Speak Up Resources
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 the 2023-2024 Surveys
Spanish translations are available for Students 3-5, Students 6-12, and Family surveys. There is a single survey (URL) that offers language selection for these audiences before the survey is presented. The linked PDFs provide a preview. We appreciate our participating districts’ feedback on this service. If you have other language needs, we would be proud to include any translations you can provide. Reach out to mgreen@tomorrow.org to collaborate on this effort!
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
Grades K-2 PDF
Grades 3-5 PDF
Grades 6-8 PDF
Grades 9-12 PDF
Promotional Content for District Communications
Use these sample emails to quickly get the word out about the Speak Up project to your school(s). We’ve provided a sample email for administrators below. In the next section are sample emails that building leaders can share with educators, students, and families. Feel free to change the text as needed.
EMAIL FOR SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM
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 United States’ 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. [DISTRICT NAME] has partnered with Project Tomorrow to offer surveys which will ask about technology usage in our schools. [Insert sentence about how you will use the data.]
Project Tomorrow provides everything you need to help make Speak Up a success: promotional materials, school-to-home messaging, social media promotions, and lesson plans!
Speak Up surveys will be open from [enter start date] to [enter close date] for student, families, 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]
Introduction Letter or Newsletter Article
To help your school/district get familiar with Speak Up, share this with parents and faculty members. We’ve bracketed 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] 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.
[Link to the appropriate audience’s 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 [SPEAK UP CONTACT or appropriate contact for school level].
Sincerely,
[SPEAK UP CONTACT/APPROPRIATE CONTACT]
Promotional Content for Schools
Email to Faculty
Subject: [ENTER SCHOOL NAME], Speak Up!
Message: We encourage all [ENTER SCHOOL NAME] teachers and faculty members to Speak Up about digital learning! Join the conversation about the use of technology for learning through Speak Up, a semi-customized version of the national research project. 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 {ENTER YOUR DIRECT ACCESS LINK(S)] to take the survey. It takes just 20 minutes to add your voice!
Email to Parents
Subject: [ENTER SCHOOL NAME] Parents: We want to hear your views on technology and learning!
Message: Be a part of the conversation happening across the state! 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 families share their ideas directly with schools and national policymakers. Speak Up provides parents and guardians 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/guardians from across the country. By participating in Speak Up, you are expressing your views to a wider audience of local, state, and national policy makers —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/guardians; it’s quick and easy to get involved. All participation is 100% confidential. Surveys take about 20 minutes to complete.
To take the survey, visit: [Insert Link to Survey].
To preview any of the surveys (students, teachers, administrator) visit https://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/speak-up-resources/
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us! We need your input!
[INSERT LINK TO SURVEY]
Email to Students
Use the material below for an email or LMS announcement
Speak Up – Your ideas are important to us!
We value your thoughts and opinions! At [ENTER SCHOOL NAME], we’re excited to be part of the Speak Up research project. Our goal is to gain insights into how you use technology for learning, both inside and outside of school. We’re eager to understand your preferences on utilizing technology for education and how you envision technology being integrated into your classroom experience.
To take the survey, visit: [INSERT DIRECT ACCESS LINK for the grade level]
Your input is crucial in shaping the future of technology in education at our school. We appreciate your participation and look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Thank you for helping us make a difference!
Promotional Content for Social Media
Speak Up 23 Social Media Sample Messaging
District-Level:
Launching
{Enter District Name} is participating in the #SpeakUpEd Research Initiative, which asks K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology in learning. We need your help to ensure our district gets great data! Taking the survey is easy & all participation is 100% confidential.
Promoting
{Enter District Name} students, parents & educators, don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your views on technology in K-12 education! Take the #SpeakUpEd survey to make sure {Enter District Name} voices are heard in annual and long-term planning efforts.
Final Push
It’s your last chance to Speak Up about your thoughts on technology in the classroom! The #SpeakUpEd surveys will be closing on {insert closing date}, so be sure to take survey before then.
Launching
We are excited to announce that {Enter District Name} is participating in the 2023 Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning, a national initiative of Project Tomorrow. 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. [DISTRICT NAME] has partnered with Project Tomorrow to offer surveys which will ask about technology usage in our schools.
Promoting
{Enter District Name} students, parents & educators, don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your views on technology in K-12 education! What is the value of participating in the Speak Up Research Initiative, you ask? 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?
Ensure your voice is a part of the conversation!
Final Push
{Insert District Name} community, it’s your last chance to Speak Up about your thoughts on technology in the classroom! The #SpeakUpEd surveys will be closing on {insert closing date}, so be sure to take survey before then.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us! We need your input!
School-Level:
Launching
{Enter School Name} is participating in the #SpeakUpEd Research Initiative, which asks K-12 students, parents and educators about the role of technology in learning. We need your help to ensure our school gets great data! Taking the survey is easy and 100% confidential!
Promoting
{Enter School Name} students, parents & educators, don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your views on technology in K-12 education! Take the #SpeakUpEd survey to make sure {Enter School Name} voices are part of the conversation impacting our students’ education!
Final Push
It’s your last chance to Speak Up about your thoughts on technology in the classroom! The #SpeakUpEd surveys will be closing on {insert closing date}, so be sure to take survey before then.
Launching
We are excited to announce that {Enter School Name} is participating in the 2023 Speak Up Research Project for Digital Learning, a national initiative of Project Tomorrow. 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. The online survey is open to students, educators and parents/guardians; it’s quick and easy to get involved. All participation is 100% confidential. Surveys take about 20 minutes to complete.
Promoting
{Enter School Name} students, parents & educators, don’t miss out on the opportunity to share your views on technology in K-12 education! Since 2003, Speak Up has collected and shared the views of more than 5.4 million students, teachers, and parents/guardians from across the country. By participating in Speak Up, you are expressing your views to a wider audience of local, state, and national policy makers —and contributing to the national dialogue about how best to prepare students for the future.
Your input is crucial in shaping the future of technology in education at our school. Thank you for helping us make a difference!
Final Push
Calling all {Insert School Name} students, parents, and educators, it’s your last chance to Speak Up about your thoughts on technology in the classroom! The #SpeakUpEd surveys will be closing on {insert closing date}, so be sure to take survey before then.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your views with us! We need your input!
We have put together a shareable Google Drive for images : https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1_4Qa9BovE2nJxH3QsKSAnjw0TWSRnPb7?usp=sharing …
Facilitating Group Surveys
Group surveys are available for K-2 Students, 3-5 Students, and Family surveys and can be used at the discretion of the district or school. The family survey is a modified version of the individual survey given the format of questions.
The primary contact for the district’s Speak Up project will provide facilitators with a customized link for group surveys. These links come with the district set of survey links. The facilitator will use the to survey form to record participants’ responses. We recommend facilitators visit that link ahead of the event so that they can access tips for facilitating the survey including an introductory text that can be read to the group participants. On group surveys, the facilitator can save their progress and return to the form multiple times by sharing their email. Email addresses are not attached to the survey results.
Facilitator Tips:
- 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 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.
Accessing Data from Previous Years (2022-23 through 2003-04)
A key benefit of participating in Speak Up as a district is the data you receive for your school(s) and district. We hope that you have accessed your data and incorporated it into your planning process. District or school contacts that registered for the 2022-2023 school year access their data using the button below. If you need assistance, please message support@tomorrow.org
2022-2023 Speak Up Participants
View Previous Years’ Data
Past participants can easily access their data by selecting the year of the Speak Up collection period you would like to view.
- 2021-2022 https://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2021/find_school
- 2020-2021https://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2020/find_school
- 2019-2020 https://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2019/find_school
- 2018-2019 https://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2018/find_school.aspx
- 2017-2018 https://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2017/find_school.aspx
- 2016-2003: email support@tomorrow.org
- To view your reports, you will be required to enter your state, school or district name and the Speak Up admin password assigned to your school/district for that particular year. If you forgot the password, please contact us at support@tomorrow.org.
- To view data reports, select the number in the “# of District (School) Surveys” column to display that survey type.
- To view your open-ended text responses, click on “District (School)” in the Open-Ended Responses Column.
- To save a copy of your results: click the download button at the top of the page to export the report into excel. To keep the formatted version, print the results or copy and paste them into your own file or this Speak Up Data Excel Template. To view your data across audiences and by theme, use our thematic report template to drop in your school or district’s data.
Not the primary contact? We can help. Please contact the Speak Up Team at support@tomorrow.org for assistance.
Tools for District Primary Contacts
- School Side by Side Comparison Report: To export your district data for each audience type by school into an excel file, once logged in, click on “Download Excel Summary” link at the top of your report table. You will then be prompted to select an audience type, the excel file will then pop up as a download. This file includes: school side by side comparisons as well as the national, state, and district data percentages to use as benchmarks.
- School Individual Reports: District primary contacts can access each individual school’s reports by selecting a school from the Individual School Reports column or by selecting from the year drop down above to access each individual school’s report page. The district admin password will work to access each individual school’s reports.
Are you interested in presenting your school or district data? Please contact the Speak Up Team at support@tomorrow.org to request copies of our PowerPoint templates.
Additional Resources for Technology Leadership Teams
Project Tomorrow is pleased to be a Center on Inclusive Technology & Education Systems (CITES) sustainability partner. In partnership with multiple K12 districts, they developed an evidence-based framework to support inclusive technology practices. Learn more by visiting: Inclusive Technology Leadership Tools and Resources: What can education leaders do to support their inclusive technology journey? https://www.tomorrow.org/citesresources/
Project Tomorrow salutes the following innovative companies and organizations for their support of Speak Up 2023-24.

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.