Texas is taking a technological leap forward by introducing robots to assist in scoring high-stakes standardized tests. The Texas Education Agency recently implemented a natural language processing program, a type of artificial intelligence, to evaluate the written section of standardized tests given to students in the third grade and above.
The initiative to incorporate AI into the scoring system stemmed from the need to handle a larger volume of written responses on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR). With the introduction of new legislation requiring at least 25 percent of questions to be open-ended, Texas turned to automation to streamline the grading process and cut costs associated with human scorers.
While the use of technology in essay scoring is not a novel concept, the deployment of AI in this manner has sparked conversations about equity and accuracy. Concerns have been raised about how the system will fairly assess bilingual or English-learning students, who make up a significant portion of the Texas public school population.
Rocio Raña, CEO of LangInnov, a company specializing in automated assessments for bilingual students, expressed reservations about the development timeline and the potential bias inherent in the program’s training data. She emphasized the importance of gradually implementing automated grading systems to ensure they cater to diverse student populations effectively.
Equity and Accuracy
The introduction of AI in grading also raises concerns about standardizing creativity and originality in student responses. The adoption of an automated scoring system has prompted discussions about how it aligns with Texas’ school accountability system and the implications of relying heavily on technology for assessing student achievement.
Kevin Brown, from the Texas Association of School Administrators, highlighted the potential impact of machine grading on student performance and the challenges of communicating assessment results to families. The shift towards automated grading has stirred debate within the educational community, with some calling for more transparency and clarity regarding the scoring process.
High Stakes
The Texan school accountability system, which assigns letter grades to districts based on various data points, adds another layer of complexity to the discussion around automated grading. The implications of using AI to evaluate standardized tests in Texas reverberate through the education landscape, prompting educators, administrators, and parents to reconsider the role of technology in assessing student learning.
As the state continues to navigate the challenges of implementing automated scoring systems, the focus remains on ensuring fairness, accuracy, and inclusivity in evaluating student performance on standardized tests.
