In 2012, 10,000 fourth graders were given a laptop computer and asked to complete two 30-minute writing assignments. The federal study's positive results led to the adoption of computer-based writing tests nationwide. However, a recent investigation suggests that writing on a computer may benefit certain students and not others. When the 2012 computer-based test results were compared with a 2010 pencil-and-paper assessment, researchers found that high-performing students scored better on computer-based writing tests than on pencil-and-paper tests. However, the opposite was true for the average- and low-performing students. Those students scored better on pencil-and-paper tests than computer-based tests. One possible explanation for why high-performing students do better on computer-based tests is that they are more likely to have a computer at home, according to a recent Hechinger Report article. To read the full article, visit HERE