What to Expect in 2012

With 2012 well underway, predictions for what the year will bring – whether politically, economically or culturally – are already being put to the test. Before too many more weeks pass us by, we wanted to find out what predictions our colleagues and friends in the education business are making for 2012. Comment below with your predictions for 2102, or e-mail us (kcuster [at] arcnew.flywheelsites.com) your thoughts on what to expect in the new year. We’ll share our favorite predictions soon, and then report back at the end of the year on how accurate our forecasts were. To get the ball rolling, here’s what we expect to see between now and 2013:

Kevin: From the perspective of school districts, this summer and into next fall will be the time when the budget cuts of the last few years become significant enough that districts will need to move from small changes and cutback to fundamentally changing their operating procedures and practices.

Rita: Apple has changed the game.  As we publishers scramble to bring digital curriculum products to market, we will see a shift in pricing models to “per student, per year.”   The Apple pricing of $14.99 will be the baseline.  The days of large core curriculum sales (purchase a basic program that you pay for in year one and then using for the next five years) will phase out.  Spending in K-12 science education curriculum materials will be at an all-time low in 2012 and will not rebound until 2016.