What’s Tech Got To Do With It?
Key Findings from Project Tomorrow’s 23rd Annual Speak Up Research Report
Drawing on insights from K-12 students, parents, educators, and administrators, the 2026 Speak Up Report reveals how purposeful digital instruction moves education beyond basic screen-time debates to build essential, future-ready workforce skills.
About Project Tomorrow and The Speak Up Research Project
Founded with a mission to prepare today’s students to become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders, and engaged citizens, Project Tomorrow is a leading national education nonprofit based in Irvine, California.
Since 2003, the organization’s flagship initiative—the Speak Up Research Project—has gathered feedback from more than 6.4 million K-12 stakeholders across all 50 states. By tracking longitudinal trends for over two decades, Project Tomorrow equips school leaders, state officials, and federal policymakers with actionable data to inform digital learning, efficacy, and educational equity.
Each thematic section in this year’s report pairs Speak Up data with a direct callout answering the central question: What’s Tech Got to Do With It? This analysis is designed to inform and inspire rich, vital discussions in communities across the country about the true purpose of education today and how to effectively leverage technology’s potential to support that vision.
Key Data and Research Insights
Demand for Durable Employability Skills
Parental concern over workforce readiness is surging. Today, 70% of K-12 parents worry their children are not learning the right skills in school to succeed in future careers—a 17-percentage-point increase since 2022–23. This concern directly mirrors employer demand: 84% of hiring managers say high school graduates lack entry-level readiness.
- Top Skills in Demand: Parents overwhelmingly prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving (92%), effective communication (86%), and the ability to learn independently (82%).
- Real-World Application: 76% of parents want authentic problem-solving in the classroom, while 76% urge schools to teach students how to solve problems rather than just memorizing answers.
- Purposeful EdTech Alignment: 85% of parents view the effectiveness use of instructional technology as critical to their child’s future success when used intentionally to support durable skill building.
Empowering Effective Teaching and Student Learning
Generative AI engagement is accelerating rapidly, though a major gap remains between student exploration outside of school and formal classroom adoption.
- Accelerating AI Use: 40% of high school students use AI weekly for research and studying, up 74% in two years.
- Out-of-School Gap: 46% of high schoolers learn AI through self-directed experimentation outside of class, while only 30% experience AI within formal instruction.
- Workplace Reality: Employer demand for AI skills in entry-level hires nearly tripled in just six months. Rather than banning tools, 48% of parents and students want guidance on using AI safely to explain complex concepts, check work, and review for tests.
2026 Speak Up Congressional Briefing Highlights
Hosted virtually on edWeb.net, the annual Speak Up Congressional Briefing on Oct. 28 brought together national policymakers, district administrators, and state leaders to examine these findings.
Presented by Project Tomorrow CEO Dr. Julie Evans, the event featured keynote perspective from Dr. Melissa Shields (Alabama State Department of Education) and a national student panel featuring high schoolers from Alabama, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and California who shared their direct experiences with classroom technology.
Access the Complete Findings
Download Full Report: Access the complete What’s Tech Got To Do With It? research publication.
Interactive Data Dashboard: Filter Speak Up 2026 findings by stakeholder group, district size, and geographic location.
Watch Briefing Recording: Access Congressional Briefing broadcast and session materials.
Congressional Briefing Archives
- 2025 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2024 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2023 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2022 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2021 Speak Up Virtual Congressional Briefing
- 2020 Speak Up Virtual Congressional Briefing
- 2019 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2018 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2016 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2015 Speak Up Congressional Briefing
- 2014 Speak Up Congressional Briefing (adult audience results)
- 2014 Speak Up Congressional Briefing (K-12 student audience results)
