NECC 2009
Washington DC
June 30, 2009
Learning in the 21st Century:
2009 Trends Update
New Report Release Breakfast
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Our discussion today:
Review new data findings
Learning in the 21st Century:
2009 Trends Report
A collaboration with Blackboard Inc.
Gain new insights
Stimulate new conversations
Engage your participation in Speak Up 2009
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Jessie Woolley-Wilson
President
K-12 Education
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

A big thank you to:
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

What is Speak Up?
• Annual national research project
– Online surveys + focus groups
– Open for all K-12 schools
– Schools/districts get back their own data for planning and budgeting
• Collect data ↔ Stimulate conversations
– K-12 Students, Teachers, Parents and Administrators
• Inform policies & programs
– Analysis and reporting – national reports, state reports, district reports
– Services: custom reports, consulting services, webinars
– NCES back end database – provide statistically significant samplings
• 6 years of empowering authentic voices – since 2003:
– 1.3 million K-12 students
–
–
103,000 teachers
54,000 parents
1.5 million respondents
– 6,300 school leaders
– 18,000 schools – from all 50 states, DC, American military base
schools, Canada, Mexico, Australia
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Speak Up is facilitated annually
by Project Tomorrow
(formerly known as NetDay)
Project Tomorrow is the nation’s
leading education nonprofit
organization dedicated to the
empowerment of student voices
in education.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Speak Up 2008 survey question themes
 Learning & Teaching with Technology
 Web 2.0 in Education
 Broadband Access & Policy
 21st Century Skills: Information and Media Literacy
Skills
 Science Instruction & Global Competitiveness
 Emerging Technologies in the Classroom
 Mobile Devices
 Online Learning
 Digital Content
 Designing the 21st Century School
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

National Speak Up 2008 Participation
 K-12 Students 281,500
 Teachers 29,644
 Parents (in English & Spanish) 21,309
 School/District Administrators 3,114
 Schools 4,379
 Districts 868
 States All 50
o Top 10: TX, CA, AZ, AL, IL, MD, FL, NC, NE, WI
About Speak Up Schools:
– 95% public, 3% private, 2% virtual
– 35% urban, 32% suburban, 33% rural
– 45% Title 1 eligible
– 34% majority-minority student population
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Introducing today’s expert panelists:
Sheryl Abshire
Calcasieu Parish Public Schools
Maribeth Luftglass
Fairfax County Public Schools
Rod Carnill
Frederick County Public Schools
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Key findings from Speak Up data
“Digital disconnect” is alive & well:
the gap between how
today’s students learn and
how they live!
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Key findings from Speak Up data
2009 Trends Update:
Student interest in online learning
continues to increase . . .
But district priorities and availability
are not keeping pace with demand
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Report highlights:
Growing Demand
Barriers to Implementation
Teachers and Online Learning
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
“Disrupting Class” says:
By 2019, 50% of all high school
classes will be online
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
“Disrupting Class” says:
By 2019, 50% of all high school
classes will be online
Today’s students say:
We want it now!
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Designing the Ultimate Schools - Online Classes
Administrators
Parents
Online Classes
Teachers
Gr 6-12
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Students: Have you taken or
researched an online class?
20% of high school students
26% of middle school students
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Is there interest in taking online
classes? Yes!
Interest in taking an online class:
+ 40% of high school students
+ 35% of middle school students
+ 15% of students grades 3-5
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Report
Is there interest in taking online
classes? Yes!
Interest in taking an online class:
+ 40% of high school students 21%
+ 35% of middle school students 46%
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Students Speak Up about Reasons for Taking Online Classes
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Earn college credit
Work at my own
pace
Take class not
offered at my school
G9-12
Complete HS
G6-8
requirements
G3-5
Get extra help in a
subject
Fit my schedule
Easier for me to learn
in an online class
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Figure 2: Students and Teachers Speak Up about the Benefits of
Online Classes for Students
Control own learning
More motivated to learn
Comfortable asking questions
Feel more connected to school
Collaborate with classmates
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%
Teachers who have taught an online class (n=678)
Teachers who have taken online professional development (n=8,121)
6th-12th grade students who have taken an online class (n=18,230)
6th-12th grade students, National Average (N=138,972)
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Barriers to implementing online classes?
Principals say:
#1 Funding
#2 Teacher Preparation
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Barriers to implementing online classes
#1 Funding
Not a funding priority in my district 22%
Limited state funding 20%
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Barriers to implementing online classes
#2 Teacher Preparation
Not comfortable with tools 18%
Not comfortable with teaching online 17%
Reluctant to try it 14%
No expertise to develop courses 14%
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Teachers become online learners
1/3 of teachers have taken online PD
1/5 of teachers participate regularly in online PLC
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Teachers become online learners
1/3 of teachers have taken online PD
1/5 of teachers participate regularly in online PLC
But only 3% have taught
an online class
Only 13% are even interested!
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Figure 3: Teachers Speak Up about how Online Classes Improve their
Effectiveness as a Teacher
Encouraged students to be more
self directed
Facilitated student-centered
learning
Facilitated collaboration between
students
Teachers who have taught an online
Took time to differentiate class (n=678)
instruction Teachers who have taken an online
Better understanding of how my class (n=8,121)
students were doing
Gave more personalized attention
Spent more time with individual
students
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update Report
Today’s students are tomorrow’s
“Free Agent” Learners.
Are we prepared for this?
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

More Speak Up? www.tomorrow.org
Reports such as:
Learning in the 21st Century: A National Report of
Online Learning (Oct 2007, Updated Jun 2008, 2009)
Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators
Students, Teachers and Parents Speak Up about
Science Education (June 2008)
Leadership in the 21st Century:
The New Visionary Administrator
(October 2008)
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Get ready!
Speak Up 2009
Oct 12 – Dec 18
New online surveys for:
K-12 Students
Teachers
Parents
Administrators
and
Pre-Service Teachers
(new this year!)
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

2009 Trends Update
Introducing today’s expert panelists:
Sheryl Abshire
Calcasieu Parish Public Schools
Maribeth Luftglass
Fairfax County Public Schools
Rod Carnill
Frederick County Public Schools
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

A big thank you to:
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009

Thank you!
More data and reports are available on
our website: www.tomorrow.org
Julie Evans
Project Tomorrow
jevans@tomorrow.org
949-609-4660 x15
Copyright Project Tomorrow 2009.
This work is the intellectual property of the author. Permission is granted
for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes,
provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced
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author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written
permission from the author.
(c) Project Tomorrow 2009