Project red: The Technology Factor Nine Keys to Student Achievement and Cost-effectiveness

The longitudinal research conducted by Greaves, Hayes, Wilson, Gielniak, & Peterson, (2010) for Project Red, The Technology Factor: Nine Keys to Student Achievement and Cost-Effectiveness, has established key procedures to ensure academic gains through the use of technology.  This National research study included “997 schools from 49 states and the District of Columbia” (Greaves it al., 2010, p. 2). Additionally, Project Red participants included technological experts Intel, Apple Computer, and many others.  The Project Red document emphasizes having computers in the classroom and training teachers to use them is not enough.  Researchers lays out in detail an implementation process that changes the dynamics of technology in schools were technology is ever present.  The project is founded on nine key implementation factors.  For this review, three key factors will be considered. One, the less the student-to-computer ratio the greater the outcomes in academic achievement. Two, TEFA should be utilized at a minimum of once a week.  Three, administration must offer ongoing support of an environmental technology change (Greaves it al. (2010).

Project Red is probably the largest single national project conducted that offers procedures to follow with data from schools system across the United States.   The data includes; 11 diverse education success measures, 22 categories of independent variables, with many subcategories, comparisons of student-computer ratios (1:1, 2:1, 3:1), and comprehensive demographic data correlated to survey results” (Greaves it al., 2010, p. 2). 

Project Red, a 180-page report serves as a blueprint for school systems to follow to successfully develop an implementation plan for a ubiquitous technology-learning environment.  For this review of literature, I want to focus on the success story of a school system that followed almost all of the nine key outlined in this study.

As described in Project Red report, the school district of Mooresville, NC is one of the few school districts that participated in Project Red that followed almost every the implementation factors recommended by the study.  The school system consisted of 8 schools, 5409 students, and 39 percent free and reduced lunch.  The ethnicity is as follows: 73 percent Caucasian, 15 percent African American, 7 percent Hispanic, 2 percent Asian, and 3 percent Multiracial.   The project for this district began in 2007 after gaining a new superintendent, Dr. Mark Edwards from Henrico County, Virginia, that had a history of implementing technological expansion.  Pre-assessment of the county’s current academic score reflected adequate by not outstanding.  With key goals in mind to improve academic achievement, create real-world experiences, and close the digital divide, to name a few.  The district got to work.  Following Project Red’s advice planners know teacher support and community support were necessary for success.  

As proposed in the Project Red guidelines, in December 2007 every teacher in the district received a laptop.  January 2008 professional development began.  August 2008 every high school and middle school student received a laptop and all kindergarten, first, and second grade classrooms received interactive white boards.  That summer, the second year of technology professional development took place. With the teachers and the administrations supporting technology, instruction in the classroom incorporating TEFA increased student engagement allowing for immediate feedback, student centered learning, and greater depth and breathe to the curriculum (Greaves et al., 2010).

The three years of planning, preparation, computer purchases, professional development, and implementation has paid off.  When the program began, 2007 – 2008 academic year, the performance and academic date was calculated at 73 percent.  The next academic year of 2008 – 2009, academic performance rose to 82 percent, ranking 8^th in the state.  The third year of the program, academic performance and composite data was 86 percent and tied 4^th in the state. Furthermore, this district ranked 101 out of 115 of per student expenditure.  Additionally, Mooresville, North Carolina was one of only six districts that made all AYP targets and had the highest gains. 

The sustained use of technology in the classroom for Mooresville, North Carolina, were teachers and students are engaged in TEFA has proven to increase academic achievement each consecutive year it has been used. 

Greaves, T., Hayes, J., Wilson, L., Gielniak, M., & Peterson, R. (2010) Project red: The technology factor nine keys to student achievement and cost-effectiveness, MDR 2010. Retrieved from www.projectred.org/uploads/PREP11/ProjectREDPreview.pdf

U.S. Department of Education. (2010) Transforming American education: learning powered by technology. National Education Technology Plan 2010 Executive Summary, Retrieved from www.ed.gov/sites/default/files/netp2010.pdf