Leveraging AI and Blended Learning for Equity and Achievement
JFYNetWorks will participate in the MassCUE Spring Conference May 31-June 1 at Polar Park in Worcester. The theme of the conference is “Leveling the Playing Field.” JFY will showcase its blended learning and AI tools and strategies that close equity gaps for diverse learners and lead to grade-level skills, learning loss recovery, higher MCAS performance and college and career readiness for all students.
JFY will demonstrate the full range of blended reading and math support and its AI Teacher Assistant writing assessment application at the conference, the largest ed tech gathering in the state. There are three venues for interacting with JFY: The agency’s booth, the Ed Talk, and the Innovation Fair.
JFY’s 10-year partnership with East Boston High School will be explored in an Ed Talk on Friday, May 31, at 10:45 in Suite 7, DCU Club Level. The talk will feature Cathie Maglio and Greg Cunningham of JFY and EBHS department heads Audrey Schindler and Jayson Smith. They will explore how JFY and EBHS leverage blended learning to close equity gaps for diverse learners by leveraging tools and strategies leading to significant academic gains, recovery of pandemic losses, and advancement of equity in education.
The JFY/ EBHS partnership dates back to 2015. The decade has seen EBHS rise from the lowest state ranking to the highest, and from the threat of receivership to winning the EdVestors “School on the Move” prize in 2023. Along the way, EBHS led all open enrollment schools in Boston in pandemic learning loss recovery, closing the pandemic gap in one year.
JFY has supported the English and Math departments with blended academic support, focusing on grade level skills and MCAS performance. Because of EBHS’s diverse population—46% English Learners, 23% students with disabilities, 74% low income, 82% Hispanic—equity is intrinsic to all our collaborative work in reading, writing and math.
This year, we added a new element: writing analysis using artificial intelligence. We developed this capability in response to the need to improve student writing, which accounts for one-third of the points on the ELA MCAS. Writing assignments are a challenge to teachers because of the time burden of critiquing student papers. Using the new powers of artificial intelligence, JFY has developed a Teacher Assistant application that reviews and critiques student essays in minutes.
The AI Teacher Assistant writing assessment tool will be demonstrated at the Innovation Fair at 11:00 AM Saturday, June 1, in the Concourse Level.
JFY will demonstrate its full range of blended reading and math support and its AI Teacher Assistant writing assessment tool at the agency’s booth during both days of the conference.
Polar Park is located at 100 Madison Street in Worcester.
