Listening to Florida, from the Panhandle to the Keys
A statewide tour of conversations about the data people need, the barriers they face, and how better information can support teaching, learning, research, and decision-making.
What the tour is
The 2026-27 Lastinger Listening Tour brings people across Florida into conversations about how they access, use, and share education data and information. Through interviews, focus groups, and a statewide survey, we are learning what works, where people encounter challenges, and what they would like to see improved. We will review what we learn with participants and use it to develop practical recommendations for education data access and use in Florida.
This is a listening and research effort, not an audit, a compliance review, or a technology sales pitch.
The Listening Tour is supported by Helios Education Foundation.
How we listen
At each regional stop, we invite people with different roles and experiences to take part in interviews and small group conversations. We use a common set of questions, adapted for each audience, to learn how people access and use education data and information in their work and decision-making.
Learn more about our listening tour work on the Lastinger Center website.
The tour so far
Ten regions, one state
Select a region to see where the tour has been, where it is headed, and who has joined the conversation.
Who we've heard from
Participants in the first eight regions, grouped by audience. Counts reflect people who joined a session; individuals are not named.
Participants by region
Organizations represented
Add your voice
The tour can only visit ten regions, but the statewide survey is open to anyone who collects, receives, shares, or uses education data or information in Florida. It takes about 10–15 minutes, responses are anonymous and reported only in summary, and there are no right or wrong answers. What you share will shape the recommendations that come from this work.
What we're listening for
We’re asking people across Florida:
What people use today
What education data and information they currently use and value.
What’s missing
What is missing, difficult to access, confusing, or untimely.
Where burden builds
Where systems, processes, and reporting create burden or duplication.
What makes it useful
What makes information useful, understandable, trustworthy, secure, and actionable.
How AI is used
How AI is being used with education data and what opportunities or concerns people see.
What could change
What changes could better support teaching, learning, programs, research, and decision-making.
Who we set out to hear
Twelve audience groups in three tiers, each with its own session goal. Students are represented through families, caregivers, and the educators closest to them rather than engaged directly in this phase.
Where we are in the work
Four phases from spring 2026 to the fall 2027 launch. Field data collection runs through November.
Now: 8 of 10 regions visitedInitiation & planning
- Governance cadence established
- IRB approval, research questions, and protocols
- Materials and communications plan
- Itinerary and stops developed
Data collection
- Statewide listening tour
- Interviews, focus groups, and surveys
- Logistics and stakeholder engagement
Analysis & validation
- Analyze what we heard
- Regional member-checking sessions
- Refine findings and recommendations
Dissemination & launch
- Final report and recommendations
- Launch event aligned with the Associate Exchange, Advisory Board meeting, and 25th Anniversary Gala
While the tour is on the road, the statewide survey stays open: 10–15 minutes, anonymous, and reported only in summary. Add your voice.