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West Clermont honors eighth-graders who researched AI scoring of state essays
Summary
At its April 7 meeting, the West Clermont Board recognized Mary Hufford and her eighth-grade English students for researching automated scoring on Ohio’s state writing test, publishing findings and meeting with state lawmakers to discuss assessment fairness.
The West Clermont Board of Education on April 7 honored a group of eighth-grade students and their English teacher, Mary Hufford, for researching automated (AI) grading of the Ohio State Test and for subsequent outreach to state education officials.
The students in Hufford’s class analyzed scoring patterns, built tools to study how writing is evaluated by machine graders and presented their research at district and state conferences. Board members and administrators said the work spurred conversations about fairness in assessment and the skills the district values in graduates.
Dr. Fultz, introducing the group, said the project began with a teacher’s question and grew into an example of students and staff ‘‘becoming co-learners.’’ He said the class studied a recent state shift from human to machine scoring and asked whether that scoring approach rewards the kinds of writing humans value. “They were really questioning … if schools are under so much pressure to perform on these assessments and they’re writing for a machine to grade it, is that really the best kind of writing that you’re going to find in life?” Dr. Fultz said.
The board heard that the students were invited to publish in the Ohio Journal of English Language Arts, presented at conferences in Columbus and were invited back to a national conference. The group also met with Representative Adam Berg; according to Dr. Fultz, Berg complimented the students’ professionalism and indicated interest in inviting them to a committee meeting.
During public comment, parent Trisha Lyons, speaking on behalf of a number of eighth-grade parents, thanked Hufford for creating student-centered work that she said taught executive-function skills and durable skills beyond the ELA standards. “Mrs. Hufford has empowered our children by giving them an opportunity to grow, constantly supporting and encouraging them, while also allowing them tremendous autonomy,” Lyons said.
Board members and administrators connected the project to the district’s portrait-of-a-graduate goals, emphasizing communication, collaboration and critical thinking as durable skills the district aims to teach explicitly. School leaders said the project also reflects broader community engagement, noting the Citizens Advisory Commission’s work on district priorities and design.
The board recognized the following students by name during the meeting: Ava Capaldo, Josh Carper, Samuel Ehas, A.J. Elswick, Kendall Hines, Rory Hinkle, Will Johns, Will Lyons, Jagger Miller, Abigail Mosley, James Rapp, Grace Enfin. Board members said they expect to continue highlighting similar student-led work across the district.
No board action was required for the recognition; the item was a ceremonial acknowledgment placed early on the agenda.
