5 Must-Ask Qs For Teachers Evaluating AI Products

Undoubtedly, the next generation of technology in the classroom will be dominated by AI (Artificial Intelligence). Literacy programs will expand AI to support students with independent reading practice, learn essential foundational reading skills, and boost reading scores. With the right program, AI can be your best partner for collecting progress data, automatically prompting, correcting, and assessing instantly when students are reading. 

Leaders want teacher input for AI products that meet district standards and ensure safe data use for students and educators. In fact, 89% of leaders say teacher recommendations are the most influential factor when making purchase decisions. While you may not always hold the purse strings, you are pivotal in shaping the learning experiences of students and purchasing decisions within your classroom, school, and district. If you are considering AI technology for classroom use, it is essential to ask critical questions that align with your expertise and commitment to literacy and the science of reading. For instance, does it protect student data? Is it backed by research? Do students feel represented when using it? How easy is it to use?

This blog post provides a quick, common-sense guide for evaluating AI-driven literacy products, especially when presenting recommendations to school leadership. It is based on the new EdTech Quality Indicators—an approved set of common indicators 1EdTech, CAST, CoSN, Digital Promise, InnovateEDU, ISTE, and SETDA created for educators and leaders to quickly identify high-quality edtech tools. We’ve leaned on these indicators for five simple but highly important questions every educator can ask without overcomplicating the decision-making process.  

1. Are student and educator data protected?

You’ve surely heard from school and district leaders that any technology used must be safe and protect student and school data. A quick way to check is to see if the product or program claims compliance with national standards, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) or the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). You can easily find this information on websites or in privacy statements. 

Certification and award listings are powerful tools when teachers are evaluating edtech products. They are earned through rigorous qualification standards companies must demonstrate they meet. For AI or edtech products, certification means the company took the extra step to be part of an open, trusted, and innovative digital ecosystem. A great example is the 1EdTech Certification. Products with the TrustEd Apps Seal have passed vetting and certification requirements. It is an objective, third-party validation that the product you are buying can be trusted. Use the tool to search for your AI product. For reference, Lexia® is certified for TrustEd Apps by IMS Global. 

2. What evidence shows it is effective?

Most vendors worth their salt share any research or third-party validated studies to prove the program is effective. Another more commonly known way to evaluate are ESSA ratings. Sometimes called the “Consumer Reports” of education programs, Evidence for ESSA is an independent review organization that provides authoritative information about programs that meet the ESSA evidence standards. For instance, Lexia has nine peer-reviewed research studies meeting the highest ESSA levels, with a total of six “Strong” ratings at elementary and secondary levels.

Additionally, you’ll want to double-check if the product is developed based on the gold-standard body of evidence known as the science of reading. This is easy to learn by both checking the ESSA ratings and looking to see if the product supports essential elements of literacy, including phonemic awareness and phonics.

3. Does the AI program include all learners?  

Students who feel like they belong become more active in their learning, have fewer behavior problems, and actually do better in school. It’s important to know: Does the AI product help you foster an inclusive environment where all students feel seen, heard, and valued?  

For instance, does the product include culturally responsive texts or feature diverse, multidimensional characters? If there are avatars, can students select and tailor their avatars from a variety of skin colors, hairstyles, and hair colors to visually represent their diverse backgrounds or cultures? Use this checklist for practical, inclusive ways to determine if the edtech program will support these strategies in your classroom.

4. How easy to use is the AI solution?

Ease of use has got to be one of the most important factors when deciding on a product. AI technology products are supposed to help make your job easier and learning more engaging. The last thing you need is a solution that doesn’t easily fit into your class schedule or literacy curriculum.

How do you know what to trust when almost all claim they are easy to use? Lean on people’s choice award winners or other association picks. For instance, SmartBrief asks readers every year to vote for the solutions and platforms they rely on most. Here’s a link to the 2024 SmartBrief Education Readers’ Choice Awards. 

5. Are you an island or connected to a support team?

You’ve probably been with schools or districts that have adopted a new whiz-bang program with all the bells and whistles, but it was so difficult no one used it. Or, maybe you’ve downloaded other apps, and when you needed help, there was nothing but crickets chirping on the other end of the helpline. How well does the company support you once you’ve purchased the product or solution? 

Do they partner to help you set up effective, practical classroom applications and help you make sure you’re meeting administrative goals? What kinds of teacher resources do you have and are they easily accessed from wherever you’re working (when at home grading papers or in a different school building)? Lexia has an entire Customer Success team that works directly with you to make sure you are comfortable with the technology and can get the data you need to best personalize teaching. Support shouldn’t fall off a cliff after the sale. 

If you’re ready to lighten your load and use technology to better teach literacy, Lexia can help with trustworthy AI-driven tools proven to work, steeped in the science of reading. 

Learn how Lexia can support you in this quick video about leveraging edtech and AI toward classroom literacy instruction.