Hard-Wired for Innovation? Comparing Two Policy PathsToward Innovative Schooling

The task of this study is to compare two policy approaches to fostering, or “hard-wiring,” educational innovation in public schooling: the marketplace approach and the Finnish approach. The results suggest that an innovative public education sector is characterized by decentralized decision-making, institutional space for risk-taking, and strong support systems to both encourage risk-taking on the part of education actors and to spread innovative ideas throughout the education system. Results also suggest that there are several areas in need of further inquiry including the development of a foundational understanding of educational innovation, the need for better data on the ability of competitive markets to foster educational innovations and the kind of innovations they incentivize, and the need for better data on the role innovation plays in Finland’s success in academic achievement.