Research & Innovation (R&I)

We provide high-quality analysis and reporting designed to support continuous improvement at all levels and support strategic planning around district priorities. Our approaches include:

• Quantitative research methods
• Qualitative research methods
• Data visualization
• Policy analysis
• Improvement science
• Research-practice partnerships

R&I is now using Tableau Public for its public reporting, which includes Annual Reports, Strategic Framework dashboards, COVID case reporting, assessment and climate survey reporting, and more.

We are the drivers of innovation within MMSD. We are teachers, researchers, and district leaders at MMSD who listen for and seek out bold, new ideas and in order to excite, engage and establish equity in a real way.

About us

In 2018, then Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Cheatham listened to over 2,500 students, staff, families and community stakeholders in order to develop a strategic framework that centers around the needs, wants and desires of MMSD stakeholders. From these voices, MMSD set a goal to embrace innovation. Working in partnership with American Family Insurance’s Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, ROCKiT, MMSD’s innovation team, launched in the fall of 2018 with the goal to intentionally cultivate, develop and grow MMSD's capacity to innovate around complex, equity-based problems in order to find new opportunities so our students, staff and community thrives. During the summer of 2022, ROCKiT merged with the IRE (Institutional Research and Evaluation) department to become what is now the Research & Innovation Department of MMSD.

Our partnership

American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact aims to close equity gaps in America. To make that happen, they invest in visionary entrepreneurs who build scalable social enterprises in the following areas: economic opportunities, healthy youth development, learning and academic achievement, and resilient communities. The Institute provides MMSD’s ROCKiT team with workspace, time, and resources to build innovation skills and capacity.

A History of Innovation: MMSD’s Innovation Grant Fund

From 2014-2018, the Innovation Grant Fund provided funding of up to $30,000 per award to support the planning and implementation of an innovative school-based project for one to two school years.

Since that time, MMSD has aligned the Innovation Grant program with our new Strategic Framework. The ROCKiT team is currently identifying ways to smartly leverage these funds to engage in innovative projects vetted through MMSD’s innovation design process.

Our approaches include:

• Liberatory design
• Agile/lean practices
• Service design
• Qualitative Research
• Improvement science
• Research-practice partnerships