A recent study that included Durham Public Schools students shows texting could be a valuable tool in boosting vocabulary and SAT scores.

For three months last spring, an estimated 2,400 DPS juniors had free access to a program called SAT Remix through a partnership between DPS, the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, and Urban Planet Mobile.

Students received a text at 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday with a file attached that they could download and play like a ring tone. The message included upbeat music, a vocabulary word, a definition and an example of the word's use in a classic and contemporary sentence.

About 1,200 students who enrolled in the program were tested before and after receiving the texts. A study by Durham-based Measurement Inc. found the mean test score of students who got the texts rose 45 percent.

"We are very pleased with it, and we are thankful for the chance," to participate in the program, said DPS spokesman Jeff Nash.

Partnerships

The initiative marked one of the first public examples of the school system realizing goals in its new strategic plan to use community partnerships and technology to enhance local education on a shrinking budget.

Nash said the company and district representatives plan to meet in September to discuss whether to offer the Urban Planet Mobile program to juniors this spring.

"We were thrilled," said Brian OliverSmith, CEO and founder of Urban Planet Mobile, which offers the musically enhanced vocabulary words for subscriptions that start at $9.99 a month. Participation in the DPS program was voluntary, and students didn't receive any academic or extra credit. The program was designed to be used on most cellular phones and is not limited to particular carriers or devices, which makes it widely available, he said.

The results, OliverSmith said, indicate that you don't have to spend a lot of money on some form of universal hardware to create an accessible program.

"You can utilize the technology within the current situation," he said. "You just have to create an innovative program."

Meanwhile, the company learned from DPS student and teacher feedback that the kids want more interaction with program, which inspired the addition of quizzes and study tips, OliverSmith said.

Study tips would include tidbits, such as, wear a watch when you take the SAT because you can't use your cell phone and you won't be given more time if the clock on the wall isn't accurate.

OliverSmith said the spring partnership with DPS could transform into a mutually beneficial relationship between the company and the school system in exploring and honing new ways to enhance education with technology.

Riverside High School Principal Jackie Tobias said improved vocabulary not only helps students boost their SAT scores, but enriches their general word usage.

"Why wouldn't we want our kids to be better versed in knowing a wide range of vocabulary," she said. Tobias said

In a world in which kids have strayed from the telephone calls to communicating through Facebook, Twitter and texting, it is important for educators to embrace that technology.

"Why would I not use what they use to learn?" she said. "That is what the kids are asking for. We are going to alienate them if we don't use the technology tools in addition to the standard curriculum."