processes rather than rigid blueprints; and it bridges policy, practice, and community voices, especially at the school district level. CLLEs seek more sustainable, systemic change in education to improve learning outcomes for children. In this sense, evidence is not just a compliance tool but a living guide for continual improvement.
Read more about OTT’s review of evidence use in CLLE here.
You can learn more about this innovation here.