We are updating the technology section of the school plan, and need to decide how we will measure the impact of technology use on student achievement. We are required to look at standardized tests, but aren’t sure this will tell the whole story. What additional measures can we use?
Standardized tests do provide some information about student achievement. But to develop a full picture, you also want to look at additional forms of assessment, demographics, student and teacher attitudes, and how policies and procedures support or impede academic growth. Gathering and analyzing several kinds of data will help you better measure the changes in two areas where most experts agree technology-use actually makes a difference: students’ mastery of problem-solving and higher order thinking skills and shifts in their attitudes about the relevance of school.
Submitted by: Susan Brooks-Young
