Adapting Ed Tech Usage Recommendations to Enhance Academic Outcomes of Disadvantaged Students
Abstract: Prior research has observed that student demographics and socioeconomic status significantly influences academic growth. Education technology (Ed Tech) is often implemented in K-12 schools as a means of closing the academic gap for disadvantaged or struggling student populations such as English language learners (ELL) and ethnic minorities. Focused implementations of Ed Tech within specific demographic groups may result in greater benefits for the students who use it. While Ed Tech vendors traditionally provide program usage and implementation recommendations, academic growth may improve if program usage levels are adapted for specific student populations. In this study, we investigated whether program usage levels moderated the mathematics growth trajectories of ELL, special education, and economically disadvantaged students. We found strong moderating effects of usage and demographic variables on average growth rate for students who used the Imagine Math program. These findings have implications for administrators as they are considering the implementation of Ed Tech among various student populations within their educational agencies.
Presider: Scott Mavers, University of North Texas