Education Leaders Cite Student Engagement Among Their Top Concerns for This Academic Year

Education Leaders Cite Student Engagement Among Their Top Concerns for This Academic Year
Edmentum Pulse Survey finds learning loss and interest in CTE programs attributed to overall student engagement

Bloomington, MN (September 14, 2023) — According to a recent survey commissioned by Edmentum, a global education leader in K-12 learning technology solutions, and conducted by Hanover Research, a leading provider of analytics and insights to education leaders, the top three issues facing district administrators and building leaders heading into the new academic year include student socialization (50%), student engagement (47%) and adaptation to the classroom environment (37%).

Results from the first Edmentum Educator Pulse Survey indicate these challenges are relatively new since the pandemic, with more than half of education leaders indicating these issues have gotten worse.

When asked which challenges have worsened (or improved) since the pandemic, education leaders indicated the increased number of students performing below grade level (75%) and poor socialization (68%) as the top two. In fact, survey respondents attribute lack of student engagement as the primary reason leading to learning loss in their schools (58%) followed by students not studying or completing their homework (55%).

“Following the pandemic, many students have struggled returning to the classroom environment in the same way they had in the past. Student engagement can take shape in a variety of forms, and the key to sparking their interest is through the teacher-student relationship,” explained Jamie Candee, President and CEO, Edmentum. “Offering a hybrid approach to student learning that includes personalized intervention and relationship building is critical to addressing their needs and, ultimately, their academic outcomes.”

One-quarter of educators expressed challenges with learning loss in their schools, and indicated the barriers they face in mitigating the issue include the need for personalized interventions (58%) and evidence-based interventions (54%). District leaders have plans to address these challenges through additional in-classroom learning supports (57%) and education technology tools (55%).

Among the solutions Edmentum provides include diagnostic assessments that enable educators to pinpoint where students have skills gaps so they can provide the appropriate level of intervention, and, ultimately, prepare them for state proficiency exams. Recent studies in Arizona and South Carolina demonstrated a strong and significant correlation between student scores on Exact Path diagnostic assessments and their performance on the Arizona Academic Standards Assessment and SC READY exams.

Additionally, one-third of education leaders surveyed reported anticipating challenges with career-connected learning which they also attribute to lack of student engagement (58%) and student interest (56%). Private schools (43%) are more likely to report a lack of career-connected learning opportunities than public schools (29%), and larger districts (those with 2,500+ students) are significantly more likely than smaller districts to invest in career technology education lesson planning and digital resources.

About the Edmentum Educator Pulse Survey

Edmentum conducted its first-ever Educator Pulse survey with Hanover Research, a leading provider of data and insights to education leaders, in May 2023. The online survey reached more than 300 district administrators and building leaders across the U.S. – including public, private and charter schools – to gauge current challenges, priorities and barriers in K-12 education.

About Edmentum

Edmentum is a leading provider of K-12 digital curriculum, assessments, and services to more than 43,000 schools, 420,000 educators, and 5.2 million students in all 50 states and 100+ countries worldwide. Building on its 60-year history of impact, Edmentum creates innovative, proven learning technology, partnering with educators to ignite student potential. For more information, visit edmentum.com.

About Hanover Research

Founded in 2003, Hanover Research is a global research and analytics firm that delivers market intelligence through a unique, fixed-fee model to more than 1,000 clients. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Hanover employs high-caliber market researchers, analysts, and account executives to provide a service that is revolutionary in its combination of flexibility and affordability. Hanover was named a Top 50 Market Research Firm by the American Marketing Association. To learn more about Hanover Research, visit https://www.hanoverresearch.co....