Survey Finds Optimism Gap Between Teachers and Administrators Yet a Broad Consensus on Solutions for Student Success

PARAMUS, NEW JERSEY — December 5, 2024 — Savvas Learning Company, a next-generation K-12 learning solutions leader, today released findings from its first annual Savvas Educator Index, revealing administrators are more optimistic than teachers about the future of the teaching profession, student motivation, and the role of AI in the classroom. However, the national survey also shows agreement among educators on solutions to close the optimism gap and enhance student success.

The 2024 Savvas Educator Index is designed to understand educators’ perspectives on key issues shaping K-12 education today. Its findings reflect insights from a nationwide survey of more than 1,600 K-12 educators, including teachers as well as school and district administrators.

“Listening to educators and addressing their needs so they can better support students is at the heart of what we do,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “We are always looking for ways to further improve and enhance our products, and the input we receive from educators is vital in helping us carry out our mission of providing innovative, high-quality learning solutions that give all students the best opportunity to succeed.”

Key findings include:

More Time for Instruction and Professional Development Can Help Close the Educator Satisfaction Gap

While almost twice as many school and district administrators are likely to recommend the teaching profession than teachers, educators in general agree on resources to advance the profession.

• Educators early in their careers and those with more experience report higher satisfaction in their roles in education than mid-career educators. Educators with less than five years of experience (70%), 21 to 30 years of experience (67%), and more than 30 years of experience (72%) are more satisfied in their role in education than those with five to 10 years of experience (58%) and 11 to 20 years of experience (62%).
• Educators agree more resources, such as funding and staff (87% of teachers and 90% of administrators), autonomy to do their jobs (79% of teachers and 72% of administrators), and a stronger connection with parents and caregivers (75% of teachers and 87% of administrators) would positively impact their level of overall satisfaction with their role in education.
• For teachers, 80% would be more satisfied in their role if they could spend more time on classroom instruction and less time on classroom management. Eighty percent (80%) of teachers also indicated smaller class sizes would improve their satisfaction. For administrators, 73% reported more professional development would impact their level of satisfaction.

Educators Agree on Paths to Empower Student Success After Graduation

Educators reported high school students’ lack of motivation as a top barrier to student success after they graduate high school, but agree providing students with additional educational pathways can help prepare students for the future.

• High school teachers are 37% more likely than district administrators to identify student motivation as the most significant barrier to students being successful in college.
• Seventy percent (70%) of high school teachers also identify student motivation as the most significant barrier keeping students from graduating high school and earning a living wage.
• Educators report CTE programs (75%) and dual-enrollment classes (68%) as top choices for helping students be successful after high school.

AI Hesitance Sparks Need for Professional Development and Focus on Personalized Learning

While educators are mixed on the usefulness of AI in the classroom, with most indicating AI will be somewhat useful, a majority of educators surveyed believe AI can best support student learning this school year through personalizing learning and providing data insights.

• Eighty-one percent (81%) more district administrators than teachers say AI will be useful in the classroom within the next two years.
• Training impacts educators’ use of AI. For educators who were trained to use AI, three-quarters (74%) of them plan to use AI more this school year than last year. For those who were not trained, less than half (46%) plan to use AI more this school year than last year.
• Educators envision AI supporting K-12 education within the next two school years by tracking student progress and providing data-driven insights for instructional planning (57%) followed by providing personalized learning experiences (48%).

The 2024 Savvas Educator Index was conducted by Savvas Learning Company through a nationwide survey of 1,659 K-12 public school educators, including 479 school and district administrators and 1,180 teachers, from August 19 to September 5, 2024. Learn more about the key findings from the Savvas Educator Index.