Josef Durand, an expert admissions consultant at Quad Education Group, said SAT scores “are a notoriously poor predictor of student success and student potential in college.”

Sayles-Adams' says her 100-day is focused on understanding what people want to see continue and change in the district. "I'm not coming in midyear to make a whole bunch of changes," she said, "but it is a benefit to start now."

Three urban districts choose new leaders as several small school systems are giving administrators their first opportunity to serve as superintendent.

Last year, there were a record 346 incidents of a K12 school shooting. In 2024 alone, there's been nearly one a day and at least 37 people have been wounded or lost their lives.