School districts face constant pitches for new technology, but telling useful tools from distractions is hard. A large study of science software shows that school leaders need to measure actual student learning instead of just tracking screen time. This research shows how schools can make better technology investments that improve student performance.
What Happened
An evaluation of Penda Learning, a digital science curriculum, examines how well educational software works. The study analyzed data from 13 school-based samples and more than 33,000 students. It found that simply logging into a program does not improve grades. Researchers found that science achievement depends on mastery, meaning how well students complete and understand digital activities rather than how much time they spend logged in.
The original report on eSchool News notes that a study of nearly 19,500 students across 46 schools showed those using Penda Learning had a 21% average gain in science scores. These students were also 20% more likely to reach proficiency compared to peers who had traditional instruction. This success required structured training for teachers and support from the community.
The Bigger Picture
Classroom technology is expensive. In 2024, U.S. school districts spent an estimated $30 billion on educational technology. Yet research shows that 65% of purchased licenses go unused, which wastes more than $5 billion in public funds.
This waste happens when schools buy software without training teachers to use it. A study in the Proceeding of International Conference on Digital, Social, and Science found that technology training only works long-term when it includes coaching and leadership support. Online-only training leads to a drop in teacher usage within three to six months, whereas continuous coaching helps teachers keep using the tools.
Tracking screen time can be misleading. As SchoolAI notes, a student can spend hours on a platform without learning the material. This pattern is also documented in higher education research published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, which shows that frequent use of digital tools does not equal subject mastery.
As we reported when discussing privacy halts and technology pauses in major school districts, districts must focus on how they use these tools instead of rushing to buy new ones.
What This Means for Families
For parents, school-issued devices are only as good as the lessons on them. A child using a tablet for an hour might look busy, but screen time is useless without structured lessons and teacher guidance. Parents should ask school boards to fund teacher training alongside software licenses. A classroom teacher who receives regular training is what makes these devices useful.
What You Can Do
- Ask your school principal how teachers are supported and trained to use new digital learning tools.
- Monitor your child's learning dashboards for mastery and progress indicators, rather than just checking raw hours spent logged in.
- Encourage local school boards to prioritize leveraging existing technology features and funding professional coaching over purchasing entirely new software suites.