Results from this year’s National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) from the U.S. Department of Education show a continued, steep decline in test scores in all subjects. Math scores for eighth graders were the lowest in 50 years, and reading scores regressed back to scores last seen in 1998.
Students differ in their respective needs, skills, and learning styles. But schools in the United States frequently “teach to the middle,” with lesson plans suited for the average student in the class. While this pedagogical approach can work in some instances, when there are clear deficiencies for students in some areas, a personalized approach has proven to be effective in increasing scores. AI-enabled educational tools can support this type of individualized support while incorporating learning objectives, instructional approaches, and specific content. For example, Carnegie Learning’s AI-powered platform uses analytics to adjust the difficulty level of lessons based on a student’s individual needs, helping balance strengths and weaknesses. Students who used the company’s MATHia platform, particularly lower-performing students, performed better in their Algebra 1 classes after using the technology. Similarly, the popular non-profit educational platform Khan Academy has begun pilot testing an AI-enabled tutor that uses GPT-4 to help students work through math problems.
