Dallas ISD is building on its legacy as a leader in classroom innovation by expanding the use of AI tools across campuses.
“The district recognizes the need to be innovative with the rapid evolution of technology,” said Douglas Frank, director of the Reading Language Arts Department. “If we are truly preparing our students for a future, we must recognize how technology will impact their lives and provide opportunities for them to become more confident in their use of technology.”
Last school year, an AI task force was developed to explore how new technology could be incorporated into classrooms. Recently, the district launched a tool to help students understand math concepts.
Now, with a focus on writing, the district is incorporating technology to grade and review papers in real-time, giving students opportunities to edit before turning in a final draft, and helping teachers manage workload.
“Teachers are always busy and trying to do so much for their students. The scoring of student writing is one thing that can take up a great deal of their time, and they could be using that time planning and preparing engaging lessons for their students. The AI writing tools are one way to give them that time back,” Frank said.
One of the tool’s biggest advantages is how teachers can use AI feedback to guide one-on-one sessions with students, he said.
“Teachers can make more time to conference with each student, which is an important step in the writing process. That connection with each student can have a tremendous impact on their growth as a writer,” he said. “We need our students writing often and receiving frequent feedback so that they can grow as writers. This tool is an opportunity for every student to receive targeted, personalized feedback.”
Like teacher training, AI tools are taught to understand acceptable responses. And, to ensure accuracy and fairness, tests are backscored by a human.
If there is a difference of one point between the person who is grading the paper and AI, then that is considered accurate. If there is a trend that is higher than one point, representatives from the district can give the AI grader prompts to adjust its scoring.
The tools are already being implemented in English classes across the district, starting in third grade. When looking into the technology, school leadership considered two main criteria: accuracy and ease of use.
“We did not want it to be something that would require teachers to learn a new platform, but rather see a new addition to their platform,” Frank said. “The accuracy is needed so it can build trust in the system. The accuracy must be consistent so that students are fairly scored and teachers can make instructional decisions.”
To learn more about how Dallas ISD is implementing AI in the classrooms, click here.
