by Michael Mino
Teachers at the Center
JFYNetWorks (JFY) has been in the forefront of education innovation for four decades through its embrace of emerging technologies in the development of blended learning. The advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) promises a new wave of change that may be more transformative than any previous innovations. JFY is harnessing AI to develop tools that will help teachers perform instructional and administrative tasks more efficiently and more effectively to optimize the most precious resource in education: teachers’ time.
This summer a group of English Language Arts (ELA) teachers from East Boston High School (EBHS) have been working closely with JFY staff to develop the first tool in what we intend to be a suite of AI tools called the JFY AI Teacher Assistant System.
This new application — the JFY Writing Assessment Tool— provides teachers with detailed feedback on student essays. This feedback informs effective writing instruction by helping teachers focus on specific areas where students need the most help. This formative approach ensures that students receive the support they need to develop their writing skills. The JFY Writing Assessment Tool streamlines assessment, reducing teachers’ workload by automating the evaluation process and freeing up teacher time to provide prompt , direct, personalized instruction.
The Writing Assessment Tool streamlines writing instruction by providing detailed analysis, constructive feedback, and predictive scoring of student essays. The tool provides detailed feedback on the standard components of writing as codified in the MCAS ELA essay rubric: thesis development, evidence, organization, expression of ideas, awareness of task, sentence structure, grammar, usage and mechanics. Essay questions comprise 1/3 of the total points on the 10th grade ELA MCAS. The Writing Assessment Tool can also be calibrated to other rubrics such as SAT, ACT, AP or other standards.
Key Features of the Tool include:
- Detailed Diagnostic Analysis: Identifies strengths and areas for improvement, providing feedback aligned with state standards.
- Batch Essay Submission: Allows for individual or batch uploads of essays, delivering individualized feedback for each student and overall class recommendations.
- Comprehensive Educational Resource Integration: Includes MCAS practice prompts, scoring rubrics, and sample essays for a holistic approach to writing assessment.
- Predictive Scoring based on MCAS or teacher-specified criteria.
EBHS teachers have worked closely with JFY staff to develop writing assignments that enhance writing instruction and provide deeper learning experiences for students. The teachers have developed writing prompts and identified reading selections that align with state standards. This ensures the assignment meets both state and local educational goals and prepares students for state or other assessments.
The AI model requires extensive training to accurately assess student essays. Benchmarked scored essays help the AI app learn from various writing styles and proficiency levels, ensuring accurate assessments. Teachers also develop and refine the scoring rubric used by the AI Writing Assessment Tool. Teacher insights into what constitutes a well-written essay help shape the criteria for evaluating student essays, ensuring meaningful and goal-aligned feedback. These formative assignments are then converted into Writing Assessment Prompts in the JFYNet system and added to the JFY Writing Assessment Library.
Once writing assignments are developed and filed in the Assessment Library they can be used in the classroom. Teachers can then use the tool to assess student essays and deliver rapid, detailed feedback on the components of writing. This feedback helps students improve their writing skills in general and prepares them for MCAS or other tests.
Collaboration with teachers has guided the development of the AI Writing Assessment Tool from the beginning. This is in keeping with the recommendation of the U.S. Department of Education report “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning.” Working together, we have shaped the new technology into a pedagogical instrument that meets the real needs of teachers and students by improving student writing skills, supporting effective teaching, and reducing teacher workload. This fusion of technology and pedagogy is JFY’s ruling methodology.
As we continue to refine and develop this tool, we plan further collaboration with educators to ensure that our next innovation, the JFY Writing Assessment System, meets the evolving needs of the classroom. Together with teachers, we are helping students achieve their full potential while always centering educators in the continuous process of innovation.
JFYNetWorks is committed to enhancing educational outcomes through the innovative use of technology. Our latest advances, the AI Teacher Assistant and AI Writing Assessment Tool, reflect this commitment.
To learn more about the Writing Assessment Tool, and how JFY can help you, please click on the button below.
Michael Mino is a longtime consultant to JFYNetWorks on Education Innovation & Development.
HOW ARE WE DOING? In our pursuit to serve up content that matters to you, we ask that you take a couple of minutes to let us know how we’re doing? Please click here to be navigated to our JFYNet Satisfaction Survey. Thank you!
