This document discusses insights into the K-12 education market in the United States. It notes that spending on K-12 technology is over $8 billion annually and growing, while U.S. student performance on international tests is slipping. It also suggests that while government programs are pushing for reforms, educators remain conflicted over changes. The document argues that aside from Apple, there has been little innovation in educational technology and that tools like smartboards are underutilized. MOOCs are also transforming classroom learning. Overall, it presents the K-12 education sector as ripe for innovation to address these issues and opportunities.

1. K12 Educational Insights
January 15, 2013
Steve@WhatsTheIdea.com
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

2. Big Market
• $8.81B projected spend on K-12 technology
(hardware, software, Internet) in 2011-12;
+4.8%. (Source: EMR)
• U.S. Professional Development market is
$4.15B, growing at 15.3%. (EMR)
• K-12 textbook sales in 2011 -12 were $3.6B,
electronic textbook sales only 2.8%. (EMR,
Forrester)
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

3. Trend
U.S. is slipping in worldwide ranks
• U.S. students rank 23rd in Science and
32nd in Math.
• High school graduation rate, once the
envy of the world, is now 21st.
• 2/3 of US 8th graders are not rated
proficient in reading or math
• Poorest communities have it worst.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

4. Insight
With government stepping in (NCLB, RTTT)
many educators are conflicted, most are taking
the money.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

5. Insight
Technology and pedagogy make strange
bedfellows.

6. Insight
Aside from Apple (iPad, iBooks, Apple TV), there
has been very little innovation in .edu
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

7. Insight
Smartboards, a source of huge spending, are
being used as projectors…and have usability
issues.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

8. Insight
MOOCs are flipping (off) the classroom.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea? | Elsa Rings

9. “Within three weeks, I had more
feedback on my sociological ideas than
I’d had in my whole teaching career. I
found that there’s no topic so sensitive
that it can’t be discussed, civilly, in
an international community.”
Mitchell Duneier,
Princeton, Professor,
MOOC Instructor
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea? | Elsa Rings

10. Insight
Ironically, “assessment” has become a dirty
word.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

11. Insight
Teacher unions are
under fire.
http://bit.ly/RkgaB0
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

12. Charter schools are becoming a
battleground. Amendments in Georgia
and Washington passed.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea? | Elsa Rings

13. Insight
2 flavors of public schools.
• 8 elite HS in NYC, with
30k applying for 14k slots.
• Racial divides, 60% of
those admitted to elites
are Asian (a demo that
is 14% of pop).
• Internships at Mt. Sinai.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

14. Insight
The targets in education are many and siloed.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea? | Elsa Rings

15. Insight
Many educational companies don’t now how to
build brands or market effectively – there’s a
not-for-profit mentality.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?

16. Insight
Innovation is creeping in…and marketing agents
who are ready will thrive.

17. Insight
The time is now.
…my own nominee for secretary of state
would be the current education secretary,
Arne Duncan.
Proprietary and Confidential -- What's the Idea?