SIGNALS IN THE SYSTEM – Supporting K-12 Education Business Leaders

Where Technology, Performance, and Funding Intersect in K–12 Education

AI Integration:

75% of K–12 students reported using AI tools in 2024, a significant increase from 37% in 2023.¹
51% of K–12 teachers utilized AI tools for tasks such as lesson planning and assessments.¹

EdTech Engagement:

Over 57 billion interactions were recorded across more than 9,000 educational technology products during the 2023–2024 academic year. ²

Reading Proficiency:

Average reading scores for both fourth and eighth graders in 2024 dropped by two points compared to 2022 and five points since 2019.
One-third of eighth-grade students scored below the “basic” level in reading, marking the lowest performance in over three decades.³

Mathematics Achievement:

Fourth-grade math scores saw a modest increase of two points since 2022 but remain three points below pre-pandemic levels.
Eighth-grade math scores remained unchanged from 2022 and have not returned to 2019 levels.⁴

Funding & Spending:

Per-Pupil Expenditure: The average spending per student in public K–12 schools was $17,277.⁵
Total Public Education Expenditure: Nationwide, public K–12 education expenditures totaled $857.2 billion, accounting for 3.67% of taxpayer income.⁵
Federal COVID-19 Relief: Since fiscal year 2020, the U.S. Department of Education has allocated $186 billion in COVID-19 relief funds to support pre-K through secondary education.¹

Future Enrollment Projections:

Declining Enrollment Forecast: Projections indicate a decrease of 2.7 million public school students between 2022 and 2031, reducing total enrollment to approximately 46.9 million.