IRVINE – October 29, 2026 -- Seventy percent of K-12 parents worry their children are not learning future-ready skills, up 17 points from 2023-24 and 63% higher than in 2020, according to the 23rd Annual Speak Up Report from education nonprofit Project Tomorrow.
The 2026 Speak Up Research Project gathered input from more than 95,000 students, educators, administrators and families in rural, urban and suburban schools.
85% of parents tie their child's future success to effective classroom technology
The report, titled What's Tech Got To Do With It?, finds that classroom infrastructure is largely in place. The main opportunity now is helping teachers use technology to build the skills families want. Project Tomorrow CEO Dr. Julie Evans said students and families want classrooms that prepare them for 2027 "and not for 1977."
Parents rank critical thinking and problem-solving highest at 92%, followed by effective communication at 86%. Some 76% of parents want instruction focused on problem-solving rather than rote memorization, and 48% explicitly ask schools to use technology purposefully.
Teachers report gains in interactivity and personalization, with rural educators seeing the strongest skill benefits
Seventy percent of teachers say technology makes learning more interactive, and 56% say it helps them personalize instruction. In rural schools, 62% of teachers say technology helps students build skills for lifelong, self-directed learning, against 45% of suburban teachers.
46% of high schoolers learn AI tools on their own, outpacing the 30% reached through in-school classes
Self-directed AI experimentation outside school is up 16 points since 2023-24. Suburban students report the most AI experience, and 54% of them say AI could explain things in ways that make more sense. In other community types the figure is 42% to 43%.
On career preparation, 48% of high school students want classes that connect to real-world job skills, a priority that matches parent demand.
Project Tomorrow offers districts free access to local, state and national comparison data
The Speak Up research is run with sponsors Agile Education Marketing, ClassDojo for Districts, Edmentum, edWeb.net and PowerSchool, plus 29 education nonprofits and associations providing outreach support. Participating districts receive their own local data alongside state and national benchmarks at no cost. Evans hosted four high school students on a panel at the 2026 Speak Up Congressional Briefing on edWeb to discuss safe and effective instructional technology use.