What Districts Told Us | 2026–27 Wisconsin Digital Learning Survey
2026–27 Wisconsin Digital Learning Survey
What Districts Told Us
Qualitative insights from district responses to the survey's open-ended questions.
About These Insights
The 2026–27 Digital Learning Survey included several optional, open-ended questions that invited districts to describe opportunities, challenges, strategies, and practices related to digital learning. Responses reflected a wide range of local contexts, but several recurring themes emerged across districts.
These qualitative insights summarize themes that appeared repeatedly in district responses. They provide context and examples rather than represent the views of all Wisconsin school districts. Because participation in individual open-ended questions was optional and varied, themes should be interpreted as patterns within the written responses received.
Important: These summaries describe what districts reported. They do not represent recommendations or evaluations by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment
Common themes included:
- Strengthening educators' ability to use existing digital tools to differentiate instruction, monitor student progress, analyze assessment data, and personalize learning.
- Providing ongoing professional learning and coaching focused on instructional practices, not simply on how to operate technology.
- Increasing consistency in the use of digital tools and resources across classrooms and grade levels.
- Expanding the use of digital assessment and data-analysis tools.
- Supporting digital citizenship and responsible technology use as part of curriculum and instruction.
- Leveraging CESA partnerships, technology integration staff, library media specialists, and other instructional leaders to support implementation.
Recurring message: Districts described the greatest opportunity as making more intentional use of the tools and resources they already have.
Accessibility & Assistive Technology
Common themes included:
- Providing Assistive Technology based on student needs identified through IEPs and 504 plans.
- Increasing staff knowledge about accessibility features, accessible documents, and accessible digital resources.
- Providing professional learning related to accessibility and Assistive Technology.
- Working with CESAs and specialized partners to identify and implement appropriate supports.
- Expanding access to devices and internet connectivity for students who lack access outside of school.
- Reviewing digital tools, websites, and instructional resources for accessibility and usability.
Recurring message: Districts generally described accessibility as an ongoing responsibility requiring professional learning, appropriate tools, and continued attention to individual student needs.
Professional Learning & Educator Capacity
Common themes included:
- Technology integration coaching.
- Peer-to-peer learning and observation.
- Professional learning communities.
- CESA professional learning opportunities.
- Conferences and workshops.
- Training connected to newly adopted technologies or instructional resources.
- Flexible professional learning options that allow educators to select learning based on their needs.
- Professional learning aligned with curriculum, content areas, pedagogy, and district priorities.
- Staff surveys and focus groups to identify professional learning needs.
Recurring message: Districts described professional learning as most useful when it is personalized, practical, ongoing, and connected directly to educators' instructional work.
Sustainable Digital Learning Investments
Common themes included:
- Long-range technology replacement and upgrade plans.
- Aligning technology and library plans with district strategic plans.
- Using recurring district funding whenever possible.
- Seeking grants and support from educational foundations.
- Partnering with CESAs, neighboring districts, higher education institutions, and local businesses.
- Reducing duplication among digital applications and focusing investments on tools that address identified student and educator needs.
- Providing professional learning so educators can make effective use of purchased resources.
- Extending the useful life of devices and infrastructure when replacement funding is limited.
Recurring message: Districts described using strategic planning, partnerships, long-range planning, and multiple funding sources to sustain digital learning, while many continue to face financial pressure.
Community Partnerships & Engagement
Common themes included:
- Multiple communication channels, including email, text messaging, newsletters, social media, websites, newspapers, and printed materials.
- Regular meetings and opportunities for community input.
- Business partnerships and work-based learning opportunities.
- Partnerships with higher education institutions, technical colleges, CESAs, libraries, and community organizations.
- Community coffee events and informal opportunities for conversation.
- Parent and community organizations.
- School board meetings and community planning meetings.
- Participation in civic and community organizations.
Recurring message: Districts described strong partnerships as being built through consistent communication, relationship-building, and multiple opportunities for stakeholders to participate.
Data Privacy, Cybersecurity & Digital Governance
Common themes included:
- Additional cybersecurity and data privacy professional learning for staff.
- Phishing awareness and simulated phishing exercises.
- Multi-factor authentication and stronger account security practices.
- More frequent review and updating of policies and procedures.
- Formal schedules for reviewing privacy and cybersecurity practices.
- Collaboration with neighboring districts and external cybersecurity experts.
- Student cybersecurity and digital citizenship education.
- Greater attention to data privacy when implementing artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
- Additional funding for cybersecurity tools and services.
Recurring message: Districts described cybersecurity and privacy as ongoing responsibilities requiring continual staff education, policy review, technical safeguards, and adequate resources.
Digital Equity, Infrastructure & Access
Common themes included:
- Expanding rural broadband availability.
- Increasing the number of local internet providers.
- Improving reliability and capacity of network infrastructure.
- Replacing aging infrastructure and equipment.
- Maintaining adequate funding for infrastructure upgrades and device replacement.
- Expanding access to internet connectivity outside school.
- Strengthening partnerships with local providers and community organizations.
- Expanding state and federal funding opportunities.
Recurring message: Districts identified reliable broadband, updated infrastructure, and sustainable funding as essential foundations for equitable digital learning opportunities.
Flexible, Inclusive & Learner-Centered Learning
Common themes included:
- Competency-based learning and flexible learning pathways.
- Project-based and experiential learning.
- Dual enrollment and early college opportunities.
- Field experiences and work-based learning.
- Outdoor classrooms and alternative learning spaces.
- Flexible furniture and student-centered learning environments.
- Personalized learning platforms.
- Peer observation and professional learning focused on learner-centered practices.
- Increased opportunities for students to make choices about how and where they learn.
- Partnerships with colleges and universities to expand learning opportunities beyond the traditional classroom.
Recurring message: Districts are exploring multiple pathways to make learning more flexible and personalized, while staffing, funding, scheduling, and access to community opportunities can affect implementation.
Collaborative Leadership & Future Ready Practices
Common themes included:
- Strategic planning involving staff, families, students, community members, and school boards.
- Instructional coaching.
- Professional learning communities.
- Leadership and strategic partnership teams.
- Student advisory groups and student voice in decision making.
- Family listening sessions.
- Community engagement opportunities.
- Clear communication about the purpose behind technology investments.
- Giving educators opportunities to innovate and try new approaches.
- Monitoring and communicating progress toward strategic goals.
Recurring message: Districts described collaborative leadership as a combination of clear direction, stakeholder voice, communication, and trust in educators to innovate.
Implementation Approaches Reported by Districts (422 written responses)
Common themes included:
- Communicating expectations to families and students.
- Preparing staff through meetings and professional learning.
- Establishing consistent building- and classroom-level procedures.
- Communicating procedures through handbooks, websites, newsletters, and other channels.
- Addressing exceptions and individual student circumstances.
- Providing ongoing reminders and reinforcement.
- Adjusting implementation based on experience and feedback.
Recurring message: Districts described implementation as an ongoing process involving communication, staff preparation, clearly defined procedures, and attention to individual student circumstances.
Cross-Cutting Themes
Professional learning remains foundational.
Across digital tools, accessibility, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and learner-centered instruction, districts repeatedly identified staff learning and support as important factors in implementation.
Partnerships extend local capacity.
CESAs, neighboring districts, higher education institutions, businesses, libraries, community organizations, and other partners were frequently identified as sources of expertise, professional learning, resources, and opportunities for students.
Funding and staff time affect implementation.
Across multiple questions, districts identified funding, staffing, planning time, and professional learning time as constraints on their ability to expand or sustain digital learning initiatives.
Districts are emphasizing purposeful uses of technology.
Many responses reflected a focus on using digital tools when they meaningfully support instruction, student needs, accessibility, collaboration, assessment, and learning outcomes.
Local context matters.
Districts described different circumstances, priorities, and levels of implementation. Rural broadband access, district size, existing infrastructure, staffing, community partnerships, grade levels, and local strategic priorities all influence digital learning.
Sustainable implementation requires ongoing attention.
Across the survey, districts described digital learning as an ongoing process requiring continued attention to technology replacement, cybersecurity, accessibility, professional learning, infrastructure, policy review, and emerging technologies.
A Note About the Qualitative Data
The open-ended responses provide context to the survey's quantitative results, but they should not be interpreted as representative of all Wisconsin school districts. Response rates varied substantially by question, and districts that chose to provide written comments may differ from those that did not.
The themes above represent recurring ideas identified within the written responses provided. Individual districts may have described additional priorities, challenges, or practices that are not reflected in this summary.