Speak Up 2012 California Survey

October 30, 2012

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE: SPEAK UP 2012 CALIFORNIA SURVEY

I am writing to call your attention to an opportunity for you and your students, teachers, parents, administrators, and technology leaders to participate in the national Speak Up survey which is now open for input until December 14, 2012.

This survey, developed by Project Tomorrow, provides a critical opportunity for local stakeholder voices to directly impact national and state efforts to promote positive, effective use of technology to transform teaching and learning.

By participating, we will receive targeted data to promote our state efforts at developing and advocating for programs and initiatives that improve our ability to prepare students for the world they live in today. Additionally, you will receive a district level report to support your local efforts.

Participation in Speak Up is free. Project Tomorrow has already registered all California schools to participate: all you have to do is encourage your students, teachers, parents, technology leaders, and administrators to go online and take the 20-minute survey on the Project Tomorrow Speak Up Web page at
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/california.html now through December 14th.

The survey password to access the California survey is: su4ca.

Participation in this survey is consistent with the work of my Education Technology Task Force and our efforts to develop a Blueprint for Digital Learning in California. The participation of your students, teachers, parents, administrators, and technology leaders in this Speak Up survey will help our Education Technology initiative by providing us with important data. You can learn more about my Education Technology Task Force initiative by visiting the California Department of Education California Education Technology Blueprint Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/edtechbi.asp.

All information is completely confidential. The survey takes less than 20 minutes to complete. Each participating institution will receive a free online report in February 2013 aggregating all local data with national data to use for comparative benchmarking and
local advocacy.

You will be able to use your local Speak Up data to: advocate for policies, programs, and funding; include key add data findings into local plans; support grant proposals; engage your community; and learn about the ideas of your students, staff, and parents.

Survey topics this year include:

• Online and blended learning
• Mobile devices & Bring Your Own Device plans
• Education technology funding
• Parents’ concerns
• Online reading comprehension
• Social media and digital content
• Flipped classroom
• Professional development
• Common Core State Standards
• Technology desires for the ultimate school

The Speak Up National Research Project collects and reports on the authentic, unfiltered views and opinions views and opinions of K-12 students, parents, and educators on critical 21st century education and technology issues. Since 2003, over 2.6 million K-12 education stakeholders have participated in the annual online surveys. Data findings are shared each year with federal, state, and local policymakers to inform education programs, policies and funding.

Speak Up is facilitated by Project Tomorrow (http://www.tomorrow.org ), a national education nonprofit organization. You can learn more about Speak Up on the Project Tomorrow Speak Up Web page at http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup . Contact Jenny Hostert by e-mail at jhostert@tomorrow.org on the Speak Up Team if you have any questions about this program.

If you have questions about California’s participation, you may contact Barbara Ross, Education Programs Consultant, Education Technology Office, by phone at 916-323-5298 or by e-mail at bross@cde.ca.gov.

Sincerely,

Tom Torlakson

TT:cc
212-11025