Beginning in Fall 2002 the State of Maine, through the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI), implemented a one-to-one middle school laptop program by providing all 7th and 8th grade students and their teachers with laptop computers, and providing schools and teachers with technical assistance and professional development for integrating laptop technology into their curriculum and instruction. This Brief describes the findings from an examination of the impacts of the laptop program on student writing achievement.
Eighth grade Maine Educational Assessment (MEA) writing scores were examined for two time periods; for 2000, a year prior to implementation of the statewide laptop program, and for 2005, five years after the initial implementation of the program. Results indicate that in 2005 the average writing scale score was 3.44 points higher than in 2000. This difference represents an Effect Size of .32, indicating improvement in writing performance of approximately 1/3 of a standard deviation. Thus, an average student in 2005 scored better than approximately twothirds of all students in 2000.
A secondary analysis of the 2005 scale scores revealed that how the laptops are being used in the writing process influences writing performance. Students who reported not using their laptop in writing (No Use Group) had the lowest scale score, whereas students who reported using their laptops in all phases of the writing process (Best Use Group) had the highest scale score. The difference in Effect Size is .64, indicating that the average student in the Best Use Group scored better than approximately 75% of the No Use Group students.
Thus, the evidence indicates that implementation of Maine’s one-to-one ubiquitous laptop program has had a positive impact on middle school students’ writing. Five years after the initial implementation of the laptop program, students’ writing scores on Maine’s statewide test had significantly improved. Furthermore, students scored better the more extensively they used their laptops in developing and producing their writing. And finally, the evidence indicated that using their laptops in this fashion helped them to become better writers in general, not just better writers using laptops.