ARLINGTON, VA. March 6, 2006-- NetDay, (www.netday.org), the national education technology nonprofit group, announced the selection of SPEAK UP 100, America’s top 100 schools for encouraging student voices in education technology decision-making at the 11th Annual Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) Conference for business and education leaders.

The selection of the SPEAK UP 100 schools was based upon the schools’ participation in the annual Speak Up  online surveys and their demonstrated commitment to engaging students in local technology planning and   decision-making.   NetDay helps schools engage and empower students to be more involved in local technology  discussions by facilitating the annual online Speak Up surveys and through the Student Voices Resource Center, NetDay’s website for students (www.NetDay.org/SVRC). 

The schools selected for this year’s SPEAK UP 100 recognition include elementary, middle and high schools in rural, suburban and urban communities from 25 different states, plus an American military base in Japan.   9% of the SPEAK UP 100 schools this year are private or parochial schools.  Receiving special recognition are the  7 school districts that had 5 or more schools honored as part of this year’s SPEAK UP 100:

• Newport-Mesa Unified School District – CA
• City of Chicago School District 299 – IL
• Baltimore City Public School System – MD
• Clear Creek Independent School District – TX
• Klein Independent School District – TX
• Plano Independent School District – TX
• Weatherford Independent School District – TX 

In making the announcement Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow–NetDay, said, “I am very impressed by the ways in which the SPEAK UP 100 schools are involving students in technology planning and decision making and utilizing their Speak Up data to improve the teaching and learning process. Throughout the country we are witnessing powerful ways in which educators are using student input to drive new ideas and innovation in education and technology within their schools and districts. “

Students and educators representing some of the SPEAK UP 100 schools shared their insights and discussed the impact their voices have had within their communities during a special spotlight session at the CoSN Conference.  Panelists included students and educators from Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore MD, Rachel Carson Middle School in Herndon VA, City of Chicago School District 299 in Chicago IL and Onslow County Schools in Richlands NC. 

The honored schools will be prominently featured on www.netday.org and will receive special recognitions from NetDay including a unique SPEAK UP 100 logo to use on their school and district websites.   NetDay will share the SPEAK UP 100 schools and their impact stories with our national partners and other organizations and agencies interested in student voices in education and technology. 

The complete listing of the 2006 SPEAK UP 100 schools is included with this release.  The 2005 Speak Up for Students and Teachers online event was made possible through the generous support of Dell Inc and BellSouth Foundation.

This is the first time that NetDay is honoring America’s top schools for participating in Speak Up and for encouraging student voice in education technology decision-making.   NetDay has championed student voices in education technology by hosting the Speak Up online surveys and by publishing national reports on their data findings for the past three years.

ABOUT NETDAY SPEAK UP FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

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.  

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.  Our 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 sustaining our global scientific and technological superiority.

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:

1. 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?”  

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.