Reviews the status of microcomputers in schools, particularly elementary schools, as revealed in a January 1983 survey of 2,209 elementary and secondary institutions. Considers the extent of computer use and availability, characteristics of computer purchasers, funding sources, computer location and its impact, and the value of computers to…

This report describes the sample of over 2000 schools, presents initial results about the number and primary uses of microcomputers in schools today, and notes topics to be covered in later reports. Teachers' reactions to microcomputer use are also included. (MNS)

Presents and discusses results (based on data from 1,082 microcomputer-using schools) which suggest that where schools locate their microcomputers has an impact on how they are used. Locations examined include classrooms, laboratories, libraries, special rooms, and mixed locations. (JN)

Presents preliminary findings from the "Second National Survey of Instructional Uses of School Computers." Areas explored include how many teachers regularly use computers with students, what subjects computer-using teachers teach, who gets to use school computers (boys or girls), and other areas. (JN)

Presents results of a survey on numbers of students and teachers using microcomputers in elementary and secondary schools, number of hours per week that microcomputers are in use, and the amount of time that each student-user has with the machine, both in general and for specific learning activities. (JN)

Presents comparable data on microcomputer ownership and use for schools in different regions of the country and in cities, suburbs, and rural locations; for middle/junior high schools compared to elementary and high schools; and for schools serving White and minority low-income families versus those serving high-income and middle-income families.…

Presents data on how schools have changed the way they obtain microcomputers and how they organize their use by students. Also shows that how schools obtain their microcomputers and who is responsible for implementing them is indicative of which students use them, for what purposes, and with what consequences. (JN)

This review, which examines three sources of evidence about the effects of computer-assisted instruction on student achievement (national surveys, research reviews, and recent experimental studies), concludes that existing evidence of computer effectiveness is scanty. A new research initiative is described which combines the benefits of survey and…

Discusses the centralization and decentralization of decision making about computer use in elementary and secondary schools based on results of a 1989 national survey. Results unexpectedly indicate that more successful programs are the result of districtwide planning than individual teacher or school-level decision making. (LRW)

Discussion of ways to effectively use computers in classrooms focuses on a national survey, the CompEd survey of the IEA (International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement), that examined computer use in grades 3-12. Highlights include teacher attitudes, teacher roles, and the need for improved software and more powerful…

A model is presented for studying how schools provide instruction to students. A major function of the National Center for Education Statistics is to collect data for understanding and improving how schools provide instruction. The model describes school factors (characteristics, staffing, organization, policy, and student evaluation); classroom…

The Second National Survey of Instructional Uses of School Computers gathered information from more than 10,000 principals and computer-using teachers in a probability sample of over 2,300 U.S. elementary and secondary schools during the spring of 1985. Information was obtained through questionnaires and telephone interviews. The first of six to…

This examination of the research on computer-based instruction for the major academic subjects in the elementary and secondary grades considers three varieties of empirical data--surveys of computer-using teachers, school district program evaluations, and experimental field studies. A discussion of the findings of two national surveys of…

Reports the results of the U.S. portion of a 1989 survey of elementary and secondary schools conducted by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) that focused on school and teacher practices in using microcomputers. Highlights include hardware, instructional uses, goals for computer use, and software…

This report presents preliminary descriptive data from a national survey of U.S. elementary schools, conducted in 1985, which focused on the schools' instructional uses of computers, including efficiency and cost-effectiveness. Specific topic areas covered include: (1) what hardware is in different types of schools; (2) which teachers use the…