Does the Implementation of a One-to-One Individual Technological Device Program Increase the Level of Critical Thinking in Students as Measured by PSSA Scores

Technology has infiltrated all aspects of American's lives. The school classroom is no exception. Federal and State governments as well as local school districts expend a substantial amount of time and financial resources to ensure technology is made available to all students. The primary purpose of providing this technology is to ensure students leaving high school do so prepared to enter the workforce or post-secondary education with the necessary skills to succeed. In addition to preparing students for their future, a secondary goal is to increase their level of higher-order learning and increasing standardized test scores. This thesis will research a specific instance as to whether school districts who implement a one-to-one technology program produces better academic results, as measured by student's Pennsylvania System of School Assessment (PSSA) scores, than demographically different but similarly sized school districts who have not implemented a one-to-one technology program.