Press Category: On the Wire

Washington, D.C. — May 5, 2026 — CoSN — The Consortium for School Networking today released its U.S. State of EdTech 2026 report, providing a national snapshot of K-12 education technology priorities, challenges, and trends based on responses from more than 600 education technology leaders across 44 states.

The 2026 report examines how school systems safely, responsibly, and effectively implement and manage technology to support student learning and district operations. Key focus areas include cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), staffing, connectivity, procurement, and community expectations — highlighting where districts are making progress and where more capacity and investment are needed.

“The 2026 State of EdTech report shows that districts are approaching technology with greater intention and maturity,” said Keith Krueger, CEO of CoSN. “Education technology leaders are focused on using technology in safe and effective ways to support learning and operations while also being candid about where districts need more capacity, staffing, and investment to keep pace with evolving demands.”

The 2026 report was conducted in partnership with AASA, The School Superintendents Association, CDW Education, Lightspeed Systems, MCH Strategic Data and Sogolytics.

Key Findings

• Cybersecurity and data privacy rank as the top priorities for education technology leaders, reflecting the essential role secure digital systems play in modern education. Most districts report investing in monitoring, detection, identity protection, and firewall technologies, and many have used established incident response practices and partnerships to strengthen resilience.
• Nearly 80% of respondents report having established AI guidelines, a sharp increase from the prior year. Leaders indicate growing confidence in AI’s potential to support productivity, personalize learning, provide student tutoring, and help prepare students for the workforce, and districts are increasingly providing training of instructional staff on the use of instruction-focused Gen AI tools.
• A majority of districts (55%) require vendors to provide information on product safety. Fewer require information on other key education technology quality indicators — such as evidence‑based design, inclusivity, usability, and interoperability — pointing to an opportunity to further strengthen and standardize procurement practices.
• Districts show strong foundational capacity for education technology, with 66% of respondents reporting adequate staffing for core IT functions like network administration, application installation, and maintenance. However, 58% believe their districts are understaffed when it comes to the instructional use of technology, highlighting an opportunity to maximize the value of education technology investments.
• Education technology leaders continue to cite budget constraints and lack of resources as the top challenge to implementing technology‑enabled learning environments, followed by organizational silos and limited availability of relevant professional development.
• Communities are differentiating between educational and personal technology use, with data showing that concerns are more than twice as high for students’ personal device use at school than education technology used for teaching and learning. The findings underscore the importance of clear communication, thoughtful implementation, and ongoing professional support to ensure education technology continues to advance teaching and learning goals.

“Education leaders are navigating a period of profound transformation, where technology is deeply embedded in every aspect of teaching, learning, and operations. Today’s superintendents and technology leaders must work in close partnership to align vision, strategy, and implementation,” said David R. Schuler, Executive Director at AASA, The School Superintendents Association. “This is not simply about managing devices or systems — it’s about building coherent, future-ready organizations that can adapt to change while staying focused on student outcomes. Technology is not an end in itself — it’s a tool to expand opportunity, personalize learning, and ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education.”

“CDW values our partnership with CoSN on the EdTech Leadership report to elevate the voice of K-12 leaders on the topics of greatest concern and emerging trends,” said Janice Mertes, K12 State Level Ambassador at CDW. “The annual EdTech Leader survey advises CDW on how to support our schools to solve problems, to create strategic plans, and to build leadership capacity to ensure there are safe and trusted learning environments.”

“Schools need more than access to technology — they need confidence it’s safe, compliant, and actually working,” said Amy Bennett, Chief of Staff at Lightspeed Systems. “Through our products and services and partners like CoSN, Lightspeed works alongside districts to provide the visibility and guardrails that turn education technology into measurable impact, helping leaders clearly communicate its value to their communities. This has never been more important.”

Education technology continues to play a vital role in supporting teaching, learning, and school system operations when implemented intentionally and responsibly. As the findings in this year’s report demonstrate, effective technology use depends not only on access to tools, but on leadership, local policies, staffing, and sustained investment that help districts meet the evolving needs of students, educators, and communities.

Download the full report: https://www.cosn.org/edtech-topics/state-of-edtech-leadership/

About CoSN

CoSN, the world-class professional association for K-12 education technology 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. www.cosn.org

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CHICAGO – May 04, 2026 – Higher education marketing and research firm Validated Insights today released not just a new report on the future of the online program management (OPM) market, but an entirely new kind of report in market and education analytics – a MiroFish, the AI swarm intelligence system designed to simulate complex social dynamics and predict future events, according to public descriptions.

The AI nodes, relationships, personas, and market intelligence dynamics in the simulations were created and managed by Brady Colby, Head of Market Research at Validated Insights, who has written and published many market reports on higher education, including several on the OPM market. Once the parameters are set, the tool creates a “synthetic digital world” with individual AI agents created that have distinct roles and preferences, even memory and relationships. Multiple simulations are then run to see what these agents ultimately do, then the various simulation results are synthesized.

“Creating this report was a serious learning experience,” Colby said. “Seeing multiple, entirely probable futures build and play out in this major and significant education market was eye-opening, and deeply informative,” he said. “And, at the end of the day, what it predicts is worth serious attention,” he added.

The most likely scenario, according to the outcomes in the report, with a 60% probability by 2030, is significant and steady growth for the OPM market in the range of 14% year-over-year, while product and service offerings shift significantly. In this outcome, the models also predict 2-3 equity-driven consolidation events and a total market of about $5.5 billion.

“Across all possible futures for OPM and related education and enrollment infrastructure and support services, a headline theme is the growth in non-degree, AI-related, workplace and skill certification programs,” Colby said. “These show explosive growth in our models and will drive the plays and players in the market for the next several years,” he said.

Two other possible futures for the OPM market – each with about a 20% probability – are divergent.

One, the “accelerated growth” projection shows OPM market growing at 18% year-over-year, and a market size of $7 billion, driven significantly by industry-wide adoption of AI-powered course creation at scale.

Another, dubbed the “disruption scenario” foretells stagnation, even retraction, in the market of between -3% to 5%, with a market of $2.5 billion to $3.7 billion, in which “a major OPM collapse triggers a chain reaction” of churn and motion.

“We’re also seeing pretty consistently across the projections relative growth of independent learning platforms and providers such as Coursera or Udemy, especially in the high-growth, high-margin space of AI-related training certifications,” Colby said. “These large, unaffiliated providers stand to be real winners in most scenarios,” he said.

“Either way, a credible projection that it’s even 20% possible that this major market will blow up and shuffle is worth some serious attention,” Colby said. “Also, the signals around AI-powered course design, and what looks to be the unavoidable future of rapid growth in AI-related programs and credentials,” he said, “those feel very legit.”

In 2024, Validated Insights released its initial report on OPM providers and updates followed. Previous reports from Validated Insights have studied the market for trade schools, MBA programs (this link no longer available), nursing education (this link no longer available), and computer science programs (this link no longer available). To receive future reports from Validated Insights, follow Higher Ed News by VI on LinkedIn.

About Validated Insights

​Validated Insights is an agile marketing agency specializing in helping higher education institutions achieve and exceed their goals. With a comprehensive suite of services, including digital marketing, paid search, paid social, and web strategy, Validated Insights delivers data-driven strategies and measurable results. The agency’s agile testing approach enables short- and long-term growth through better creative, strategy, media execution and continuous brand building. Validated Insights is the only agency in the higher education space to offer a performance guarantee in KPIs in the first 60 days – and continuous growth beyond that.

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Santa Barbara, Calif.—April 30, 2026— ParentSquare, the leading family engagement infrastructure for K-12 districts, today announced the launch of its Enterprise Advisory Council—bringing together leaders from some of the nation’s largest school districts—and welcomed new members to its 2026-27 Advisory Council. 

As districts face growing challenges around family engagement, chronic absenteeism, and declining enrollment, the councils will provide strategic insight to help guide the continued evolution of the ParentSquare platform. Public school enrollment has fallen by 1.3 million students since 2019 and is projected to lose an additional 2.7 million by 2031, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, underscoring the need for stronger connections between schools and families.  

The ParentSquare Advisory Council is an invitation-only group of K-12 communications, technology, and administrative leaders who use ParentSquare for school-home communication. Members serve two-year terms and provide strategic input on platform development. They also participate in a peer forum to discuss emerging challenges and best practices in family engagement and district communications. 

The newly established Enterprise ParentSquare Advisory Council will focus specifically on the communication and engagement needs of large, complex school systems, helping guide product innovation and operational best practices at scale.

​​Both councils will meet quarterly online and once annually in person and members represent districts across the United States serving hundreds of thousands of students and families.

“We are grateful to these education leaders for sharing their expertise and perspective,” said Anupama Vaid, President and Founder of ParentSquare. “Their insights help ParentSquare continue to evolve in ways that strengthen school-home communication and family engagement at scale, critical drivers in addressing district priorities such as chronic absenteeism, enrollment pressures, and student and staff retention.”

2026-27 Enterprise ParentSquare Advisory Council: Inaugural Members 

• Katherine Crnkovich, Chief Communications Officer, Seminole County Public Schools (Fla.)
• Adela Garcia Duncan, Chief Information Officer, Fresno Unified School District (Calif.)
• Dr. Debbie Durrence, Executive Director of Data Governance, Gwinnett County Public Schools (Ga.)
• Rachel Rucker Kargol, Executive Director, Organizational Impact & Continuous Improvement, Houston Independent School District (Texas)
• Ehsan Kattoula, Assistant Superintendent Strategy & Accountability Division, Cobb County School District (Ga.) 

“Large districts serve incredibly diverse communities, and effective communication with families is essential to student success,” said Dr. Debbie Durrence, Executive Director of Data Governance, Gwinnett County Public Schools. “I’m excited to collaborate with peers through the inaugural Enterprise ParentSquare Advisory Council to share ideas and help shape the tools that strengthen family engagement and school-home communication across our districts.”

2026-27 ParentSquare Advisory Council: New Members

• Damien Akelman, Executive Director of Technology, Rowan-Salisbury Schools (N.C.)
• LaToya Blackshear, Director of Planning and Evaluation, Jackson Public Schools (Miss.)
• Ja’Leasa Bolden, Director of Communications, Moss Point School District (Miss.)
• Kirk Cless, Director of Technology, Northern Lebanon School District (Pa.)
• Amy Kane, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent and Communications Manager, Framingham Public Schools (Mass.)
• Judi Leavitt, Director of Customer Support and Service, Boston Public Schools (Mass.)
• Donny Lee, Superintendent, Wichita Falls Independent School District (Texas)
• Adam Pettit, Technology Coordinator, Eau Claire Area School District (Wis.)
• Stacie Raterman, Director of Communications, Hilliard City Schools (Ohio)
• Renee Ryon, Director of Communications and Public Relations, Dysart Schools (Ariz.)
• Howard Shen, Media and Communications Specialist, Cajon Valley Union School District (Calif.)
• Anthony Tosie, Executive Director of Communications, Northwest Independent School District (Texas)

“Family engagement looks different in every community, and the districts that listen to their families are the ones that see real results,” said Ja’Leasa Bolden, 2025 MSPRA Communicator of the Year and Director of Communications at Moss Point School District (Miss.). “I’m looking forward to working with fellow council members to share what I’m learning on the ground and help shape a platform that removes barriers between schools and families.”

About ParentSquare

ParentSquare is the leading family engagement infrastructure helping K-12 districts nationwide reach every family with an award-winning, all-in-one communication platform. Reaching over 22 million students across the country, ParentSquare helps districts consolidate disconnected tools and outdated communication systems with personalized messaging, websites, forms, payments, and more—in one easy-to-use platform. With powerful features for achieving 100% contactability, two-way translation into 190+ languages, and purpose-built AI enhancements, ParentSquare empowers districts to invite every family to be involved in their student’s education, no matter their home language or the device they use.

Recognized for growth and innovation by Inc. 5000, GSV 150, and more, ParentSquare was founded in 2011 in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at parentsquare.com. 

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SAN FRANCISCO — April 30, 2026 — Research shows that family involvement has a positive influence on students’ academic achievement, regardless of family income or background. A new white paper from ClassDojo, How Strong Family Engagement Builds District Trust, Reputation, and Academic Success, examines the different ways school–family communication benefits student learning and enrollment stability. The 12-page report explains how districts can overcome communication hurdles to create a culture of honesty, clarity, and trust that increases family engagement.

“When families feel genuinely connected to their school community, they stay, which leads to the enrollment stability that districts desperately need,” said Jeff Buening, General Manager at ClassDojo. “This white paper shares over two decades of research on the ways that involved families improve students’ academic, behavioral, and social outcomes. It also explains how ClassDojo can help educators strengthen the trust that makes families stay part of school communities.”

How Strong Family Engagement Builds District Trust explains that classroom-level messaging is foundational to the district’s credibility with families. The report also shares best practices that schools have adopted to engage families with ClassDojo, including the success stories of three districts that needed to address a high risk of families pulling students from schools:

• McDowell County Schools in North Carolina needed to resolve ad hoc communication methods that were confusing parents and damaging the district’s reputation.
• Moline-Coal Valley School in Illinois needed to overcome language barriers so that educators could communicate with the increasingly diverse community.
• Hamilton Elementary School in San Diego needed to heal the rifts that arose between parents and educators right after the pandemic.

According to Hamilton Elementary Principal Brittany Daley, ClassDojo was “the foundation for trust.” Initially, the school used the platform to facilitate relationship-building activities and fun learning events such as monthly Family Fridays. Once a foundation of renewed positive relations was established, Daley involved families more in their children’s academic lives. The result has been a drop in chronic absenteeism by more than 20 percentage points over the years and an approximately five-fold increase in the percentage of students reading on grade level.

“Families help schools understand what to expect and appreciate about their students, providing the ‘missing piece’ of support that every student needs,” said Buening. “ClassDojo already has a powerful reputation with families for sharing small and large moments in their child’s classroom. Using ClassDojo for Districts allows schools to add new visibility, communication, and insight tools designed to help district leaders without disrupting the effective teacher-family relationships.”

The full white paper is available for download here:

ClassDojo

ClassDojo is on a mission to give every child an education they love. Used in 95% of U.S. schools, ClassDojo helps teachers and families build stronger school communities through everyday communication. ClassDojo for Districts is a unified communication and engagement platform that brings everyday classroom updates and districtwide messaging into one seamless experience—helping families feel connected, students stay engaged, and school culture grows stronger. It’s built with privacy at its core and available to districts at no additional cost.

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BALTIMORE, Md. — April 29, 2026 — Michigan’s Flint Community Schools (FCS) today announced a new initiative aimed at boosting enrollment in the district and fighting chronic absenteeism. This effort implements an innovative, human-centered service model from Concentric Educational Solutions that meets families where they are to engage them in addressing the academic, social, emotional, and environmental factors that prevent students from enrolling, re-enrolling, or attending school in FCS.

Serving approximately 2,700 learners across eight buildings, FCS is committed to developing a community of learners prepared to live, work, and contribute to an ever-changing society. To achieve this mission, FCS has adopted a system-wide approach focused on the whole child, whole school, and whole community. This commitment is supported through a wide range of academic and athletic programs, along with relationships and accountability that positively influence scholars’ academic success, behavior, and attendance.

To deepen their community-based efforts to return students to FCS and reengage them in learning, FCS sought a partner with both philosophical alignment to district goals and a proven track record of scaling solutions to boost enrollment and re-engage non-enrolled students. Following a review of potential partners, FCS selected Concentric Educational Solutions to aid this effort.

Concentric’s unique approach leverages trained members of the community to gather real-time insights from students and families that help school systems align resources, address the factors driving disengagement, boost enrollment, and fight chronic absenteeism. Services Concentric will provide to Flint Community Schools include:

• Home visits by trained, community-based teams to families of FCS students not currently enrolled in FCS or enrolled, but not attending school

• Engagement with families through collaborative discussions to identify barriers to enrollment, re-enrollment, and school attendance

• Custom ethnographic research from noted scholar and Howard University Professor Dr. Ivory Toldson interpreting the data collected during family engagements and outlining the factors driving student and family disengagement in the district

• Collaboration with school administrators that turns research into enrollment, re-engagement and attendance strategies for the students and families engaged during home visits

“Our work to return students to our schools begins with deep family engagement,” said Ernest Steward, Ed.S., Director of Student Services & Centralized Enrollment. “At Flint Community Schools, we are committed to cultivating a welcoming environment where every family is an active partner in education. Our new initiative with Concentric Educational Solutions supports our efforts to partner with families to address the real barriers that keep students out of school. This commitment to connecting and collaborating is essential to building the supportive bridge back to the classroom that ensures all our students can access the rigorous academic opportunities they deserve.”

“Concentric shares Flint Community Schools’ deep commitment to helping every student return to school and re-engage in learning, and we are excited to support the district’s efforts to reconnect students to opportunity,” said Concentric Educational Solutions CEO Molly Hebert Loyd. “We are eager to help showcase all fantastic learning and engagement opportunities available to students served by FCS. We look forward to partnering with a district that shares our conviction: that re-enrollment requires a human-centered approach that meets families where they are, utilizes community insight, and builds meaningful, lasting pathways back to opportunity for every student in the community.

To learn more about Concentric Educational Solutions’ approach to student enrollment, re-engagement, and combating chronic absenteeism, download the company’s new white paper on chronic absenteeism, visit the company’s website, follow the organization on X, or connect on LinkedIn.

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