Washington, DC. April 21, 2006.  -- NetDay, (www.netday.org), the national education technology nonprofit group, provided a preview of the results from its Speak Up 2005 survey at a briefing sponsored by  four Congressional leaders, Rep. Howard McKeon, Chair, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Rep. George Miller, Ranking Member, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Sen. Lamar Alexander, Chair, Subcommittee on Education and Early Childhood Development and Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Member, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.

Over 185,000 students and 15,000 teachers participated in Speak Up 2005. This year’s surveys included specific questions regarding science education, 21st century workforce skills and the role of technology in driving innovation. The goal with these questions was to actively engage America’s students and teachers in the national dialogue on how to maintain our country’s competitiveness in the 21st century and sustain our global scientific and technological superiority.
The briefing featured:

• Julie Evans, CEO, providing highlights from Speak Up 2005.
• Tom Luce, Assistant Secretary of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development at the US Department of Education, discussing the US Department of Education’s focus on education and our nation’s competitiveness and how this relates to NetDay’s efforts.
• A panel of students and teachers offering their opinions about how technology should be used to enhance achievement and productivity. 
• Thessaly Startzell , National Program Manager, Dell TechKnow, Dell Inc announcing the dates and plans for Speak Up 2006. 

“NetDay is pleased to have an opportunity for the third time to present the data from its Speak Up surveys at a Congressional briefing. I am honored that the leadership of the House and Senate education committees are part of this effort. I am also happy to have so many of our non profit partners with us at the briefing,“ said Julie Evans, CEO, NetDay.   

The full report of Speak Up 2005 will be available on May 2 and posted at www.netday.org.

NetDay has conducted an annual online survey for the past three years, collecting the viewpoints of over 562,000 K-12 students from all 50 states, as well as 26,000 teachers.  The Speak Up data represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered student views on technology and education ever assembled.  The results show today’s students are very technically savvy, approach their lives differently because of technology, use it more as they get older and enjoy greater access to computers and the Internet at home than at school.

Speak Up 2005 was made possible through the generous support of BellSouth Foundation and Dell, Inc. with additional support from TechNet.  Outreach support was provided by a large group of non profit partners (http://www.netday.org/speakup_our_partners.htm )

ABOUT NETDAY SPEAK UP FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS
The findings of the Speak Up surveys are shared with local, state and national education officials integrated into educational planning at every level and are used to make decisions on issues such as technology use in school. Examples of the impact of the data on national policy discussions include:

• The US Department of Education used Speak Up data in the development of its 2005 National Education Technology Plan, Golden Age in American Education: How the Internet, the Law and Today’s Students are Revolutionizing Expectation.
• Visions 2020.2: Student Views on Transforming Education and Training Through Advanced Technologies, a report developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Commerce, is based upon the Speak Up 2004 data and offers a clear picture of how students want to use technology for learning.
• Student Views on Technology for Learning: Students Speak Up to the President captures 67,000 student responses to the question “What is the one thing you would like to tell the president about how you use technology for learning?”

ABOUT NETDAY

NetDay Speak Up is a national initiative of Project Tomorrow, the new nonprofit organization formed with the merger of NetDay and Project Tomorrow in September 2005.  The mission of the new combined organization is to support and promote the effective and appropriate use of science, math and technology resources in K–12 education so that every student has the opportunity to fully participate in today’s global economy and community.  We are dedicated to preparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and engaged citizens.