The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Chapter 1 computer-assisted instruction (CAI) upon the achievement of elementary educationally disadvantaged students. Specifically, this study determined the effects of CAI upon the academic performance of Chapter 1 sixth-grade students in reading and language arts.

The sample consisted of 514 sixth-grade students from an eastern-USA LEA's Chapter 1 program--257 low-achieving students in the experimental group and 257 moderate to high achieving students in the control group. Each treatment group received reading and language arts instruction through the LEA's Chapter 1 program; however, the experimental group's reading and language arts program was supplemented via CAI.

The non-equivalent control group design when subjects are growing, Type 2, as developed by Bryk and Weisberg, was employed to analyze the pretest/posttest data and to test the hypotheses presented in the study. In this design, observed standardized gain scores were used to estimate posttest scores generated by predictions made using control group relationships. The mean growth curve fan spread linear model made adjustments based on an estimated regression coefficient between growth status at pretest and growth status at posttest. The Science Research Associates Assessment Series served as the measuring instrument