Understanding the Effects of Summer School, Technology, and 21st Century Skills on Student Academics

<p>District XYZ has hosted traditional summer school for more than 20 years to assist students not quite ready to advance to the next grade. The district has become more diverse, and many students end the school year without solid mastery of that grade’s objectives. Therefore, summer school is a pivotal time for these students who have not mastered the grade-level content to gain a solid foundation before moving on to the next grade. Because of both the changing needs of the district’s student population and the relatively short amount of time in which summer school occurs, technological tools that can enhance learning are imperative to help struggling students reach the level of their peers by the beginning of the next school year. This research investigated the effectiveness of equipping summer school classrooms with technology such as SMART boards and student laptops. Seven classrooms with students in grades three through five—four equipped with technology and three without—were included in this research. Based on Northwest Evaluation Assessment (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) achievement scores, data showed that technology increased student engagement and outcomes, and particularly benefited the lowest-performing students. It is recommended that the district continue summer school instruction and plan to equip all classrooms with technology.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Ed.D. Doctor of Education

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Leadership

Year dc:date.available

2016

Author dc:creator

• Camilleri, Jennifer

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Elizabeth Minor
• Dr. Don Angelaccio
• Dr. Jack Denny

• 21st Century Learning
• Educational Technology
• Summer School
• Educational Leadership

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/225

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-1234