Long-term Effects of CAI in Early Education: Evidence from Three Districts
Abstract: This longitudinal study involved three separate school districts and three different populations: District 1 is located in Maryland, District 2 is located in Texas, and District 3 is located in South Carolina. Students in all districts used the same computer-adaptive reading program, Waterford Early Learning (WEL), during various grades, from kindergarten through second grade. Students were all assessed at the end of their second grade year. Scores were analyzed in three distinct comparisons: overall effects, comparing students who used computer-assisted instruction (CAI) to those who did not; long-term effects, comparing students who were assessed one year after using CAI to those with no CAI usage; and early effects, comparing students who started using CAI during kindergarten compared to those who did not start until first grade. The combined longitudinal study results found that, across all districts, second grade students who used WEL outperformed their control counterparts.