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Danvers presents midyear assessment gains and classroom use of AI writing tool Class Companion
Summary
At its April 7 meeting the Danvers curriculum assessment subcommittee reported midyear gains on reading and math benchmarks across elementary and middle grades, and high school teacher Diane Mori demonstrated the Class Companion AI platform that provides immediate, rubric‑based feedback on student writing.
District staff and teachers reported midyear assessment results showing gains in reading and math benchmarks and demonstrated a classroom AI tool used to provide students instant feedback on writing.
According to the presentation, Danvers Public Schools tracks multiple data sources: MCAS (annual), survey data, benchmark assessments (iReady, DIBELS/MClass), and teacher‑level formative measures. At the elementary level the district reported a year‑to‑midyear increase of roughly 15 percent in K–3 DIBELS scores in 2023–24 and about a 19 percent increase in 2024–25. Fourth‑ and fifth‑grade composite scores use a single subtest and showed an 11 percent increase from beginning to midyear in the current reporting window. At the middle school, iReady benchmark results showed a 15 percent increase in students scoring on grade‑level or above in ELA and a 32 percent increase in math across the midyear period.
At the high school curriculum teams analyzed midterm exam data in PLCs (professional learning communities). Staff reported the English department piloting an IXL literacy program, biology working on proficiency scales aligned to standards, and world history reporting a 40 percent increase tied to use of an AI tool.
Diane Mori, a high‑school social studies teacher, demonstrated Class Companion, an AI‑powered platform she has used for multiple years. Mori said Class Companion gives students immediate, rubric‑based feedback, provides a dispute/override workflow for student challenges, and produces class‑level and individual analytics (attempt counts, time-on‑task, score progress). She described benefits for co‑taught and special education settings: teachers can set the reading level of feedback, and co‑teachers can use the platform’s analytics for progress reporting. Mori said she has expanded use beyond AP students to other classes so students get more frequent practice writing and faster feedback than teacher grading alone would allow.
Committee members asked about accuracy and teacher oversight. Mori said the platform is “remarkably accurate” for the kinds of rubric checks she applies; teachers can review and override AI feedback and conference with students. The committee encouraged classroom visits and follow‑up data from teachers piloting the tool.
Provenance (selected excerpts)
Topic intro excerpt: "A couple weeks ago, we had a good subcommittee meeting where we shared our mid year assessments." (transcript time ~3124.94).
Topic finish excerpt: "If you have any questions, honest to god, come by my classroom." (transcript time ~4524.36).
