Speak Up Resources
Each year, the Speak Up Research Initiative asks K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school.
Speak Up Resources make it easy for you to participate. Lesson plans, promotional materials, sample social media messages and more are available at no cost to all schools and districts that take part in Speak Up.
View this Year’s Surveys
Students K-2 Google Doc
Students 3-5 Google Doc
Students 6-12 Google Doc
Parents/Guardians Google Doc
Teachers/Educators Google Doc
School Site Administrators Google Doc
Case Studies
Case Study: San Marcos USD
“We wanted to be sure that our programs reflect the needs of our community and not the wants of the staff. Using the Speak Up surveys was a quick, efficient, and effective way to get the input of the whole community and identify what was needed,“ Stephanie noted. “It would be very difficult to meet the state reporting requirements without Speak Up data,” Stephanie noted. “It is more efficient and effective to capture the voices of all stakeholders through a survey rather than trying to arrange in person meetings. The data from the Speak Up survey gives everyone the opportunity to provide input, not just those able to participate in a face-to-face meeting.”
Case Study: Arrowhead Union High School District
Arrowhead Union High School District started using Speak Up surveys in 2015 and has been recognized for its strong participation through the years. Over time, Speak Up data has helped the Wisconsin district to make program changes that ensure equity for all 2,151 students and serve the needs of the community.
When Donna Smith, Director of Library and Media Technology., heard about the Speak Up Research Project at a local conference, she was intrigued and immediately realized its potential. An added bonus was the fact that there were no costs associated with the survey. “We wanted to get a pulse of where kids were, who had devices and access to the Internet. Speak Up was a good way to capture this information and make beneficial decisions for the students in our district,” Donna observed.
Continue Reading Case Study: Arrowhead Union High School District
Case Study: Ferris ISD
“I love what Speak Up is doing and urge more districts to become involved and administer the survey in their district. Speak Up is providing all schools and districts the chance to be heard and make meaningful changes based on the voice of their stakeholders. As a free tool, Speak Up promotes equity and ensures all schools and districts have this opportunity, not only those that have the budget to purchase expensive solutions…”
Lesson Plans
Grades K-2 Google Slides
Grades 3-5 Google Slides
Grades 6-8 Google Slides
Grades 9-12 Google Slides
Promotional Content for School or District Communications
These messages can be adapted for email, school to home messaging tools, student LMS announcements, and newsletters.
General Announcement
To help your school/dstrict get familiar with Speak Up, share this with parents and faculty members. We’ve noted the areas where you’ll need to fill in your own information. Feel free to edit the text as needed.
Dear parent/educator,
We are excited to announce that [SCHOOL/DISTRICT NAME] is participating in Speak Up! This survey will help us answer questions, such as:
- How are our students using technology for learning in and out of school?
- How important are the use of technology to our teachers and parents? What types of technology do our teachers find of value and how are they using it in the classroom?
- Do our ideas about technology align with our students’ parents?
Speak Up, a national research project facilitated by Project Tomorrow, provides an easy way for students, parents, and educators to share their views on technology and learning with [SCHOOL/DISTRICT NAME]. Your input informs our decisions about technology, as well as contributes to the national dialogue about educational technology. Since 2003, Project Tomorrow has collected and shared the viewpoints of more than 5.4 million students, educators and parents. All responses are 100% confidential. No identifying information is collected about/from any participant.
As a nonprofit educational organization, Project Tomorrow provides Speak Up as a free tool for all schools to use – allowing us to conduct this research while also keeping our resources focused in the classrooms. [SCHOOL/DISTRICT NAME] receives our results with state and national comparisons, providing us with valuable data that can be used for our strategic planning, professional development and budgeting plans during the school year.
Taking the survey is easy! Plan to spend approximately 20 minutes.
Follow these instructions to take the survey:
- Visit speakup.tomorrow.org
- Search for your school by entering your zip code or by selecting [STATE] and selecting your school’s name from the list.
- Select your group (e.g. parents, educators)
- Read the instructions and begin the survey.
We look forward to [SCHOOL/DISTRICT NAME]’s strong participation in Speak Up! Be sure to take the survey by [date]. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact [DISTRICT OR SCHOOL SPEAK UP CONTACT or appropriate contact for school level].
Sincerely,
[DISTRICT OR SCHOOL SPEAK UP CONTACT/APPROPRIATE CONTACT]
Messaging to School Leaders:
Subject: [ENTER DISTRICT NAME] is participating in Speak Up! Read for instructions.
Message: [ENTER DISTRICT NAME] is participating in Speak Up! Time to prepare to get the best results from your school.
The Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning, a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, is both a national research project and a free service to schools and districts everywhere. Since fall 2003, Speak Up has helped education leaders include the voices of students, faculty, parents and the community in annual and long-term planning.
We’re joining more than 3,000 other districts around the country this year in taking advantage of this opportunity. Project Tomorrow provides everything you need to help make Speak Up a success: promotional materials, school-to-home messaging, social media promotions, lesson plans and more!
Speak Up surveys will be open from [start date] to [close date] for student, parent, and faculty. We need your help to ensure your school and our district get great data!
You can find all the promotional materials and additional information here:
https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speak-up-resources/
Please let [ENTER DISTRICT CONTACT NAME] know if you have any questions, or would like to designate a different school contact for this project. [ADD DISTRICT CONTACT PERSON’S EMAIL AND PHONE]
Messaging to Educators:
Subject: [ENTER SCHOOL NAME], Virginia Speak Up!
Message: We encourage all [ENTER SCHOOL NAME] educators to Speak Up about digital learning! Join the conversation about the use of technology for learning through Speak Up. Not only will your views be taken into consideration by our school, they will also be included in the national and state discussions on digital learning policies, programs, and funding.
To “Speak Up” simply visit https://speakup.tomorrow.org/LookupBuilding [OR ENTER YOUR DIRECT ACCESS LINK] to take the survey. It takes just 20 minutes to add your voice!
Messaging to Parents:
Subject: [ENTER SCHOOL NAME] Parents: We want to hear your views on technology and learning!
Be a part of the conversation happening across our district! Starting on (enter date), we will be participating in the Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning. The national Speak Up is the first survey designed to help parents share their ideas directly with schools and national policymakers. Speak Up provides parents with a mechanism for expressing their views to the administrators at their child(ren)’s school and district about key issues impacting their child(ren)’s education.
Since 2003, Speak Up has collected and shared the views of more than 5.4 million students, teachers, and parents from all 50 states, as well as internationally. By participating in Speak Up, parents are expressing their views to a wider audience of local, state, and national policy makers as well as the business community—and contributing to the national dialogue about how best to prepare students for the future.
The online survey is open to students, educators and parents; it’s quick and easy to get involved. To learn more about the survey, visit: https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/
All participation is 100% confidential. Surveys take about 20 minutes to complete.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us! We need your input!
Take the survey: INSERT LINK TO SURVEY
Messaging to Students:
Speak Up – Your ideas are important to us!
Your opinions matter to us! [ENTER SCHOOL NAME] is participating in the Speak Up research project so we can learn more about how you are using technology to learn – in and out of school. We’d like to know more about how you would like to use technology to learn and how you would like your teachers to use technology in class.
To take the survey, visit: [INSERT DIRECT ACCESS LINK]
(OPTIONAL) All students will be required to enter in our school’s password to access the survey. Our password is: [ENTER STUDENT SURVEY PASSWORD].
Promotional Content for Social Media
Tweets and Facebook Posts (see below for Spanish)
This sample list is meant to serve as a head start to promote Speak Up via Twitter, Facebook, or other social media. Fill in your school or district name in the highlighted areas, and feel free to use or customize these messages to share your school/district’s involvement in the nationwide conversation about technology and education and to encourage others to do the same! We will share additional social media updates throughout the open period on our Facebook and Twitter profiles using the hashtag #SpeakUpEd.
Announcement Messages:
- Our school/district has registered to be a part of a nationwide conversation about educational technology and accessibility in schools and homes with #SpeakUpEd! Join in today Speakup.tomorrow.org
- We are excited to participate in Speak Up! Learn all about the #SpeakUpEd# research tool Speakup.tomorrow.org
- Our school/district just registered for #SpeakUpEd! Join the conversation about the role of technology in & out of school: Speakup.tomorrow.org
- We want to know what our students, parents & faculty think about technology & learning! We’ll be “speaking up” this fall! Speakup.tomorrow.org #SpeakUpEd
Getting Started:
- Speak Up will be available [Insert your timeline here]! Make your voice heard about education and technology! [Enter ACCESS link]
- Join us & the 5.8 mil students, parents, teachers, & admins who have participated in Speak Up since ’03! Speak Up now: [Enter ACCESS link]
- 90% of students say mobile devices are important. What do our students think? Get involved with @speakuped and participate [Enter ACCESS link]
- After school closures, 71% of teachers say tech is very important for student success. What do you think? Make your voice heard and participate now! [Enter ACCESS link]
- Provide your feedback on digital learning through Speak Up to ensure your voice is heard! [Enter ACCESS link]
- Be part of the conversation! Parents: we want to hear your thoughts on tech & learning [Enter ACCESS link]
- School/district your participation in Speak Up is important! Help us collect valuable data [Enter ACCESS link]
Wrapping Up Messages
- Only a few more days to share your views on tech & learning! Speak Up before [Enter deadline] to make sure your voice is heard! [Enter ACCESS link]
- Speak Up about issues regarding the use of mobile devices and tablets in schools: [Enter ACCESS link]
- Don’t forget to submit your feedback through Speak Up before winter break begins! Visit [Enter ACCESS link] to share your thoughts.
- Don’t forget to submit your feedback through Speak Up before the end of the year! Visit [Enter ACCESS link] to share your thoughts.
SPANISH Tweets and Facebook Posts
Announcement Messages:
- Nuestra escuela/distrito se ha registrado para ser parte de una conversación a nivel nacional sobre #edtech – únase hoy Speakup.tomorrow.org #SpeakUpEd
- ¡Estamos emocionados de participar en #SpeakUpEd! Aprenda todo sobre la herramienta de investigación Speak Up Speakup.tomorrow.org
- Nuestra escuela/distrito se acaba de registrar para #SpeakUpEd! Únase a la conversación sobre el papel de la tecnología dentro y fuera de la escuela: Speakup.tomorrow.org
- ¡Queremos saber qué piensan nuestros estudiantes, padres y profesores sobre la tecnología y el aprendizaje! Speakup.tomorrow.org #SpeakUpEd
Getting Started:
- ¡Speak Up estará disponible [Insert your timeline here]! ¡Haz que su voz se escuche sobre educación y tecnología! [Enter ACCESS link]
- ¡Únase a nosotros y a los 5,8 millones de estudiantes, padres, maestros y administradores que han participado en Speak Up desde el 2003! Participa ahora: [Enter ACCESS link]
- Comparta sus comentarios sobre el aprendizaje digital a través de Speak Up para asegurarse de que su voz sea escuchada. [Enter ACCESS link]
- ¡Se parte de la conversación! Padres: queremos escuchar sus opiniones sobre tecnología y aprendizaje [Enter ACCESS link]
- Escuelas/distritos, ¡su participación en Speak Up es importante! Ayúdanos a recopilar datos valiosos [Enter ACCESS link]
Wrapping Up Messages
- ¡Solo unos días más para compartir sus puntos de vista sobre la tecnología y el aprendizaje! Habla antes [Enter deadline] para asegurarse de que su voz sea escuchada [Enter ACCESS link]
- Hable sobre problemas relacionados con el uso de dispositivos móviles y tabletas en las escuelas: [Enter ACCESS link]
- ¡No olvide enviar sus comentarios a través de Speak Up antes de que comiencen las vacaciones de invierno! Visita [Enter ACCESS link] para compartir sus opiniones.
- ¡No olvide enviar sus comentarios a través de Speak Up antes de fin de año! Visita [Enter ACCESS link] para compartir sus opiniones.
Group Survey Materials
When you facilitate a Group survey, use the appropriate data collection form to record participants’ responses. Your school or district Speak Up contact will provide you with a link for entering the data into the survey tool following your group event. You may want to visit that link ahead of the event so that you can access tips for facilitating the survey including an introductory text that you can read to your group.
Group Survey Data Collection Forms
Students Grades K-2 Google Doc (Forced Copy)
Students Grades 3-5 Google Doc (Forced Copy)
Parents Google Doc (Forced Copy)
Information to know before you get started:
- You will read each question to the group and your participants will raise their hand to indicate agreement with any particular response. You can then count up those responses and enter the total in the data collection form.
- For any open-ended questions, we recommend that you facilitate a 5-7 minute group discussion to select your group’s favorite answers to this question. Please feel free to collect as many of your participants’ ideas as you wish.
- You know your participants best. You may opt to break the survey into multiple sessions, which is helpful with younger children. If you don’t think the participants will be comfortable with a question or a response, go ahead and skip over that one or allow for written responses, which allow for privacy. Or if you would like to shorten the survey, with your Speak Up primary contact, select a few key questions to ask the group and exclude the other questions.
- It is also fine to use the questions to have a discussion with your participants in a focus group type setting to gather feedback from your parent community around these important educational topics.
Project Tomorrow salutes the following innovative companies and organizations for their support of Speak Up 2022-23.
