eSchoolNews recently asked a wide-ranging group of education experts – including three Riverside Insights contributors – to share their 2024 predictions for edtech. Here’s what they had to offer:
To sum it up, I think the key focus areas in 2024 are going to be student agency/confidence, equity, and integrated supports. The impact of the pandemic is coming to a head. NAEP results came out this summer, showing significant decline since 2020, especially in math, and especially for students in minority groups. Whether we agree with the interpretation or not, the headline is that we’ve lost the last 20-30 years of gains. Students that were in 4th grade during the pandemic are now in 7th grade and the gaps in reading and math foundational skills only become more apparent each year.
And on top of that, mental health needs are at an all-time high. If last year we were talking about universal screening, this year we need to be talking about universal services. Just because a student is identified as gifted doesn’t mean they don’t have a need for scaffolding/support. And just because a student is not identified as gifted doesn’t mean they won’t benefit from extension. There’s simply too great a need for individualized services and the only way to deliver it is by integrating it into the gen ed classroom — gifted services, emerging bilingual services, special ed services, etc.
Educators will embrace the tools that most efficiently help them identify students’ needs and streamline the link from that information to tangible, individualized resources/services. Strengths-based insights + Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is the answer.
Rebekah Rodriguez, Riverside Insights Project Manager and Former District Administrator
An increased focus on Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) will be prominent in 2024.
We know legislation and funding are fickle in the gifted world. I think we are seeing the shift from pullout/enrichment to more support for academic growth. With inconsistent funding and a need to ensure gifted services are defensible, there should be more of a focus on academic performance while maintaining equitable opportunity best provided through ability testing.
Monica L. Simonds, M. Ed., CogAT Strategist and Former Director of Advanced Learning Programs
Are students learning? Even the best instruction will not be effective if schools don’t provide a safe, positive learning environment, and if students aren’t ready to learn.
As we head into 2024, we will see an emphasis on tools that support the needs of the whole child. Social and emotional skills set students up with a strong foundation to understand their learning needs, focus, ask for help when needed and collaborate, so they can reach learning goals. Tools that help students develop these skills will lead to improved academic engagement and growth.
Evelyn Johnson, VP Research & Development, Aperture Education, and Professor Emeritus, Boise State University