The Educational Productivity Paradox

摘要

Expenditures on technology in K—12 public education have skyrocketed in recent years, growing from $2 billion in 1991-1992 to nearly $6 billion in 2003-2004. IT expenditures have been suggested to "contribute significantly to improved educational outcomes". It was fully anticipated that technology expenditures would show a positive impact on test scores in this study of 2,500 schools in Pennsylvania. I have analyzed data from these 2,500 districts and found no such relationships and little or no positive benefits accrued to schools that spent more on technology. There appears to be a productivity paradox in education.