Effect of Technology Integration on Middle School Math Proficiency: A Multiple Linear Regression Study

Mandates to improve curriculum and instruction and incorporate technology in teaching U.S. K-12 students have failed to improve math proficiency as measured by standardized assessments. Still, 40–60% need remedial coursework in college. Past efforts have focused on incorporating specific technologies. The SAMR approach redirects the effort to focus on how technology is used, aligning with Bloom’s taxonomy. Hierarchical multiple linear regression analysis was used to quantify the contribution of Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition to MAP Growth in math for 644 students taught by eight teachers across 36 class sections at a single Indiana middle school. A wide range in teacher use of technology corresponded to significant (p .05) differences in MAP Growth. Hierarchical multiple linear regression revealed that incorporation of SAMR elements above Substitution explained a small, 2.0%, yet significant (p = .001) part of variation in MAP Growth. At least Most Weeks use of Augmentation added 1.06 points (p = .008), Modification an additional 2.12 points (p = .002), and Redefinition an additional 1.19 points (p = .003) for a combined significant net 4.37-point increase. With all teachers from the same school and only some using technology at high learning levels, the findings led to a recommendation for investment in professional development training rather than focusing on adding specific technology tools.

Segregation within integrated schools: Racially disproportionate student-teacher assignments in middle school

Racial segregation has been an ongoing issue in American education and one of the leading contributors to the racial achievement gap. Prior to the Brown v. Board decision of 1954, Black Americans were legally relegated to substandard schools and educational opportunities. Post-Brown, racial segregation continues to manifest as a result of de facto segregation and second-generation segregation. Moreover, the predominantly White teaching force – a negative consequence of desegregation – has been linked to poorer outcomes for Black and Latino students. Our study examines trends in racially disproportionate assignment of Black and Latino students to less experienced teachers than their White counterparts. Specifically, our analysis illustrates statistically significant trends in the assignment of less experienced teachers to Black and Latino students in middle school math over several years. This analysis contributes to the recent research phenomenon of measuring the cumulative pattern of racially disproportionate teacher-student assignments over time as a particularly effective means of understanding the effects of systematic and sustained inequalities on academic achievement. Across several grades and content areas of instruction, we found that the race of students was related to the teaching experience of their teachers. Our findings illustrate the negative impacts of racial segregation on students of color and supports the need for more intervention and administrative intentions regarding teacher-student assignments and racial equity in schools.

School makerspaces: Beyond the hype

Recently, makerspaces have captured the imaginations of educators as resources for transforming school-based learning. Aligning informal making practices with the formal aims of the school curriculum, however, can present challenges. In this article, Philip Nichols and Kurt Salisbury show how educators in two very different contexts — a suburban middle school math class and an urban secondary humanities class — empowered student learning by integrating making into their content-area instruction. They also highlight three takeaways for educators interested in bringing making into their own classrooms.