Laptop Initiative Research for Improved Student Achievement

As South Dakota implements the One-to-One Laptop Initiative and as schools contemplate beginning it in their schools, the request for research on the improvement of student achievement continually come forward as one of the major concerns.

McREL News Room Education hot topics what high-quality education research says about the effects of this initiative has on student achievement.
. 1. The effects of one-to-one computing initiatives on student achievement. According to a May 2006 report from Education Week, "almost one-quarter of school districts nationwide and nine states have invested millions of dollars in "one-to-one" laptop programs" — that is, laptop computers for every student.

These initiatives are expensive and require much effort. Are they worth it?
While few rigorous research studies have been conducted on the influence of laptop initiatives on student achievement, the handful of current studies conducted to date suggest that one-to-one computing has the potential to improve student achievement and engagement — especially teachers receive in-depth training on how to incorporate laptops into their classrooms.

Some examples of one-to-one initiatives and reported influence of these programs on student outcomes are described below.

Maine's Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI) MLTI provides each student and teacher in grades 7–12 with a laptop and wireless network access.
A 2004 study of the program found "credible evidence that MLTI as a total program may be effective in raising test scores" (Muir, Knezek, & Christensen, 2004, p. 1). Silvernail and Lane (2004) surveyed Maine ninth-grade students who had used laptops in seventh and eighth grade but no longer had school-provided laptops in ninth grade. Their survey indicated that many ninth graders felt that "the quantity and quality of their school work had declined once they no longer had laptops" (p. 26).

Enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS)Initiated in Missouri and expanded nationwide in early 2004, this large-scale endeavor provides a computer for every two students and high-speed Internet access, along with extensive professional development and ongoing support in integrating multimedia technology into teaching practice.
An analysis of 2004 student achievement data compared students in eMINTS classrooms with those in non-eMINTS classrooms. It found that "a significantly higher percentage of students enrolled in eMINTS classrooms scored in the "proficient" category." In addition, it reported that "analyses of MAP scores for Black students, special education students and students receiving Title I services suggest that eMINTS enrollment helped reduce the achievement gaps between these groups and other students."

School District 60 (Peace River North, British Columbia)In Peace River North, sixth- and seventh-grade students have been provided access to laptops in order to improve academic achievement, particularly in written expression. The initiative, dubbed the Wireless Writing Project, involves one-to-one wireless technology access for students.
A 2002–2003 study involving a pre-post writing assessment found that the percentage of students who produced writing samples that met or exceeded writing performance standards for their grade rose from 70 percent in fall 2002 to 92 percent the following spring (Jeroski, 2003).