In a brand new particular report, EdWeek Market Temporary seems in school districts’ largest shopping for priorities over the approaching yr, and the forces which are shaping these choices.
College District Buying Priorities, 2025-26 makes use of unique survey information and evaluation by EdWeek Market Temporary’s editorial staff to offer our members insights on what’s across the nook out there.
What’s subsequent for colleges and for distributors making an attempt to gauge Okay-12 appetites for his or her services? Many college district leaders have advised EdWeek Market Temporary‘s editorial staff that they’re returning to one thing approaching pre-stimulus-era budgetary norms. However that doesn’t essentially imply that they see the subsequent few years as steady.
College District Buying Priorities 2025-26 is our 4th annual particular report inspecting Okay-12 spending priorities throughout product classes, in addition to ache factors, and components influencing shopping for choices.
Like previous experiences, it’s primarily based on a nationally consultant on-line survey performed by the EdWeek Analysis Middle. We additionally use different survey information collected over the previous yr to discover further questions that matter to firms, about college districts’ decision-making on services, their expectations of distributors, the largest skilled challenges Okay-12 directors and academics face, and how much messaging from firms appeals to patrons in class techniques.
Moreover, the report seems at how college district leaders suppose distributors may also help them handle significantly vexing issues—reminiscent of staffing chaos, and chronic cultural battles enjoying out over curriculum.
Particularly, the report presents EdWeek Market Temporary members intel on the next:
• Whether or not college district leaders anticipate spending extra, much less, or the identical quantities in fiscal 2025-26 as throughout the present yr in varied product classes – together with core and supplemental curriculum, evaluation, social-emotional studying, gadgets, and extra.
• The extent to which college districts count on to see their spending altered by components such because the lack of federal stimulus help; inflation; modifications in state funding; and shifts of their scholar enrollment.
• The most important skilled challenges district and faculty leaders and academics face, from challenges with staffing to conserving college students engaged to bettering their skilled abilities.
• What steps Okay-12 officers imagine distributors can take to assist them successfully handle staffing turnover.
• How college districts’ general appetites for particular sorts of ed-tech merchandise are altering.
• The options that directors count on to see in merchandise utilizing synthetic intelligence – targeted on college students’ studying experiences, help for educators, and extra.
• What sorts of messaging about merchandise – round pricing, using information, adherence to state or native requirements – appeals most to directors and educators?
• How a lot time per week college district leaders spend researching merchandise, and the way lengthy it takes them from figuring out a must committing to buying a product.
It’s value noting that regardless of the prevailing uncertainty they face in navigating the expectations of faculty districts amid altering market situations, many schooling firms are comparatively optimistic about what lies forward.
Separate EdWeek Market Temporary surveys taken of schooling firms have indicated that whereas companies count on robust situations for gross sales over the subsequent yr, they foresee a rebound in years two and three.
When you’ve had the prospect to undergo our findings, tell us how they align with what your group is listening to from college techniques.
Obtain the Report
