Equity in Civic Technology, Privacy & Data
Research Brief: Unmet Demand for Community Engagement on School Data and Technology Use
Community engagement is frequently referenced as an important principle of responsible data and technology use in K-12 education, but how frequently do schools and districts implement these practices? Do students and their families feel like they are being adequately engaged by their schools? Do they even want to be engaged? To answer these questions, CDT conducted survey research on teacher, parent, and student views toward technology decision-making and community engagement in the context of edtech and student privacy.
CDT’s research found that far from being ambivalent, parents and students express eagerness to play a role in decisions about technology and data, but indicate these desires are going unmet. There are clear gaps in schools’ and districts’ community engagement efforts, so this guidance charts a path forward for practical steps schools can take to better satisfy these demands.
