Digital Promise Study Analyzes Impact of Text-to-Speech on Student Test Performance
A study conducted by Digital Promise, a nonprofit organization focused on equity and technology in education, has examined the effects of text-to-speech features on student performance during standardized tests. The research specifically analyzed how 8th graders utilized this feature in a geometry problem on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The study found that approximately 7% of students, including English learners, special education students, and students of color, used the text-to-speech option. The results indicated that the lowest-performing students benefited from the feature, as they were more likely to answer correctly if they listened to the question being read aloud. However, the feature did not significantly impact the highest-performing students, and mid-range performers were less likely to answer correctly if they frequently toggled the feature on and off. 
