The effects of using Computer Assisted Instruction to assist high school geometry students achieve higher levels of success on the Florida Competency Achievement Test (FCAT)

The overall intent of this study was to investigate the effects of Computer-Assisted Instruction of 10th grade geometry students and its correlations to the Florida Competency Achievement Test (FCAT). The findings of this study were based on research questions that were addressed through journals, questionnaires, teacher observations, and 9th and 10th grade students' Florida Competency Achievement Test scores. The 9th grade students' test scores were considered the pre-test and their 10th grade test scores were their post test.; This research project also included students who were taking geometry in a South Florida Public High School located in Miami-Dade County. The study used two groups of 25 students; one was the control group and the other the experimental group from a predominately Hispanic high school.; During the study the experimental group was the primary focus by which the Carnegie Learning Geometry Curriculum (2002) was used as the major source of instruction. Throughout the study, student questionnaires, journaling and teacher observations were used to inform the teacher of students' progress in preparing them for the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test as well as assessing students' knowledge of the subject matter. At the conclusion of the study when students' FCAT results were also reported, findings indicated that positive changes occurred within the experimental group; those receiving computer assisted instruction showed marked improvement whereas those who did not receive computer assisted instruction did not.; Finally, the major findings concluded that the factors associated with having a student-centered school environment incorporating the use of computer technology to evaluate student achievement with the assistance of a collaborative learning environment did play a significant role in the positive increase in academic achievement on standardized test scores.