DeSoto ISD sees gains in early test of AI-driven math curriculum

Over the past few weeks, Jeff Jacobs has been teaching summer learning sessions at Katherine Johnson Technology Magnet School in DeSoto ISD.

He and his fellow teachers are focused on helping students catch up in math this year. When the district introduced a new program aimed at assisting, Jacobs initially approached it with skepticism.

“There are many programs out there that try to apply a one-size-fits-all, cookie-cutter approach,” Jacobs remarked.

Schools frequently face a barrage of new curricula, software solutions, and promises of being the magic solution to student success.

“But this one actually seems promising,” Jacobs added.

This latest initiative heavily integrates AI. The district can use AI to identify areas where students are struggling and tailor lessons accordingly.

“It also interacts with students much like Siri or Alexa, helping teachers to effectively be in multiple places at once,” Jacobs explained.

“In the educational setting, we’re talking about having a virtual assistant AI for teachers, a virtual teacher who can remind students of specific skills or steps in a process,” he continued.

Teachers at the summer learning sessions were so impressed by the new program that DeSoto ISD Superintendent Usama Rodgers and her administrative team visited to see firsthand what had generated such enthusiasm.

“She mentioned that on average, her third-grade students had solved about 1,000 problems. That’s something we struggle to achieve,” Rodgers noted.

During her visit, Rodgers engaged with students, solving problems alongside them.

“The more challenging the problem, the more points they earned. I joked with one student who had many ‘red dots’ indicating mistakes. He admitted rushing but then slowed down and paid closer attention. That’s powerful because it forces students to think, rather than just clicking through,” Rodgers observed.

While the system is new and lacks a proven track record, Dr. Rodgers has already witnessed its benefits in the classroom. She plans to implement it district-wide in the fall to help boost math scores, which still lag behind due to the pandemic.