Each year, the Top Topics in CoSN’s Driving K-12 Innovation Report highlight the most important forces that are impacting the future of K-12 education. But the most powerful insights often emerge not from the topics themselves, but from how they intersect.
For the first time, an additional week of discussion was added to the Driving K-12 Innovation 2025-26 project cycle to give space for Advisory Board members to reflect on the nine Top Topics chosen for this year after they selected them.
Throughout the virtual Advisory Board conversations that took place during that Synthesis Week, it became clear that these topics rarely exist in isolation. The challenges and opportunities facing school systems are deeply connected, with progress in one area often influencing outcomes in another. When we begin to explore how these topics overlap, a more complete picture of innovation begins to take shape.
The intersections highlighted below reflect some of the most compelling connections identified by Advisory Board members.
“Ensuring Cybersecurity & Safety Online, Critical Media Literacy, and Tools for Privacy & Safety Online. I think the emphasis on making sure students and staff know how to be digitally well and are supported with professional learning and resources to assist in this is a growing need,” (Nicole Bond, Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12, Pennsylvania, United States).
“I love the intersection of Data and Information Visualization with Changing Attitudes toward Demonstrating Learning. If educators focus on the data and make data-informed decisions about their instruction, reteaching, class activities, and individualized instruction, they can start to think beyond a grade on a piece of paper, especially when we are talking about standards-based data. Focusing on the standards instead of the prescribed textbook or worksheet has far more impact on student learning and growth. I have seen it here in my district. When teachers start to assess the standards rather than right/wrong answers on a test/quiz, we have begun to see better decisions on what comes next. We are using Pear Assessment for common assessments so that teachers can look at the data together,” (Katie Harmon, Westhill Central Schools, New York, United States).
“The three Accelerators, Building the Human Capacity of Leaders, Changing Attitudes Toward Demonstrating Learning, Learner Agency all speak to a larger theme/need around recognizing the power of learners and educators. If young people and educators were seen as the capable, curious, creative leaders that they are, their opportunities to engage their agency and demonstrate their skills and expertise would be built into our education systems. Our social and cultural mental models about students and teachers make us think that the system we have now is necessary and the best or only way. Mindsets and beliefs justify the structures that we have, so were those mindsets and beliefs to change, the current structures would no longer seem viable or desirable,” (Katie King, KnowledgeWorks, United States).
“Simply put, innovation is built on a foundation and on a purpose that is the same: people. We seek, and we embrace innovation because we believe it will better our lives, and/or the lives of others around us. I know this is a bit obvious, but every single Hurdle, Accelerator, and Tech Enabler is about empowering and/or caring for people. Both of these are focused on Building the Capacity of Humans. We build capacity through Attracting & Retaining Professionals, teaching/spreading Critical Media Literacy, building up leaders, Changing Attitudes Toward Demonstrating Learning, elevating Learner Agency, and through AI, data, and privacy tools. This makes perfect sense, since our work is completely focused on the benefit of humans,” (Craig Chatham, Lincolnshire-Prairie View D103, Illinois, United States).
The 2026 Top Topics offer valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities facing K-12 education today. These connections remind us that progress in education rarely happens in silos. It happens when leaders, educators, technologists, and communities collaborate to address complex challenges together.
Haven’t read this year’s Driving K-12 Innovation Report yet? Download your copy of the 2026 report now.
AUTHOR: Stephanie King, Writer and Communications Manager,
CoSN’s EdTech Innovations Committee and Driving K-12 Innovation
Published on April 1, 2026
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