Key points:
- An optimism gap leaves administrators more positive about AI’s impact on learning
- Data gaps negatively impact academic progress and attendance
- Building a future-focused, student-centered learning environment
- For more news on district management, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership hub
Administrators are more optimistic than teachers about the future of the teaching profession, student motivation, and the role of AI in the classroom, according to the first annual Savvas Educator Index from Savvas Learning Company.
The survey shows agreement among educators on solutions to close the optimism gap and enhance student success.
The 2024 Savvas Educator Index is designed to understand educators’ perspectives on key issues shaping K-12 education today. Its findings reflect insights from a nationwide survey of more than 1,600 K-12 educators, including teachers as well as school and district administrators.
Key findings include:
More time for instruction and professional development can help close the educator satisfaction gap
While almost twice as many school and district administrators are likely to recommend the teaching profession than teachers, educators in general agree on resources to advance the profession.
- Educators early in their careers and those with more experience report higher satisfaction in their roles in education than mid-career educators. Educators with less than five years of experience (70 percent), 21 to 30 years of experience (67 percent), and more than 30 years of experience (72 percent) are more satisfied in their role in education than those with five to 10 years of experience (58 percent) and 11 to 20 years of experience (62 percent).
- Educators agree more resources, such as funding and staff (87 percent of teachers and 90 percent of administrators), autonomy to do their jobs (79 percent of teachers and 72 percent of administrators), and a stronger connection with parents and caregivers (75 percent of teachers and 87 percent of administrators) would positively impact their level of overall satisfaction with their role in education.
- For teachers, 80 percent would be more satisfied in their role if they could spend more time on classroom instruction and less time on classroom management. Eighty percent (80 percent) of teachers also indicated smaller class sizes would improve their satisfaction. For administrators, 73 percent reported more professional development would impact their level of satisfaction.
Educators agree on paths to empower student success after graduation
Educators reported high school students’ lack of motivation as a top barrier to student success after they graduate high school, but agree providing students with additional educational pathways can help prepare students for the future.
- High school teachers are 37 percent more likely than district administrators to identify student motivation as the most significant barrier to students being successful in college.
- Seventy percent (70 percent) of high school teachers also identify student motivation as the most significant barrier keeping students from graduating high school and earning a living wage.
- Educators report CTE programs (75 percent) and dual-enrollment classes (68 percent) as top choices for helping students be successful after high school.
AI hesitation sparks need for professional development and focus on personalized learning
While educators are mixed on the usefulness of AI in the classroom, with most indicating AI will be somewhat useful, a majority of educators surveyed believe AI can best support student learning this school year through personalizing learning and providing data insights.
- Eighty-one percent (81 percent) more district administrators than teachers say AI will be useful in the classroom within the next two years.
- Training impacts educators’ use of AI. For educators who were trained to use AI, three-quarters (74 percent) of them plan to use AI more this school year than last year. For those who were not trained, less than half (46 percent) plan to use AI more this school year than last year.
- Educators envision AI supporting K-12 education within the next two school years by tracking student progress and providing data-driven insights for instructional planning (57 percent) followed by providing personalized learning experiences (48 percent).
This press release originally appeared online.
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