GenYES Research

GenYES Improves Academic Achievement

Student Technology Leaders in the GenYES program improve their scores in math, reading, science, and other subjects. Students in GenYES schools who are not directly enrolled in GenYES also benefit.

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GenYES Improves School Technology Integration

GenYES effectively helps schools integrate technology into their regular curriculum and increase their use of project-based, student-centered learning practices.

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GenYES Improves Teachers’ Use of Technology

More than 40,000 teachers have received technology integration support from trained GenYES students. They had overwhelmingly positive responses to the GenYES program and believed it had an impact on the way they would teach in the future.

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GenYES Improves School Technology Integration

Education Northwest, formerly the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, collected 12 years of data on the national GenYES project.

Based on that data, Education Northwest concluded “…the program is an effective alternative for schools wishing to integrate technology into their regular curriculum and increase their use of project-based, student-centered learning practices. The model provides individualized support for educators who wish to increase their use of technology without becoming distracted from the essence of their jobs — building and delivering effective curriculum units and lesson plans.”

Impact on Classroom Technology Integration

More than 40,000 teachers have received technology integration support from trained GenYES students. Surveys of these teachers reveal they had overwhelmingly positive responses to the GenYES program and believed it had an impact on the way they would teach in the future.

89% agreed that as a consequence of GenYES, their students learned content better.
97% would like to work with another GenYES student next year.
98% reported that as a consequence of GenYES, they would continue rebuilding their lessons to make more use of technology.
82% reported that the GenYES experience would change the way they teach in the future.

You use computers to prepare for class, maintain class records, or do other school-related work.

50% – More Frequently

50% – Same

0% – Less

You use computers to prepare for class, maintain class records, or do other school-related work.

44.1% – More Frequently

53.8% – Same

2.2% – Less

You use computers for personal business, learning, fun.

37.6% – More Frequently

58.1% – Same

4.3% – Less

You use computers to prepare for class, maintain class records, or do other school-related work.

21.5% – More Frequently

73.1% – Same

5.4% – Less

GenYES Improves Teachers’ Use of Technology

Michigan State University researchers identified that GenYES was shown to be effective in affecting teachers’ use of technology. These are the results of their study, which covered four different professional development programs including GenYES.

What Factors Create an Effective Professional Development Experience?

Time to experiment and “play”.

“Use of computers was positively correlated (.3) with the extent to which a teacher was able to experiment with district-supported software.”

Focus on student learning.

“Teachers’ use of computers was positively correlated (.4) with the extent to which the content of professional development was focused on student learning.”

Building social connections and learning communities.

“Computer use was positively correlated (.2) with the extent to which teachers accessed other teachers’ expertise.”

Localizing professional development.

“Computer use was positively correlated (.2 for each) with the extent to which professional development was provided locally, either in the classroom or school lab.”

“In the GenYES model, teachers had multiple opportunities to explore the use of technology with their student technology guides, who in turn could support teachers in solving any problems they encountered.”

GenYES: “…included a strong focus on linking technology directly to teachers’ curricula and teaching needs.” and “…addressed technology/curriculum integration by working with individual teachers one on one.”

“GenYES taps a different network, the relationships between students and parents, to accomplish the same goals.”

“GenYES … achieved this level of localization through its use of student technology mentors who worked with teachers to create individualized projects.”

Citation: Zhao, Yong, Frank, Kenneth A., Ellefson, Nancy C. “Fostering Meaningful Teaching and Learning with Technology: Characteristics of Effective Professional Development” in Meaningful Learning Using Technology: What Educators Need to Know and Do Edited by Elizabeth A. Ashburn and Robert E. Floden (pp. 161-179) Teachers College Press, Columbia University, 2006