Where superintendents are creating clarity in 2025

Each year, EAB’s Voice of the Superintendent survey captures unfiltered insights from district leaders across the country. This spring, superintendents from 37 states shared candid perspectives on board relations, AI adoption, navigating funding uncertainty, and more.

The results point to a clear theme: in an era of mounting pressure, progress comes not from doing more, but from focusing on the highest impact practices. This year’s survey highlights three areas where clarity of focus is giving superintendents the greatest return on their effort.

#1: Stronger board relations start with clear goals, not more communication

For many superintendents, keeping board conversations focused on strategic goals rather than political flashpoints remains an uphill battle. Nearly a third of respondents in 2025 say that political division among their board members has risen again over the past 12 months, and more broadly, over half of superintendents report needing to spend additional time communicating with their boards.  But time alone isn’t building the trust needed to lead through this period of heightened uncertainty.

What’s making the difference? Superintendents who reported that trust with their boards increased over the past year were also those who invested most in building a shared sense of purpose, with alignment on strategic vision and goals (87%) and clarity around governance best practices (100%) both increasing “a lot” over the past 12 months. In short, it is not about the volume of communication but the clarity of priorities. Structured discussions tied to shared goals and decision-making norms build the foundation for sustained progress.

Moreover, EAB’s research into what sets high-performance districts apart confirms that shared vision and goals and role clarity are foundational for achieving any system-wide progress.

#2: The districts ready to make the most progress with AI already set their guardrails

Last year, just 4% of our survey respondents indicated that developing AI policies was a “very urgent” priority for their district. Much has changed since then, including the new administration’s focus on AI adoption in education, which calls for training teachers and preparing students to be “AI-ready.”

While a majority of districts (60%) have launched task forces to explore innovative uses of AI, many still haven’t laid the necessary groundwork to accelerate system-wide adoption; only 35% have issued guidance for how teachers should use it in their work, and just 39% have policies in place for students. Without guardrails, districts risk confusion, inconsistent practice, and heightened concern from parents and staff.

The lesson from early adopters is clear: experimenting with AI tools is not enough. Establishing policies and expectations before large-scale adoption accelerates builds trust and prevents missteps.

#3: A universal priority: target foundational gaps at scale to make progress in math

No matter what, superintendents always remain focused on what matters most: student success. And in this year’s survey, no issue ranked higher than accelerating growth in math. While the top five most urgent concerns all centered on the foundations for student success—recruiting high-quality teachers, improving attendance, and more —math acceleration jumped to the top of this year’s list as a “very urgent” priority for a vast majority of respondents.

EAB’s research finds that superintendents must help their teams move beyond the long-standing “Math Wars,” the binary debate between direct instruction and inquiry-based learning. Instead, emerging research suggests that the most effective question to ask isn’t which method is best, but when each is most effective to achieve mastery in essential foundational skills.

With only 61% of students proficient in math by the end of 8th grade, schools can no longer rely on intervention and small groups alone. Giving teachers a systematic way to target and close key foundational skill gaps at scale will be essential for district-wide progress.

What Comes Next

This year’s Voice of the Superintendent survey echoes what many leaders already feel: the pressure to do more with less is mounting. But the data also highlight the consistent theme that clarity accelerates progress. From clarifying goals with their boards to clarifying guardrails for emerging technologies, districts avoid costly missteps and wasted efforts by focusing on what matters most.

When districts clarify goals with their boards, clarify guardrails for emerging technologies, and clarify when instructional methods should be applied, they unlock momentum that effort alone cannot produce.

That’s why EAB partners with superintendents to help them focus on what works, cut through the noise, and ultimately achieve more with less. Whether you’re accelerating math gains, building board trust, or navigating new tools like AI, we’re here to support your most pressing priorities.

To learn more about how we can support your work, fill out the form below or reach out to us directly. For the full findings on this year’s Voice of the Superintendent, click here.

Molly O'Connor

Managing Director, Strategic Research

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