Boosting Standardized Test Scores of Low-Income Black Students: Is Technology the Answer?

Background/Purpose: The widening academic achievement gap has long existed along racial and poverty lines. It has been widely documented that children of color and from low-income families lag behind in all indicators of academic success including standardized test scores, high school graduation rates, and college admission data. Additionally, studies consistently report that the achievement gap continues to grow as children progress through school. The term “achievement gap” has become synonymous with educational inequality, in recognition of the unequal educational and social structures in the U.S. that consistently deny poor black students equal opportunities to receive quality education, which they are entitled to. For many years, educators and policymakers looking for strategies to close the achievement gap and improve student learning have sought solution involving new uses of technology, especially for students placed at-risk. Unfortunately, the results of technology initiatives have been mixed. This study examines whether the use of a computer for schoolwork or assignments is associated with standardized test scores among high school students.

Method: Using a nationally representative sample of 11927 high school students from the Education Longitudinal Study: 2002, measures of academic achievement were regressed using standardized test scores. It was proposed that the influence of the use of a computer for schoolwork on standardized test scores varies as a function of race and income.

Results: Results indicate that students who reported more frequent use of a computer for schoolwork or assignments had significantly higher standardized test scores than students who reported less frequent use of a computer for schoolwork or assignments. Furthermore, being Black versus White significantly moderated the relationship between the use of a computer for schoolwork and standardized test scores. The relationship between the use of a computer for schoolwork and standardized test scores was similarly moderated by income. Only low-income moderated the relationship between the use of a computer for schoolwork and standardized test scores, whereas the interaction effect of other income levels was not significant.

Conclusion/Implications: Findings suggest that standardized test scores among low-income black students can be improved through technological advancements. Implications for researchers, school social workers, and educators are discussed.