As we navigate the evolving landscape of K-12 education, the role of technology and K-12 educational technology leadership has never been more important. Particularly in the post-pandemic era of K-12 education, the influx of technology solutions – everything from curriculum management to hybrid learning to quiz gamification to AI-assisted learning – will require professionals to manage school district technology. What impact did it have on the ecosystem?
A new report is intended to provide some clarity on the challenges plaguing this important group of professionals in the modern education industry. The Consortium of School Networks (CoSN)'s latest 2024 State of Edtech District Leadership Survey identifies lingering challenges in investing in new Edtech tools, collaborating with district leaders on their goals, and implementing and optimally using existing Edtech solutions. The key concerns and priorities of K-12 Edtech leaders are identified as they grapple with new challenges.
K-12 education technology leadership (a full team of education technology experts, an IT leader responsible for implementing education technology, or an educator given new responsibilities for an entire district) has many There are priorities.
- Artificial intelligence (AI): 97% of EdTech leaders believe that AI will be beneficial, especially in productivity (43%) and personalized education (30%), but are concerned about new cyber-attacks (63%) and cyberbullying (47%). ) is of great concern.
- Cyber security: Cybersecurity is a top concern, with 99% of school districts increasing their protection, especially with two-factor authentication usage increasing from 40% in 2022 to 72% in 2024.
- Student health: Although 93% of school districts are leveraging technology to improve student well-being, only 37% have curriculum that addresses cyberbullying and digital citizenship.
- Digital equity: Fewer school districts are offering home broadband access, with 31% offering service compared to 19% two years ago, even though 75% of students report not having access at home. I have not.
- Interoperability: Although most school districts are working on interoperability initiatives, full implementation has not progressed. Single sign-on (SSO) is the most commonly implemented at 43%.
- Professional learning: Cybersecurity is the top professional learning concern for EdTech leaders (85%), followed by IT crisis preparedness (78%) and K-12 innovation (77%).
- Staffing: The inability to hire skilled staff is a major challenge, with cybersecurity monitoring the most commonly outsourced function (57%), up from 23% last year.
- Diversity: Although 64% of school districts are working to increase the diversity of their teams, only 34% have recently hired underrepresented people, including Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino people. are most frequently employed by 19% each.
So how can K-12 education technology leaders strategically address this many challenges while prioritizing the primary goal of providing students and teachers with useful, integrated education technology tools? And the CoSN report sheds light on things that are just as important, if not more important, for K-12 education technology leaders in determining the path forward. What are you not doing?
In this episode of Experts Talk, MarketScale's premier debate and discussion roundtable hosted by B2B voice Daniel Litwin, we uncover specific takeaways from CoSN's new report and shape the future of edtech leadership Analyze your strategy and priorities in detail.
Our distinguished guests include Leena Marie Saleh, known as the “EdTech Guru” and design educator at Canva; Dr. Thomas Waite, President and CEO of K16 Solutions. Ryan Lufkin, Vice President of Global Academic Strategy, Instructure; JW Marshall, Vice President of Marketing, Summit K12.
Guest bio:
- Lina Marie Sale: Leena Marie Saleh, known as an edtech guru, is a veteran educator with over 10 years of classroom experience and 5 years of experience in the edtech field, and is passionate about incorporating cutting-edge technology into education. The focus is on preparing students for the future workforce. She is currently a Design Educator and Content Designer at Canva, where she has developed numerous training workshops, webinars, and educational materials that greatly increase educator and student engagement and usage.
- Dr. Thomas Waite: Dr. Thomas Waite is President and CEO of K16 Solutions, a pioneering education technology company that improves student retention and revenue by shortening the transaction distance between students, faculty, and universities. With over 16 years of experience across multiple educational institutions, Waite has a proven track record in developing innovative solutions for online education, leading strategic planning and driving significant growth in the education sector. Masu.
- Ryan Lufkin: Ryan Lufkin, Vice President of Global Academic Strategy at Instructor, leverages more than 20 years of experience in education technology to shape the company's global vision and growth. Known as the “Edtech Lumberjack,” he frequently speaks on education trends and has been featured in major media outlets such as Forbes, Newsweek, and Edtech His Magazine.
- J.W. Marshall: JW Marshall is Vice President of Marketing at Summit K12, where he leads the K-12 online curriculum provider's marketing initiatives, product launches, and sales enablement. With his 20 years of experience in edtech, he also hosts the “Voices of E-Learning” podcast, where he shares insights and trends in online learning.
Article written by Daniel Litwin.
