Data findings from 95,000+ K-12 stakeholders outline priorities: career-ready skills, AI engagement, and digital instruction
Key Insights:
- Parental Concern Spikes: 70% of K-12 parents worry kids are not learning future-ready skills—up 17 points from 2023-24 and a 63% increase since 2020.
- Technology as a Strategic Driver: 85% of parents view effective instructional technology use as critical to their child’s future success.
- Core Skills in Demand: 92% of parents prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving, while 86% cite effective communication.
- Accelerating AI Integration: 46% of high schoolers now learn AI tools through self-directed experimentation outside of school (up 16 points since 2023–24), outpacing in-school AI class activities (30%).
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Project Tomorrow, a leading national education nonprofit, has released What’s Tech Got To Do With It?, its 23rd Annual Speak Up Report. Drawing on its large collection of authentic K12 stakeholder voices, Project Tomorrow’s latest data reveals growing concern over career readiness and the evolving role of classroom technology.
Growing Demand for Future-Ready Skills
The 2026 Speak Up Research Project collected insights from more than 95,000 K-12 students, educators, administrators, and families across rural, urban and suburban schools. The concern over career-ready skills has increased by 63% since 2020.
What’s tech got to do with it? 85% of parents say effective use of technology in instruction is important to their child’s future success.
The report finds that schools are better positioned than ever to respond, but that access to technology alone isn’t enough. With classroom infrastructure largely in place, the greatest opportunity now lies in supporting teachers in using technology effectively to build the skills families want.
“Parents are telling us their number one concern is that their children aren’t learning the right skills to be successful,” said Dr. Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow. “Technology isn’t a substitute for traditional learning. However, when it’s used effectively, it helps students develop durable skills, makes teachers more effective, and modernizes the learning experience in ways that could never have been done before. Students and families want classrooms that prepare them for 2027 and beyond, and not for 1977.”
Key findings of the report:
- Universal Consensus on Essential Skills: Across rural, urban, and suburban communities, parents prioritize critical thinking (92%) and effective communication (86%).
- Teacher Effectiveness: 70% of teachers report technology makes learning more interactive, and 56% say it helps them personalize instruction. Rural teachers see the strongest benefits: 62% say tech helps students develop skills for lifelong, self-directed learning, compared with 45% of suburban teachers.
- Expanding AI Engagement: High school student involvement in AI learning activities rose 16 points in two years. Suburban students, who report the most experience with AI, also see the most potential (54% say it could explain things in ways that make more sense, vs. 42–43% elsewhere).
- Alignment Between Parents and Students: 48% of high school students want classes that connect to real-world job skills, and 76% of parents want instruction focused on problem-solving, rather than rote memorization. Notably, 48% of parents explicitly ask schools to “use technology purposefully.”
Dr. Evans hosted a panel featuring four high school students at the 2026 Speak Up Congressional Briefing on edWeb to discuss safe and effective instructional technology use.
To download the full report or access the interactive digital dashboard visit https://www.tomorrow.org/2026-speak-upcongressional-briefing/.
About Project Tomorrow & Speak Up
The Speak Up Research Project is a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, an internationally recognized education nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all students are prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders, innovators and engaged citizens of the world. Each year, the Speak Up Research Project polls K–12 students, parents, and educators about the role of technology for learning in and out of school and the impact of new learning models on student outcomes and teacher effectiveness. The Speak Up dataset represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder voices on digital learning. Since the fall of 2003, more than 6.4 million K–12 students, parents, teachers, librarians, principals, technology leaders, district administrators, communications officers and members of the community have shared their views and ideas through Speak Up. The Speak Up Research Project is facilitated in collaboration with our research sponsors Agile Education Marketing, ClassDojo for Districts, Edmentum, edWeb.net, and PowerSchool. Additionally, 29 education nonprofit organizations and associations provide outreach and thought leadership support for the Speak Up Project.
Learn more at https://www.tomorrow.org
Districts that value stakeholder voices and want to transform teaching and learning to be more innovative so that every student is well prepared for future success should participate in Speak Up surveys. Participation is free, and every participating district receives access to their local data alongside state level and national level comparative data to provide additional value and context. To join the Speak Up research initiative, visit https://www.tomorrow.org/projects/speak-up-2026/
Media Contact:
Alex Fairchild
projecttomorrow@finnpartners.com
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SOURCE Project Tomorrow
