District 91心頭istration used artificial intelligence as a reporting aid to identify patterns and common themes across recent superintendent appointments and retirements.

Superintendent hiring is often internal

Assistant, associate and deputy superintendents are油frequently appointed to the top spot, typically after serving in interim roles. Boards cite continuity and trust as key conditions for managing budget pressures, enrollment shifts and post-pandemic recovery.

It’s also preferred that newly appointed leaders already understand local politics, labor agreements and community dynamics.

Meanwhile, superintendent movement has become unmistakably lateral. Sitting leaders often move to districts of similar size or complexity, sometimes across state lines.

These appointments highlight boards’ favorability toward leaders experienced in a variety of fields: navigating growth, finance management or accountability challenges.

Financial decision-making is a near-universal hiring criterion. With pandemic relief funds having expired and enrollment declines sapping budgets, boards want leaders who have overcome spending shortfalls, overseen capital projects and right-sized district operations.

Instructional leadership, diversity and burnout

Boards are eager to hire candidates who have improved graduation rates, raised accountability scores or aligned instruction with data. Districts overwhelmingly prefer superintendents who can drive results, communicate progress and adjust strategy after sudden changes.

Another trend across油District 91心頭istration’s油coverage spotlights a consistent stream of first-time superintendents, women leaders and leaders of color entering the superintendency. Equity is often tied to community trust and student engagement.

Communication skills remain essential for superintendents. Boards routinely praise new superintendents for empathy, transparency and relationship-building, especially in areas where political tension is high.

The latest round of retirements also that superintendents are burnt out. Zalaznick’s reporting suggests departures are announced well in advance, with long-term leaders exiting after decades in education.

粥鉛岳看乙艶岳鞄艶姻,油District 91心頭istration’s油latest reporting reveals a profession in transition, not retreat. Districts’ expectations are growing more complex as the profession evolves, narrowing school boards’ risk tolerance.

The modern superintendent is experienced in managing budgets, leading instruction, guiding communities and steady in the public eye.

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More from 91心頭: Diverse group of administrators gets first chances at superintendency

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Just 33% of parents think cellphones should be allowed in the classroom, from education reform nonprofit EdChoice confirms.

Parents feel that schools succeed in balancing technology and instruction. More than 80% of parents report being at least “somewhat” satisfied with their child’s use of technology in school, including 44% who are “very” satisfied. Less than one in 10 parents feels dissatisfied.

School choice and schooling experiences

Reflecting a national trend, parents are increasingly supportive of education savings accounts (68%), school vouchers (62%), charter schools (64%) and open enrollment (70%). Support for refundable tax credits in K12 education is also high among K12 parents (75%).

When asked to grade the quality of their child’s schooling, private schools were much more likely to receive an A (48%), compared to only a third of public schools. However, an overwhelming majority of both private (88%) and public school parents (77%) rated their schools either an A or B grade.

Less than one in 10 private (4%) and public school parents (5%) gave their schools a D or F grade.

In terms of student well-being, parents are confident that their schools can address issues of attendance (76%), academic progress (74%) and technology use (71%). On the other hand, parents are less confident in their school’s ability to handle class sizes (45%), transportation and start times (46%).

Notably, just 53% of parents say their school manages safety, compared to 55% of parents who say the same about their child’s mental health.

Promoting durable skills

For the first time, EdChoice asked parents’ opinions on durable skill development. More than 80% say schools should prioritize communication, critical thinking, teamwork, adaptability and responsibility.

The good news for K12 leaders is that 84% of parents say their school does a good, very good or excellent job at teaching durable skills.

Read the full report .

More from 91心頭: FETC 2026: How to drive new levels of student engagement

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���We had hundreds of subs in classrooms where we had not been able to find teachers,��� Howard said. ���Coming back into the district, 37% of our teachers had five years or less experience.���

It wasn���t Howard���s first time leading in . Years earlier, she served as principal of Robert E. Lee High School (now Midland Legacy High School). She later moved into district administration and served as superintendent in the Plains and Crane ISDs. Her perspective and experience as deputy superintendent in Ector County shaped her approach to teacher retention.

In a smaller district, she said, reduced class sizes had not delivered results. ���Half of our kids weren���t reading on grade level,��� Howard said. That ���aha moment��� showed her teacher quality mattered more than class size.

Resetting opportunity culture

To tackle retention and student achievement, Howard focused on Midland���s partially implemented ���Opportunity Culture��� model. The approach extends the reach of highly effective teachers and embeds coaching within small, empowered teams.

At the time, Midland had 16 campuses rated D or F and only seven rated A or B, based on the Texas Education Agency Rating System. Howard called the ratings a “red flag” and said the model wasn���t being used effectively. “If we���re using opportunity culture right,” she said, “those types of metrics should not be showing up.���

Howard led a districtwide reset. Instead of a single instructional coach for dozens of teachers, the model creates grade-level teams led by multi-classroom leaders. These individuals split their time between teaching and coaching, building retention by giving new teachers daily mentorship.

Retention, results and measurable gains

The strategy strengthened teacher retention, which led to greater achievements for the district. Midland reduced the number of teachers with five years or less experience from 37% to 35%, which Howard said reflected the value of coaching and new compensation structures���a modest but meaningful reduction.

More than 64 now earn over $100,000, thanks to stackable pay tied to leadership roles and performance, she said. Sustainability, she stressed, was also non-negotiable: ���If it is not budget neutral, it can���t be maintained.���

The district has also seen significant academic progress. Since 2023, Midland has increased A- and B-rated campuses from seven to 14 and reduced D- and F-rated campuses from 16 to nine.

Of those 16 low-rated campuses, nine were failing at the time. Now only one remains. According to Howard, the connection between retention and student outcomes is evident: stronger teacher support leads to higher achievement.

Looking ahead: Retention as a mindset

Howard sees retention not as a program but as a staffing mindset. ���Strategic staffing is a way of doing business,��� she said, noting that districts must be creative to meet today���s workforce and funding challenges.

���There���s not an abundance of teachers coming out of the pipeline,��� she said. Opportunity culture teams offer one solution.

For other districts aiming to boost teacher retention, Howard recommends they learn from those already succeeding. ���I would recommend that they visit a campus or a district that does this,��� Howard said. ���There���s a lot to be learned from people who have already pulled it in���and they can help you accelerate it in your own district.���

And for Howard, seeing those gains unfold in the very district where she once served as a high school principal makes the progress even more meaningful. Coming full circle in Midland, she said, is about more than leadership���it’s about ensuring every student has a teacher who makes them want to stay, learn and succeed.

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Fort Worth ISD’s elected school board will be replaced with a state-appointed board of managers, Commissioner Mike Morath told on Thursday. The takeover is a result of one now-closed campus receiving five consecutive F academic ratings.

“What we have announced today is that the enforcement decision that we’re making, that we’re required to make under state law, is to install a board of managers for Fort Worth ISD,” Morath told the news outlet. He added that this process will take several months.

The district, which is home to some 67,500 students, addressed the rumors in a Facebook post on Wednesday, noting that more information will be shared when available.

“Our focus remains on our students by providing uninterrupted learning,” the district wrote on Facebook. “We are grateful to our educators and staff for their continuous commitment to our students and families.”

The district can appeal the decision, according to . Once the appeals process concludes, Morath will appoint members of the board of managers, the conservator and a new superintendent.

Fort Worth ISD has been under scrutiny since April after the state released its 2023 accountability ratings. The district has reduced its number of F-rated schools from 31 in 2024 to 11 in 2025. However, its history of poor ratings has kept it at risk of a state takeover, according to Fox 4 News.

In recent years, Texas has proven itself successful in carrying out state takeovers, at least in the case of Houston ISD, which has been under state control since 2023.

At the time of the takeover, 121 of the district’s 273 schools had received a D or an F rating. State-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles told油District 91心頭istration油in September that the district no longer has any F-rated schools.

“We are breaking the myth that it takes five, six, seven years to turn around a district,” Miles said. “We’re breaking the myth that there aren’t enough instructional leaders. We’re breaking the myth that there’s a teacher shortage in urban areas, and you can’t overcome it. We’re breaking these myths right and left.”

More from 91心頭: These 43 principals exemplify resilient leadership

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The results of the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as the , mark the first snapshot of academic proficiency since the pandemic. Eighth-grade average science scores fell for the first time since the assessment debuted in 2009.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the results further reinforce the Trump 91心頭istration’s aim to loosen federal control of education.

“Success isn’t about how much money we spend, but who controls the money and where that money is invested,” McMahon said in a statement. “That’s why President Trump and I are committed to returning control of education to the states so they can innovate and meet each school and students’ unique needs.”

Eighth-grade science

Thirty-one percent of eighth-graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient achievement level in 2024, four percentage points lower than in 2019. Additionally, 38% performed below the NAEP Basic achievement level, five percentage points higher than in 2019.

Matthew Soldner, acting commissioner for the National Center for Education Statistics, said the fact that nearly 40% of eighth-graders scored below basic achievement levels reflects “ongoing struggles” for students preparing to enter high school.

As for 12th-graders, the findings are just as concerning to education leaders.

Twelfth-grade mathematics

The NAEP mathematics assessment tests students’ knowledge in four content areas: number properties and operations; measurement and geometry; data analysis, statistics and probability; and algebra.

Similar to eighth-grade science, the average score in 2024 was the lowest it had been since the assessment began in 2005. Between 2019 and 2024, scores declined for all but the highest-performing students at the 90th percentile.

Furthermore, the achievement gap between the highest- and lowest-performing students was larger in 2024 than in all previous assessments.

More specifically:

• 22% of twelfth-graders performed at or above the NAEP Proficient level in 2024, two percentage points lower than in 2019.
• 45% of twelfth-graders performed below the NAEP Basic achievement level, five percentage points higher than in both 2019 and 2005.

12th-grade reading

Finally, 2024’s report card measured students’ reading comprehension skills, particularly their ability to locate and recall information, interpret what they’ve read and critique what they’ve read.

Reading scores were also lower in 2024 than in all previous assessments, and only those who scored in the 90th percentile do not represent declines from 2019 to 2014.

Thirty-five percent of 12th-graders performed at or above NAEP Proficient in 2024, two percentage points lower than in 2019 and 5% lower than in 1992. Meanwhile, 32% of students performed below NAEP Basis in 2024, which was 2% higher than the 2019 figures and 12 % higher than in 1992.

NAEP estimates that 35% of twelfth-graders were academically prepared for college in terms of reading in 2024, down from 37% in 2019.

“Scores for our lowest-performing students are at historic lows���continued declines that began more than a decade ago,” Soldner told reporters. “My predecessor warned of this trend, and her predecessor warned of this trend as well. And now I am warning you of this trend.”

More from 91心頭: The real reasons public schools are enrolling fewer students

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Evidence suggests outcomes vary depending on the specific model and context, according to a new research brief from the . For districts considering adopting the model, the research examines the academic, operational and financial implications as well as key considerations for district leaders.

The Wake County Public School System in North Carolina rapidly implemented multi-track year-round education���where individual students attend school for nine months, but on staggered schedules���to address overcrowding in its schools. While it , it saw no overall academic gains.

Additionally, the district initially faced legal challenges from parents who opposed mandatory enrollment in multi-track year-round education systems, and now the district actively includes parents in their school assignment process.

The research suggests that such a transition requires careful consideration of financial, logistical and community factors. For instance, single-track year-round education���a model in which students have shorter vacations spread through the year���may increase costs due to intersession programming, staffing and year-round operations, while mult-track models require complex scheduling and transportation coordination.

Kristin Simmers, lead author of the report, that families and teachers must also be included in the planning process.

“Family schedules, childcare availability and extracurricular activities must also be considered,” she wrote. “Additionally, teacher workload and retention remain key concerns, as anecdotal reports on impact on teacher stress are inconsistent.”

For district leaders who are considering a year-round education model, consider these successful strategies:

• Define objectives about whether year-round implementation will address overcrowding, improve academic outcomes, or both.
• Engage educators, families and stakeholders throughout the decision-making process.
• Ensure equitable access to remediation and enrichment.
• Secure funding for intersession programs when appropriate.
• Consider a phased approach or pilot program before full-scale adoption.

Read more about the research .

More from 91心頭: What Gen Z needs to know about non-college pathways

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Date & Time: Wednesday, August 27th油at 2 p.m. ET

As more students take on the challenge of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, teachers are under growing pressure to deliver college-level instruction while supporting students at different readiness levels. With limited time and growing class sizes, it can feel nearly impossible to personalize learning and keep up with grading.

That���s where AI can help.

In this 30-minute Ed Talk, join a practical conversation about how AI tools can support AP teaching and learning. Participants will learn specific ways AI can help with personalized practice, real-time feedback, and streamlining teacher workload���without adding complexity.

What You���ll Learn:油

• What AI can (and can���t) do in real AP classrooms
• How to support student practice and personalized feedback with AI
• Ways to reduce teacher workload, not add to it
• Smart, simple steps to start using AI effectively

Walk away with clear, achievable ideas for how AI might fit into your AP program���no hype, just helpful tools and thoughtful insights.

Speakers

Dr. Chris Hess, Director of AI Strategy, Pearson

Megan Smith, AP Portfolio Manager, Pearson

Sponsored by

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Challenges such as language barriers, transportation, childcare constraints and conflicting work schedules often keep schools from managing a strong, engaged relationship with families, according to a from NWEA, a K12 assessment and research organization.

However, there are several strategies leaders can incorporate to mitigate this issue. Here are five ways you can increase collaboration in your district.

5 ways to boost family engagement

Transparent communication

91心頭istrators should start by improving油their communication practices. Providing families with clear, actionable information on their child’s academic progress is a critical step toward academic recovery.

Leaders must also acknowledge the post-pandemic grade inflation to give families a more accurate reflection of their child’s academic performance.

Address the “do no harm” approach to grading

This approach became common practice during the pandemic, the report argues. This includes pass-fail grading or freezing grades before transitions to online learning.

The researchers write that this strategy created a disconnect between student letter grades and other measures like standardized test scores.

“This disconnect could explain, in part, why families underestimate the value of post-COVID academic supports that test scores indicate are necessary,” the report reads.

For example, a underscores several disparities suggesting a rise in grade inflation before and after the pandemic, including cases where students are receiving high grades despite test results indicating they are not meeting grade-level expectations.

More from 91心頭: 4 ways states can better address chronic absenteeism

Rely on actionable information

Families want schools to share clear plans for intervention when students have fallen behind grade-level expectations, according to a recent .油 Other research confirms the importance of assessment-driven communication with families, NWEA noted.

A found that providing feedback to ninth-graders based on formative assessments significantly improved their performance on end-of-year tests.

Carefully frame assessment data

Finally, encourage educators to communicate with families thoughtfully about assessments. This includes explaining what assessments measure and moving beyond numbers and data, as well as what tests reveal about each student’s strengths and needs for improvement.

“Communication that is friendly, welcoming, and invites further dialogue can continue to keep families engaged,” the report concludes.

Take a closer look at the research .

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Since 2019, preschool participation hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels, reading and math scores have declined, and chronic absenteeism continues to plague school districts, according to the from The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Specifically, 73% of eighth-graders were not proficient in math in 2024, a 9% increase since 2019, and 70% of fourth-graders were not proficient in reading, a 6% increase.

However, high school graduation rates油improved between 2018-19 and 2021-22, with a 7%油drop in the share of students not graduating on time.

These metrics were used to calculate state rankings based on overall education quality.

Find where your state ranks (from best to worst) using the list below:

1. Massachusetts
2. New Jersey
3. Connecticut
4. New Hampshire
5. Utah
6. Wisconsin
7. Illinois
8. New York
9. Colorado
10. Pennsylvania
11. Indiana
12. Vermont
13. Virginia
14. Tennessee
15. Ohio
16. Mississippi
17. Minnesota
18. Maryland
19. Florida
20. Iowa
21. Nebraska
22. Wyoming
23. North Carolina
24. Kansas
25. Kentucky
26. Montana
27. Washington
28. Rhode Island
29. Hawaii
30. California
31. Texas
32. Georgia
33. Missouri
34. South Carolina
35. Louisiana
36. Arkansas
37. Delaware
38. Alabama
39. South Dakota
40. Idaho
41. Maine
42. North Dakota
43. Oregon
44. Michigan
45. West Virginia
46. Nevada
47. Arizona
48. Oklahoma
49. Alaska
50. New Mexico

More rankings

TIME ranks the top 20 edtech companies in the world

In its second year,油油and Statista unveiled their annual油油ranking, with U.S.-based companies taking up most of the list.

The 10 best���and worst���states for teacher salaries

Teacher salaries now hover around $72,000 a year, a figure that���s expected to grow by 3% this year. Yet, due to inflation, teachers are still making 5% less than they did 10 years ago.

A 50-state look at the well-being of LGBTQ+ young people

The well-being of LGBTQ+ young people suffers not because of who they are but due to mistreatment and stigmatization, a leading suicide-prevention organization contends.

The post Where does your state rank for education quality? appeared first on District 91心頭istration.

Many superintendents care deeply about providing油sufficient resources, establishing instructional priorities and monitoring student progress. While each goal is important, some of the most high-performing schools focus heavily on promoting a positive climate, empowering strong leadership and setting high expectations for rigorous instruction.

That’s according to from FutureEd, an independent, solution-oriented think tank at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. The researchers suggest that while every educational institution aims to give students a strong academic experience, national student achievement levels continue declining. This has prompted experts to question whether traditional measures of achievement data are the best way to assess school performance.

Standardized test scores would, of course, be included in any overall performance assessment but would be one of several factors in a balanced system that fully captures student outcomes and the contributors to student success, the research claims.

A new school performance measurement model would prioritize the following five metrics:

1. Access to advanced coursework

The long-standing concentration of white and Asian students in advanced programs resulted in a movement to dismantle gifted and talented programs, exam schools, and other advanced opportunities, FutureEd suggests. It argues that these opportunities promote racial and economic segregation in public education.

Leaders and their teams should work to eliminate the “scarcity mentality” in advanced education that forces students to compete for far too few seats.

The research recommends that districts adopt strategies to ensure courses are staffed with teachers equipped to promote skill-building and a sense of belonging among a more diverse student body.

2. Access to high-capacity teachers and school leaders

Other bodies of research consistently identify teacher and principal quality as the most important school-based drivers of academic achievement. Teacher surveys and analyses of how much principals contribute to their schools’ achievement growth can provide meaningful measures of a school’s leadership quality.

Additionally, studies have shown that student test scores are higher in schools where teachers rate principal instructional leadership highly.

More from 91心頭: Are tariffs impacting schools? Not as much as labor costs

3. How school climate and culture relate to student success

Several states rely on chronic absenteeism rates as a proxy for student engagement and a school’s ability to ensure a positive climate and culture. However, absenteeism is a complex issue that has many causes.

Instead, measuring school climate and culture should rely on well-implemented surveys of students, parents and educators. The results can also be used to identify areas of improvement.

4. Measures of student success after high school

The researchers suggest that high school test scores cannot adequately measure whether a school is preparing students for adulthood. Additional measures���such as whether graduates enroll in college, an apprenticeship or the armed services, and whether they complete those programs���are needed.

“We often evaluate a school based on what happens in that school,” Researcher David Yaeger was quoted in the report. “But the real measure is what happens in your life after you leave that school. That’s a better way to evaluate schools.”

5. Standardized test scores油

Test scores can drive high standards and rigorous instruction by telling students what they should know and be able to achieve. However, research shows that scores have played an outsized油role in performance measurement.

“There’s so much about schools and what students are learning and experiencing in school that cannot be captured on a standardized test,” Elaine Allensworth of the University of Chicago consortium said in the report.

Altogether, these five metrics of school performance provide a richer, more complete picture of a school’s quality, the researchers confirm. Read the full report .

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