New KnowledgeWorks Forecast Calls for Bold Visions Amid Historic Disruption

"Charting a New Course for Education" offers insights for navigating the next decade of learning

CINCINNATI, Aug. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As artificial intelligence, climate change and deepening social fragmentation continue to shape the world around education, KnowledgeWorks is releasing its seventh comprehensive future forecast to help education leaders reimagine the role of learning.

"Charting a New Course for Education" urges education leaders and changemakers to look beyond short-term reforms and embrace bold, systemic transformation. Building two decades of strategic foresight work, this new publication highlights how external forces are reshaping the context of K-12 education and what it will take to create adaptive, inclusive and future-ready learning systems.

"Disruption is not on the horizon; it's here," said Katherine Prince, Vice President of Foresight and Strategy at KnowledgeWorks. "Our new forecast aims to help people expand their imaginations and build capacity for proactive leadership in the face of accelerating change."

Forces Reshaping the Future of Education
The forecast identifies four interconnected forces or trends that are reshaping how things work, pushing people and systems to adapt and leading to new challenges and opportunities:

• Integrating with AI – Changing how humans think, feel, build skills and form relationships
• Everyday Disruptions – Challenging conventional approaches to educational management and support for learners and communities
• Eroding Public Institutions – Redefining how we serve learners as trust declines, budgets tighten and market pressures grow
• The Relevance Gap – Revealing a disconnect between what students need and what school provides

An Invitation to Reimagine Learning
In response to these drivers of change, "Charting a New Course for Education" calls on leaders to examine assumptions about when, where and how learning happens; whom it serves; and what it means for learners to be future ready. It explores provocative possibilities such as decentralized governance models; AI-enabled personalized learning environments; and alternative education models made up of small, interchangeable parts, such as learning hubs, community programs or virtual experiences that can be mixed and matched based on student needs.

"The next decade will redefine education. This forecast is a tool for sparking new thinking and supporting adaptive leadership across the field," said Prince.

Like its six predecessors, this forecast offers not just insight, but inspiration – helping leaders make sense of change and act strategically today to create more inclusive and resilient education systems for the future.

Download the Forecast

KnowledgeWorks is a national nonprofit organization advancing a future of learning that ensures each student graduates ready for what's next. We partner with states, communities and leaders across the country to align policy and practice, reimagining what education can do through personalized, competency-based learning.

For 20 years, KnowledgeWorks has been a leading voice in education foresight. Its forecasts are used by superintendents, policymakers, community leaders and education advocates to guide long-term planning, build shared vision and spark innovation. This latest publication continues that legacy, offering a vital resource for those ready to confront uncertainty with courage, creativity and a deep commitment to every learner. Learn more at KnowledgeWorks.org.

Shelby Taylor
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SOURCE KnowledgeWorks Foundation