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Can Computer-Assisted Instruction Strengthen Equitable Student Achievement: Evaluation of a District-Wide Reading Intervention.

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Title: Can Computer-Assisted Instruction Strengthen Equitable Student Achievement: Evaluation of a District-Wide Reading Intervention.
Authors: Canbolat, Yusuf1 (AUTHOR) ycanbola@iu.edu, Arndt, Rebeca2 (AUTHOR)
Source: Computers in the Schools. Apr-Jun2026, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p169-194. 26p.
Subject Terms: *Computer assisted instruction, *Reading intervention, *Achievement gap, *Limited English-proficient students, *Academic achievement, *School districts, *Language arts
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: In the United States, a concerning number of middle and high school students are yet to master fundamental reading skills. One common way schools address this issue is by supporting those students with computer-assisted instruction. This study evaluates the causal effect of one such computer-assisted instruction intervention on English Language Arts achievement in a large urban Southeast school district. The district uses Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® as part of its multi-tiered system of support. The study leverages the log-files and usage data from about 26,000 students exploiting differences in differences and event study estimations. The results indicate that, on average, PowerUp increases test scores by 0.14 SD. Also, the magnitude of the effect is larger for students who used PowerUp consistently and among English Language Learners (0.25 SD). Results are robust against several sensitivity tests including inverse probability weighting, and type of aggregated treatment effect parameter. These results suggest that effective computer-assisted instruction can help schools to narrow the achievement gap among students, particularly for English Language Learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Computers in the Schools is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
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  Data: Can Computer-Assisted Instruction Strengthen Equitable Student Achievement: Evaluation of a District-Wide Reading Intervention.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Computers+in+the+Schools%22">Computers in the Schools</searchLink>. Apr-Jun2026, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p169-194. 26p.
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  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+assisted+instruction%22">Computer assisted instruction</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reading+intervention%22">Reading intervention</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+gap%22">Achievement gap</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Limited+English-proficient+students%22">Limited English-proficient students</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Academic+achievement%22">Academic achievement</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+districts%22">School districts</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Language+arts%22">Language arts</searchLink>
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  Data: In the United States, a concerning number of middle and high school students are yet to master fundamental reading skills. One common way schools address this issue is by supporting those students with computer-assisted instruction. This study evaluates the causal effect of one such computer-assisted instruction intervention on English Language Arts achievement in a large urban Southeast school district. The district uses Lexia® PowerUp Literacy® as part of its multi-tiered system of support. The study leverages the log-files and usage data from about 26,000 students exploiting differences in differences and event study estimations. The results indicate that, on average, PowerUp increases test scores by 0.14 SD. Also, the magnitude of the effect is larger for students who used PowerUp consistently and among English Language Learners (0.25 SD). Results are robust against several sensitivity tests including inverse probability weighting, and type of aggregated treatment effect parameter. These results suggest that effective computer-assisted instruction can help schools to narrow the achievement gap among students, particularly for English Language Learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Computers in the Schools is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1080/07380569.2024.2376646
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        Text: English
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Reading intervention
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      – SubjectFull: Achievement gap
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      – SubjectFull: Limited English-proficient students
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              Text: Apr-Jun2026
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              Y: 2026
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