New Statewide Effort Helps Arizona Schools Act on Existing Flexibility to Improve Student Success

Center for the Future of Arizona and Northern Arizona University initiative translates policy into practical action for educators

PHOENIX, March 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Center for the Future of Arizona (CFA) and the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy (AIEE) at Northern Arizona University, with support from KnowledgeWorks, have jointly launched Permission Granted, a statewide effort designed to help Arizona school systems move from perceived constraints to practical action.

Comprised of two complementary tools — the Policy Primer and the Innovation Guide — Permission Granted clarifies what education policy flexibilities already exist and how school systems can use them now to improve student success and postsecondary readiness. The effort translates current statute into practical options educators and system leaders can implement immediately.

Across Arizona, educators and leaders share the goal of helping students succeed. Yet improvement efforts often slow or even struggle to get off the ground because of a belief that meaningful change requires more flexibility or even permission at the state level. In many cases, flexibility already exists - but schools need clear examples and practical support to put it into action.

"Permission Granted is about helping Arizona move from flexibility on paper to real change for students," said Amanda Burke, Ed.D., Executive Vice President of the Center for the Future of Arizona. "Schools across Arizona are already using existing flexibility to redesign learning in powerful ways. By translating policy into practical tools and supporting implementation across communities, we're helping educators turn innovation into sustained practice that improves outcomes and expands opportunity for every student."

"Arizona has created significant flexibility over time and continues to pursue even more flexibility. But policy language alone does not always translate into practice," said Chad Gestson, Ed.D., Executive Director, Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy at Northern Arizona University. "When educators can clearly see both what is allowed and how schools across Arizona are using it, they are far more likely to act."

Permission Granted is designed to help school systems move from a mindset of "we can't" to one of "we can" — and ultimately to sustained action on behalf of students. By clarifying policy and elevating real examples, Permission Granted helps educators and partners design learning experiences aligned to student needs rather than institutional assumptions — and move more quickly from understanding to implementation.

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SOURCE Center for the Future of Arizona