AI, CTE are key to preparing students for future careers

This press release originally appeared online.

Key points:

Educators are embracing AI and career and technical education (CTE) as keys to preparing students for their future after high school, according to the 2025 Savvas Educator Index from K-12 learning solutions provider Savvas Learning Company.

The annual national survey of K-12 teachers and administrators offers a pulse check on what educators see as the most pressing challenges and promising solutions in U.S. education this coming school year and beyond.

“Educators are embracing new possibilities for student success and are eager for innovative tools that empower more effective, relevant learning experiences,” said Bethlam Forsa, CEO of Savvas Learning Company. “This year’s Savvas Educator Index highlights a collective demand for solutions that meet the moment, including AI and CTE, without compromising durable, essential skills like critical thinking, communication, and collaboration.”

AI in classrooms? Only if it builds real-world skills

Educators are cautiously optimistic about AI, with 66 percent planning to increase AI use in the 2025-26 school year–up from 57 percent last year. Of those who teach or oversee high school, more than half (56 percent) believe understanding AI is “very” or “extremely” important for students’ future success.

But that optimism is tempered by concern.

• Only 5 percent of educators are confident that their students know how to use AI responsibly and critically.
• The majority (70 percent) of educators say they have received no professional development to support students in learning to use AI for schoolwork.
• Nearly half (43 percent) of all educators believe current AI use is negatively impacting students’ development of durable skills like communication and critical thinking. This increases to 51 percent among grade 6-8 teachers and 68 percent among high school teachers.

The disparity between educators’ optimism around implementation and concern around students’ durable skills sends a clear signal: educators want AI tools that come with guardrails, guidance for implementation, and controls meant to develop those skills, not create shortcuts.

CTE Is the leading model for future workforce readiness

While traditional academic routes like Advanced Placement (AP) courses have fallen behind in educator favor, CTE is the clear frontrunner when it comes to preparing students for life beyond high school, according to the survey.

• More than double the number of educators selected CTE (63 percent) as the top program to best prepare students for success after high school compared to those who selected AP courses (26 percent).
• Among educators who believe CTE programs help students be successful after high school, 87 percent identified job-ready skills and technical training and 79 percent identified early exposure to career pathways and interests as the key benefits students gain from participating in CTE programs while in high school.
• Among teachers who believe CTE programs help students be successful after high school, 77 percent said CTE enhances students’ employability after high school; that number jumps to 79 percent among administrators.

Dual enrollment is a critical bridge to success

As part of the broader shift toward workforce readiness, the survey found dual enrollment programs are also powerful tools to help students prepare for college and career pathways. Among high school educators whose schools offer these courses, the benefits are clear and compelling.

• The opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school was cited by 88 percent of educators as a major advantage.
• Reduced tuition costs followed closely behind as a major advantage at 75 percent, and a smoother transition to postsecondary education at 70 percent, underscoring dual enrollment’s role in making higher education more affordable and accessible.

Beyond cost savings, educators emphasized the importance of early exposure to college-level work and future career pathways, aligning with a national push to introduce students to postsecondary options earlier in their academic journeys.

Without relevance, students struggle to stay motivated

Educators are also sounding the alarm on a persistent and systemic issue: student motivation.

• Three-fourths of educators surveyed (75 percent) cited lack of motivation as a leading challenge for the coming school year, with half of those respondents saying it is the top challenge students face.
• Sixty-four percent of high school educators said motivation is a major barrier to earning a living wage after high school, and 45 percent said it hinders students’ college success.

These concerns further reinforce the demand for learning that feels connected to students’ lives and futures, and educators overwhelmingly point to intentional use of AI-powered tools and CTE offerings as ways to deliver student success beyond their K-12 education.