SPN was founded in 2003 by Dr. Bill Daggett, and lead by Ray McNulty, with an initial five-year grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Since our inception, we’ve won multiple additional grants that have allowed us to conduct proprietary research and create exclusive instructional and assessment tools that we then share broadly with our network. We’ve also had the rewarding opportunity to work one-on-one with educators at the state, district and school levels, helping all craft a plan to improve student-centered learning as tailored to their unique school and student needs. ​

In 2007 SPN developed the WE Suite of Surveys to measure and support stakeholder perceptions regarding rigor, relevance, learner engagement, leadership and school culture. Those original surveys are now joined by focused surveys for career readiness, academic tenacity, human capital development and other areas to continue supporting schools and districts.

SPN has enjoy long-standing partnerships with state education agencies throughout the United States. Among other areas of this work, SPN is proud to serve as the Technical Assistance Center for Career and Technical Education for the New York State Department of Education.

​Most recently, SPN has merged with the National Dropout Prevention Center. This merger created a powerhouse of resources for educators, schools, districts and states seeking to improve graduation rates.