Dive Brief:

• USC Dornsife and Los Angeles Times published a survey where they asked voters what they believe would make the biggest positive impact on California's education system.
• The poll found that voters believed math, science and art instruction would make more of a positive difference than tech integration: 49% of respondents said they believe increased funding for math, science, and technology will make the most positive impact, and 33% said subjects like art and music education.
• Only 20% of voters said tech integration would make the biggest positive impact. That was lower than the 25% who said raising teachers salaries and improving books and materials would be most beneficial.

Dive Insight:

While we are told how important it is to go 1:1 in schools, this study shows that claim is not fully believed by all of the school's stakeholders. Tech integration is pushed heavily by the ed tech companies and curriculum powerhouses that make tech-compatible material, however, whether people actually believe it will make the most positive difference is something else.

Of course, one also has to define "positive." Will tablets and tech help kids get better test scores? Maybe. Will it make them happier and more adjusted? Not necessarily.

Interestingly, a recent study out of Northwestern University's School of Communications found that students who share their iPads have more growth on an end of the year assessment than students who were in a 1:1 classroom and had their own devices, or students in a classroom with no-devices.