Impact of Technology

on Education

PUSD School Board

January 17, 2006
 Background

 Growing trend toward globalization

 Increasing importance of technology in
society
 Students need to develop 21st century skills
 Students of today have grown up with digital
technology
 Technology in US schools

 Over $10 Billion spent since 1996 on

educational technology
 Students to computer ratios:
– 1983: 125:1
– 2002: 4:1
 Over 8 million computers in US schools
 98% of schools have Internet access
 Use of laptops in schools

 12% of US schools have used laptops for

instruction
 Growing trend toward 1:1 programs with 24/7
access
 Maine: laptops to all middle & some high
schools
 Large programs in Virginia, Georgia & Texas
 Current educational
applications of technology

 Online blogs  Online reference

 Voice over IP tools
 Interactive  Video clips
whiteboards  Science probes
 E-books replacing  Laptops to write,
textbooks communicate &
 iPods for vocab. research
Development  Spreadsheets
 Research results

 Limitations of research
 Need for evaluation & accountability for multi-
billion dollar investments
 Direct impacts: increased test scores &/or
grades
 Indirect impacts: PBL, collaborative learning,
increased student engagement/motivation
 Sample research findings

 4th & 8th grade students using simulation &

higher order thinking software showed
increased math scores on 1998 NAEP
 Use of word processor had a positive impact
on quantity & quality of student writing
 5th grade students enrolled in Basic
Skills/Computer Education earned higher
reading, writing & math scores on Stanford 9
 1:1Laptop research results

 Microsoft's “Anytime, Anywhere” Project ('96-

00):
– More collaborative work
– More writing & higher quality writing
– Improved research & analysis skills
– Direct own learning
– Readily engage in problem-solving & critical
thinking skills
 Laptop results (con't)

 6 New Hampshire middle schools (2005)

 Teachers report:
– Greater student participation in class
– Higher levels of student motivation/engagement
– Increased ability to work in groups
– Increase in positive interaction with peers &
teacher
– Improvement in quality of writing
– Slightly higher ability to retain content
 PUSD's laptop immersion at
Harvest Park Middle School

 Began as 6th grade pilot in 01/02, expanded to

7th & 8th
 04/05 enrollment of 259 students
 No significant demographic variation with
school population
 Study looked at student achievement
variables for laptop vs. non-laptop students
 Harvest Park Laptops (con't)

 Findings regarding laptop students at HP:

– Higher GPAs
– Higher grades in English & math
– Met or exceeded expectations on District Writing
Assessment
– Scored at or above national average on language
arts portion of CAT 6
– Scored proficient or advanced on English & math
portions of California STAR tests
 Barriers to technology
implementation in schools

 Funding – infrastructure & maintenance

 Need for substantial professional development
 Integration with curriculum & overall
educational goals
 Potential for student misuse
 Lack of standards for technological literacy
 Teacher attitudes
 Accountability measures: beyond test scores
 Summary

 Evidence supports positive relation between

use of technology & student achievement
 Direct & indirect impacts
 Provision of laptops appears promising
 Need for clear plan; adequate funding;
sufficient professional development & ongoing
support; broader based evaluations.
 Impacts of Class Size Reduction

PUSD School Board

January 17, 2006
 Background

 CSR: reducing # students in a classroom

assigned to 1 teacher
 Education reform that is publically & politically
popular
 One of the most studied education reforms -
>1,100 studies in past 20 years
 Tennessee STAR project

 Largest & most enduring study of CSR

 Longitudinal study of 7,000 students in 70
schools over a 4-year period: '85-'89
 Applied to K-3rd grade classes
 Small: 13-17; Regular: 22-25; Regular & aide
 Follow-up studies as these students
progressed through K-12 schooling
 Tennessee STAR results

 Outperformed peers in all achievement

categories
 Especially true for minority students
 Strongest gains for those who entered in K &
stayed in program for 4 years
 Enduring benefits to program shown through
middle & high school grades, test scores,
graduation rates & college entrance
 Wisconsin SAGE Project

 K-3 classes of 15:1 beginning in 1986

 Phased in over 3 years with priority to schools
serving low income students
 Largest impact on math test scores
 + impact on reading/language arts scores
 Greatest impact was for African-American
students
 Gains in achievement persisted for up to 6 yrs
 California's CSR

 Class sizes K-3 from 29 to 19

 $4.1 billion: $3.3 operations; $0.8 facilities
 Implemented quickly: lack of qualified
teachers and available classrooms
 No testing of students until end of 2nd grade
 Modest gains in student achievement were
identified
 Additional benefits of CSR

 Higher teacher morale

 Less time on classroom management
 Greater enthusiasm for school & participation
 Higher attendance levels
 Creating more responsible, productive citizens
 Why does CSR work?

 Focus on instruction
 More individualized attention
 Teachers gets to know each student
 Wider range of learning activities (e.g. PBL,
hands-on)
 More positive classroom environment
 Greater student engagement/participation
 Greater parent involvement
 Challenges of CSR
implementation

 Availability of qualified teachers

 Availability of facilities
 Debate regarding role of professional
development in success of CSR
 Not a quick fix for poor levels of student
achievement
 Financial considerations of
CSR

 One of the costliest education reforms

 Reduce cost through shifting teacher
specialists to classrooms & reducing aides
 Added benefits of CSR may reduce overall
costs in long-run due to teacher retention;
reduced special ed referrals; safer schools;
reduced need for remediation; & reduced drop
out rates
 CSR in higher grade levels

 Less evidence due to fewer # studies

 LAUSD: 20 in 8th grade English & ELD
 4th & 8th NAEP math scores with class sizes of
20
 No clear link between smaller class size at
middle & high school with gains in student
achievement
 Conclusions

 Positive relation between class size & student

achievement at K-3 levels, especially for
disadvantaged students
 Debate re: optimum size: 15, 17, 20
 Enhanced with rigorous curriculum & qualified,
well-trained teachers
 No conclusions re: CSR at higher grades