Annual CoSN Report Highlights Nationwide Survey Results of Key Trends & Challenges for K-12 IT Leaders
Washington, D.C. (April 30, 2024) – CoSN today released its 2024 State of EdTech Leadership report. The annual survey — now in its eleventh year — gives school district leaders and policymakers a holistic understanding of the K-12 IT landscape.
This year’s report provides an opportunity for EdTech leaders, who are often siloed within their own district, to benchmark their efforts or simply see what others are doing. It also is valuable to superintendents, school boards and business officers as they determine priorities and budgets to address these challenges — critical information that will also serve as a directional guide to CoSN’s resource and program development.
The report was developed based on a national survey of over 980 EdTech leaders across U.S. school systems. According to the results, districts are modernizing their infrastructure; however, more responsibilities such as HVAC, phone systems and physical security systems come under their purview and run on the school network. EdTech leaders are also challenged by persistent problems such as hurdles to hiring qualified IT talent, issues of student home internet and device access, funding cliffs as pandemic funds expire and enormous threats of cybersecurity attacks.
“The role of EdTech leaders is rapidly expanding as technology is permeating every aspect of our education system, necessitating their proactive involvement. Our latest survey underscores the growing complexity of their challenges, from developing Generative AI best practices and cybersecurity measures to addressing the digital equity divide. Since 2013, demands on EdTech leaders have surged, yet district resources have not kept pace with these escalating needs,” said Keith Krueger, CEO, CoSN.
The survey and report were conducted in partnership with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, CDW Education, K12 Insight, Lightspeed Systems and MCH Strategic Data. This year’s top findings include the following:
1) The overwhelming majority of EdTech leaders (97%) see benefits in how AI can positively impact education and over a third (35%) of districts report having a generative AI initiative.
2) Cybersecurity remains the top concern for EdTech leaders, with 99% of districts taking measures to improve protections. Increasingly, districts are on a path to implementing many cybersecurity best practices.
3) An overwhelming majority (93%) of districts are using technology solutions designed to address or improve student well-being.
4) A growing number of districts no longer provide any services to address student home broadband access — 31% this year compared to 19% just two years ago.
5) Single Sign-On (SSO) is the most fully implemented interoperability initiative with 43%. Full implementation rates for other Interoperability initiatives lag far behind.
6) Cybersecurity ranks number one on EdTech leaders’ lists for professional learning, with 85% of respondents indicating they were extremely or very interested. Second was IT crisis preparedness with 78%, followed by Driving and Sustaining K-12 innovation with 77%.
7) EdTech leaders cite the inability to hire skilled staff as a top challenge, ranked second behind budget constraints.
8) 64% of districts report taking measures to increase team diversity, with a quarter actively recruiting. However, only a third (34%) of districts report adding underrepresented populations to their technology department team in the last two years.
“Leveraging and championing technologies in our school systems has never been more important in public education. Everyday terms such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital equity and interoperability are top of mind in learning communities throughout our country, which is why it’s not surprising to see some of this year’s key findings focusing on these areas,” said David R. Schuler, Executive Director, AASA. “Once again, it’s an honor to partner with CoSN on this invaluable resource. I congratulate Keith Krueger and his team for administering the survey.”
“CDW is a proud corporate partner of CoSN and this annual survey to help support our district leaders in solving problems, planning for the future and building capacity in education technology leaders,” said Janice Mertes, State Level Ambassador, CDW Education.
“As the K-12 community tackles critical challenges, including infrastructure security, data privacy, AI adoption and digital equity, the 2024 State of EdTech report again provides an important view of IT leaders’ priorities. Lightspeed Systems is proud to be a longstanding partner of CoSN, working together to understand and address these top issues head-on,” said Brian Thomas, CEO, Lightspeed Systems.
To download the full report, visit: https://www.cosn.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024_CoSN_LeadershipSurvey_Report_F1.pdf
To learn more, visit: https://www.cosn.org/edtech-topics/state-of-edtech-leadership/
About CoSN
CoSN, the world-class professional association for K-12 EdTech leaders, stands at the forefront of education innovation. We are driven by a mission to equip current and aspiring K-12 education technology leaders, their teams, and school districts with the community, knowledge, and professional development they need to cultivate engaging learning environments. Our vision is rooted in a future where every learner reaches their unique potential, guided by our community. CoSN represents over 13 million students and continues to grow as a powerful and influential voice in K-12 education. cosn.org
About AASA, The School Superintendents Association
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
About CDW Education
CDW Education makes technology work so students can do great things. We are a trusted partner to schools, districts, and institutions of all sizes. CDW Education leverages a unique combination of decades of boots-on-the-ground education experience and best in class partners, solutions, and services to help you drive the education outcomes that are most important to you. cdw.com
About K12 Insight
K12 Insight helps districts automate workflows across departments, centralize inbound and outbound communications, create a culture of customer service, and listen to their community with a powerful customer service platform with a generative AI-powered chatbot, expert-led research services, a DIY survey solution, and professional development. With the only all-in-one customer service and intelligence platform purpose-built for K-12 education, districts improve community engagement, identify problems before they become crises, build trust with their community, lessen political polarization, and make data-driven decisions. k12insight.com
About Lightspeed Systems
Lightspeed Systems® is dedicated to providing K–12 districts with time-saving solutions to create safe, secure, and equitable education, so they focus where it matters most—students and learning. Lightspeed Systems’ cloud-managed solutions; Security & Compliance, Safety & Wellness, and Engagement & Impact; are purpose-built for school networks and devices. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Lightspeed Systems serves more than 23 million students using 15 million devices in 31,000 schools throughout 42 countries. To learn more, visit www.lightspeedsystems.com.
About MCH Strategic Data
MCH Strategic Data is a pioneer and innovator in educational marketing data. For nearly a century MCH has helped businesses reach administrators and educators within school districts nationwide and of all sizes. Trusted by the CDC, National Institutes of Health, and Harvard to provide the most up-to-date school district data during the pandemic, they offer national data coverage, invaluable expert insights and top-tier personal service to help clients reach their customers with pinpoint accuracy. mchdata.com
MEDIA CONTACT: Makenzie Carlin, mcarlin@fratelli.com, 202-822-9491 x2127
