2024 School Year and Beyond: Current Developments
By Davina Spillmann, Senior Consultant, IndySchool Consultancy
As heads finalize their 2024-2025 staffing and may even already be thinking about the school year 2025-2026, there are some distinct trends that independent schools need to be knowledgeable of in terms of programming and hiring. If administrators are not current on trends and in discussions as a team about how trends will affect their enrollment, hiring, and school at large, they are in danger of slipping and falling behind. It is not enough to assume teachers will be up to speed; heads and other administrators need to know what to ask in interviews, what PD is important, and how to coach faculty keeping in mind these growing trends. Not only does this mean it is essential to find the right teachers, but it is even more essential to ensure that you have the correct senior team to confidently handle what’s to come. Here are 11 trends growing in importance:
1. AI in Schools
It is no longer just ChatGPT. There are so many sources now available, that students WILL find a way to use them. When interviewing, if I ask about AI or ChatGPT and the candidate is unfamiliar with it, they are eliminated from contention. Schools need to consider if their AI policies are current and what “cheating” and plagiarism look like in light of AI. Some great AI tools for teachers, courtesy of the EduGuardians, include Quizizz, Curipod, Snorkl.app, Brisk (which is an extension), Diffit, and School AI.
2. Supporting Teachers
As teacher burnout increases, heads have to prioritize teacher well-being. A recent NAIS snapshot showed that those interested in joining the teacher workforce have decreased and salaries have not kept up with inflation. 44% of heads said staff management was one of the most challenging aspects of headship. Given these factors, being a superior leader and boss has become essential. Recently I presented a workshop entitled “How to be a Top Notch Boss”. Leaders need to do their homework to uncover what their teachers need to thrive. Neither students nor teachers are “One size fits all.”
3. Engaging Learning Spaces
More lively and engaging workspaces are being created in schools around the country. There is a move to revive the perception that our learning spaces can be fun, encourage creativity, and foster collaboration. The 2024 Pantone Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, exemplifies this growing trend. Additionally, continued emphasis on modular classroom furniture and outdoor learning spaces continues to grow.
4. Accessibility and Equity
This has recently taken on the shape of looking at equity from the perspective of offering more options to neurodivergent thinkers and those with diverse learning styles. There has been a surge of learning specialist positions in independent schools, and the need for them will only increase as more and more students are diagnosed as neurodivergent in some way. Adaptive edtech and learning spaces are needed to increase accessibility and PD is needed for all of this to keep faculty willing and able to work with all students.
5. Non-Traditional Learning Methods
Many of the issues discussed above, in addition to the pandemic, have led to a sharp increase in the popularity of non-traditional classroom settings. Among the most noted include:
Gamification, growth of esports, and the use of AR and VR in the classroom.
Microlearning- 3-5 minute compact interactive lessons (usually involving elearning) to avoid student fatigue. These tend to be skill-based. The rise in both gamification and microlearning are also leading to the building of better creative spaces for student production and as a newer concept, viewing.
Microschools- these can be modeled after the one schoolhouse approach, a midpoint between traditional school and homeschooling, or a specialized program within a larger school. Each model is designed to empower children to individualize their education with small groups, personalized learning, and typically incorporates high levels of flexibility and technology integration. Some wonderful examples include the Acton Academy group, EDGE, QuantumCamp, and One Stone.
6. Science of Reading
This is an approach, not a program integrating 5 big ideas into teaching reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. It stresses the importance of integration and not teaching these areas in a silo. It is a move away from the phonics vs. whole language debate.
7. Absenteeism
Since the pandemic, absenteeism rates have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, very few schools have been able to crack this yet. Due to that fact, it will be a growing pain point and a crucial discussion topic within schools.
8. Mathematics
Some consider Math to be the ignored sibling of Reading. Schools are now realizing a renewed prioritization of math is imperative. There is also a new focus on not just dyslexia, but areas such as dyscalculia. Math is also argued to be a great tool for students to experience needed “productive struggle”.
9. Professional Development
A 2023 EdWeek poll found that about 50% of teachers said their required PD was irrelevant. 50% of teachers, according to Carnegie Learning, also stated that lack of PD/training and support was the biggest challenge to them using AI in the classroom. Teachers are desiring more specific and individualized professional development. Giving teachers inventories and interest surveys would help. In addition, looking at growing a school PLP model or individual modules for career growth is largely appreciated by teachers.
10. Experiential Learning
Student-centered learning, immersive learning, real-world learning. These names are sometimes used interchangeably with experiential learning; learning is typically based on standards and/or competencies and is often rooted in project-based learning, immersive units, working with mentors, and trying to solve real-world problems. It is often accompanied by outdoor education, travel, or other off campus activities and almost always involves heavy use of technology. Some microschools are forming around these ideas.
11. Soft Skill Development
It is difficult to overstate the importance of soft skills, and yet they have been largely overlooked until the pandemic shed a spotlight on students' lack of these skills. Critical thinking, problem solving, EQ, partner management, executive functioning skills, time management, and empathy building are some of the skills now becoming the focus of regular SEL programs, entrepreneurial classes, and school leadership programs. In a time when it is regularly announced that we are preparing students for careers that do not yet exist, soft skills are the essentials needed, essentials that AI has not yet cracked.
For schools to remain competitive and thrive in 2024 and beyond, two ideas come to mind.
Schools need to focus on value differentiation that aligns with the school mission. Every school will be making moves toward AI and soft skills, as they should. However, how does a school do that and still make its mark? What will bring the most talented staff and largest enrollment to your school? School leaders also need to think about creating and designing positions, programs, and systems with more flexibility. This is reinventing the wheel, but the time has come for that to be necessary.
To thrive in the evolving educational landscape, schools must differentiate themselves while embracing these trends. This requires strategic hiring practices prioritizing finding the right fit for each school's unique mission and fostering a cohesive team equipped to navigate future challenges.
IndySchool Consultancy is a full-service school leadership search and consulting firm, specializing in working with independent schools. Contact us for more information on our services or for a free consultation.