Americans’ confidence in K-12 education has fallen to its lowest point in nearly 30 years. But the bigger challenge for superintendents is redefining student success.
Just 32% of Americans are satisfied with the quality of education, down 11% in two years, according to a new Gallup poll. Even among parents, just two-thirds are happy with their child’s schools.
The data point to more than a broad loss of confidence. Families now question whether schools are graduating career-ready students.
For decades, academic indicators like test scores and graduation rates have determined how districts describe their “portrait of a graduate.” Now, families are asking a different question: What can students do with what they learned?
Many districts are building their strategic plan around that question.
Nevada’s Clark County School District, for example, has made future readiness central to its new five-year strategic plan to ensure every graduate is military-, college- or career-ready.
“We want every single child to graduate with a marketable asset,” Superintendent Jhone Ebert told District Administration.
The Huntley Community School District 158 in Illinois is taking a similar approach, elevating career and technical education as a core component of its strategy for the first time.
“[Until now,] we’ve never had a goal centered around future readiness in our strategic plan, and I feel like that’s a strong example of how we’re preparing our students for what’s to come next,” said Amy MacCrindle, assistant superintendent for learning and innovation.
The district offers more than 60 CTE courses in high-demand fields like technology, engineering and computer science.
One popular example is the Geometry and Construction course, according to Huntley High School Principal Marcus Belin, who described it as a “double block class where we’ve merged math and the concepts of math with the physical development of structures and buildings.”
Teaching students AI skills
Schools received their highest praise for preparing students to adapt to new technologies, according to the Gallup poll. But only 30% of Americans say schools are doing a good job preparing students to use AI.
States like Utah are putting the technology in the hands of both students and teachers.
At its core, the Portrait of an AI-Infused Educator and Learner Framework, developed by the state’s board of education, defines the different types of AI and how to interact with the technology.
Every district and charter school in the state decides what technologies to bring to the classroom, said Matthew Winters, the state board’s AI specialist.
“That same autonomy and hands-on ethos extends to how districts train their teachers, not just how they equip their students.”
Building AI proficiency starts with creating professional development beyond seminars. If it involves AI, it should operate like a playground.
“A lot of times, when we’re doing professional development with teachers and districts, or with charter schools, the best ones are the ones where we let them explore, play, think through things, ask questions and tinker,” Winters says.
