Computers in the classroom are raising test scores

The headlong dash to computerize the classroom has found some educators tugging at the reins, advocating greater restraint until the effectiveness of computers as a learning tool can be measured. One of the first reports to do just that has been released, and it claims dramatic results in raising children's test scores through the use of computer-assisted instruction.

One study by Dr. James Kulik at the University of Michigan concluded that computer instruction raised examination scores from the 50th percentile to the 63rd. A study conducted by the Educational Testing Service (of SAT fame) found that computer math studies raised student scores to the 64th percentile the first year (compared with 50 percent for noncomputer users); to the 71st percentile in the second year; and the 76th percentile the third year.