Do laptops and iPads improve test scores? The hard evidence connecting inproved academic achievement with this hardware does not show in research.
Twin Cities schools began putting computers into the hands of students five years ago. However scores on the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, or MCAs, have remained unchanged.
Those who support more classroom technology state that putting devices in student hands is just the beginning, and the new teaching strategies will take time to be effective. According to Hans Ott, St. Paul Public Schools’ assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, much time has been spent having students and teachers learn how to effectively use the devices and understand their potential.
“We knew this process was going to take time at this scale. We knew it was going to be a heavy lift,” Ott said. “We are now really digging into the academic phase.”
The next step is to transition from having teachers use laptops and tablets as a substitute for traditional methods to reworking their instruction.
“We know in a system our size, to have one thing happen simultaneously across the district is a challenge,” Ott said.
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