The AI scoring system was trained using 3,000 exam responses that had already been graded by humans. To ensure accuracy, a quarter of all the computer-graded results will be rescored by humans, as will answers that confuse the AI system. Despite the potential savings, some educators are skeptical about the system's effectiveness, citing a significant increase in zero scores when the system was tested in December 2023.
Key takeaways:
- The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is implementing an artificial intelligence-powered scoring system to grade open-ended questions on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exams.
- The new system is expected to save $15–20 million per year by reducing the need for human graders, with the agency planning to hire under 2,000 graders this year compared to the 6,000 required in 2023.
- The AI scoring system was trained using 3,000 exam responses that had already received two rounds of human grading, and a quarter of all the computer-graded results will be rescored by humans.
- While TEA is optimistic about the cost-saving potential of the AI system, some educators have expressed concerns about its accuracy, with one district reporting a significant increase in zero scores when the automated grading system was used on a limited basis.