With the 2024-2025 school year approaching, Good Reason Houston has spoken with educators and community members, pored over data, and researched topics to understand what will be most impacting schools this year. While we don’t have a crystal ball, we wanted to share these insights with you. We hope these ideas spark conversations, inspire planning, and help our education community – from teachers and principals to policymakers and parents – feel more prepared for what’s ahead.
For education systems, this is the year of strengthening foundations like pre-K and enhancing curriculum and math instruction, all while navigating new policy debates. For educators, it’s a year of balancing innovation and tradition – integrating AI and optimizing instruction time, all while preserving teacher autonomy and engagement.
For education systems, this is the year of strengthening foundations like pre-K and enhancing curriculum and math instruction, all while navigating new policy debates. For educators, it’s a year of balancing innovation and tradition – integrating AI and optimizing instruction time, all while preserving teacher autonomy and engagement.
Here’s what we anticipate for the 2024-25 school year.
Pre-K will stay in the spotlight.
Legislators and districts see room for improvement in both pre-K enrollment numbers and kindergarten readiness results. More children must enter kindergarten with foundational knowledge, skills, and habits. We expect:
- Clearer definitions for who can offer pre-K, with an emphasis on mixed delivery systems and public-private partnerships from the Texas Education Agency (TEA);
- A renewed focus on the expansion of the Early Education Allotment and full-day funding for public pre-K in the 89th legislative session; and
- More precise quality standards and measurement tools for pre-K programs.
Curriculum will remain a key focus.
Districts and educators understand how critical it is to not only adopt a quality curriculum, but to implement it well. Systems have to give more focus on how the system-wide implementation of high-quality curriculum impacts quality of teaching and learning. We anticipate:
- Continued discussion around the development of new curricular products with enhanced content;
- Greater emphasis on, and utilization of, state-provided instructional materials;
- Increased interplay between different educational resources and processes leading to better, more consistent learning materials for students across different schools and districts.
- Heightened attention to effective curriculum implementation strategies at the district level, focusing on teacher support and sustainability.
Strengthening the educator workforce will be a top priority.
School systems recognize that a high-quality, stable teaching force is crucial for student success. One of the largest predictors of student success is the quality of the teacher. We predict ongoing efforts to improve teacher retention and development to include:
- Bridging efficacy gaps between alternatively and traditionally prepared teachers;
- More attention to teacher evaluation systems that focus on rewarding high-performing teachers;
- Developing sustainable staffing models amid fiscal constraints; and
- Expansion of diverse ‘grow-your-own’ teacher pipelines, with an increased focus on cultivating local talent and creating sustainable pathways into the teaching profession.
Math will take center stage.
School systems, confronting low math achievement, will increasingly align teaching practices with evidence-based strategies to enhance instructional impact. We must align what we know about cognitive science with how we approach math instruction. The Science of Math movement is poised to gain momentum, mirroring the Science of Reading trend. This shift will likely involve:
- The Texas Legislature initiating investigations into evidence-based methods for early math teaching, potentially leading to policy recommendations or mandates;
- A surge in discussions and debates around defining the Science of Math, with the potential for controversies similar to those experienced in the Science of Reading movement; and
- Continued efforts to align Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) with the latest findings from cognitive science and learning research, particularly in mathematics education.
School choice legislation will be significant in Ed policy.
The ongoing debate around expanding educational options for families will continue to shape discussions in the Texas Legislature. As Houston-area schools face declining enrollment, private school choice legislation compels districts to strategize on remaining the preferred option for students and families. We expect:
- Continued legislative efforts to introduce private school choice programs, building on previous attempts;
- Increased public discourse on the potential impacts of such programs on public school enrollment and the indirect effects it may have on school resources and budgeting;
- Greater examination of private school choice outcomes in other states to inform Texas policy decisions; and
- Continued public discourse on the details of proposed legislation, including eligibility criteria, funding mechanisms, and accountability measures.
Educators will have to balance new practices with trying to hold on to autonomies.
The coming years will likely see educators striving to find balance and sustainability in the profession. Systems must focus on retaining experienced teachers for the benefit of students, despite concerns about shortages and burnout. We predict:
- Incorporation of the Science of Learning into Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) and ongoing Professional Development;
- Renewed efforts to align public and professional expectations of the teaching role with realities;
- Evolution of strategies to identify and respond to factors that motivate and engage high-quality teachers; and
- Innovation in teacher development pipelines and incentive programs by LEAs.
Artificial Intelligence’s role in education will keep growing.
As educators adapt to these advancing technologies, understanding AI and its integration into instruction will be crucial. Teachers must be empowered to leverage AI effectively for their own benefit and that of their students. We predict:
- Growing pressure on public school educators to integrate AI technologies into classrooms as a complementary resource rather than a replacement;
- Exploration of AI’s potential to alleviate existing workloads, allowing teachers more time for meaningful student interactions and personalized instruction;
- Increased focus on addressing ethical concerns and potential disparities in AI access among students; and
- Development of comprehensive policies to guide AI use in assessment, personalized learning, and administrative tasks.
Educators will work to close learning gaps while keeping up with the curriculum.
As pressure mounts to balance remediation with acceleration, educators will need support in various areas. Schools must develop strategies to efficiently assess and address individual student learning gaps without sacrificing overall progress. We predict educators will seek support in:
- Differentiating between acceleration and remediation, utilizing tools embedded in High-Quality Instructional Materials;
- Maximizing the effectiveness of instructional time through innovative scheduling and grouping strategies;
- Implementing high-impact tutoring programs within established workloads; and
- Exploring alternative learning structures to accommodate diverse learning needs and paces.
