The nation's K-12 schools are faced with critical challenges that are complex, complicated, and unprecedented (NCLB, 2001; Education Alliance, 2005; & Kowalski, 2009). The key challenges facing schools are elevating academic achievement; meeting No Child Left Behind (2001) standards (NCLB); South Carolina standards; the recruitment and retention of high-caliber teachers; parental involvement, and at-risk students (Murphy & Myers, 2008). South Carolina ratings for school districts was a concern, which plummeted across the state in 2009. Twenty-nine percent of districts were rated average or higher, compared to roughly 45 percent in 2008 (Click, 2010). In the last twenty-five years, the manner in which instructional technology has been used as a teaching and learning tool has escalated. While software applications for improving reading skills have been in use since the 1980's, research on their effectiveness had not been done adequately before 2000 (National Reading Panel, 2000). The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of instructional technology on the academic achievements of third, fourth, and fifth graders. This research was done by selecting satisfactory and unsatisfactory-performing elementary schools. The treatment group was teachers whose schools had met Annual Yearly Progress (AYP). These teachers also received professional development and coaching from their respective districts. The control group was from schools that had not met AYP. These schools did not receive professional development and coaching from their respective school districts. The researcher monitored the performance of both groups to ensure the accuracy of data. This study found the findings of scholars that suggest standardized tests are not designed to measure the exact benefits that students comprehend from learning in technology-infused environments. The researcher was determined that this study was unique in its evaluation of a thorough, multi-tiered approach to the technological integration that involves professional development coaching of teachers and the use of numerous forms of technology. These were computer hardware and software online resources and overview devices. Five chapters are presented in this study. Chapter I consists of the nature of the study including the introduction, the description and discussion of the problem, purpose of the study supported with literature and relationships between variables and conceptual framework. It also describes the conduct of the participants and the use of data collected. Chapter II consists of the review of the literature, which helps to explain the process of technological efficiency designed to improve academic achievement. Chapter III includes the methodology, design of the study and data collected to support the validity of the questions addressed in the study. Chapter IV presents the findings of the study to include a comprehensive analysis of the data and results. The instrument used in South Carolina to measure academic performance both within schools and in comparison with other schools is the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS). PASS tests students in four content areas: English language arts (ELA); math; science and social studies. Scores were reported for all schools and disaggregated by subgroups. The subgroups used for data calculation were based upon the enrollment of identified demographic groups. Chapter V provides the Summary: Findings, Conclusions and recommendations for further study. The following research questions were addressed in this study: (1) What technology teacher practices are used frequently in student learning? (2) Is there any significant difference on effective technology teacher practices between the schools performing satisfactorily and schools performing unsatisfactorily? (3) Is there any significant difference on effective technology teacher practices by gender? (4) Is there any significant difference on effective technology teacher practices by race? (5) Is there any significant difference on effective technology teacher practices by teachers years of experience? The participants were 25 teachers from high-achieving schools and 25 from under-achieving schools. Data were analyzed to investigate the types of instructional technology practices teachers use in their professional development. The demographics (e.g., free and reduced lunch, age, and gender) are the same for all participants. Descriptive statistics T-Test and ANOVA were used to categorize the data. The survey instrument was developed by the researcher based upon an extensive review of the literature. The Conceptual Framework identified eight (8) key practices found to be effective to enhance student learning and independent activity in Instructional Technology Practices that cover a combination of characteristics of successful professional development. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]