Artificial Intelligence Scoring of Student Essays: West Virginia’s Experience Vaughn G. Rhudy,...

Artificial IntelligenceScoringof Student Essays:West Virginia’sExperience

Vaughn G. Rhudy, Ed.D., NBCT

Office of Assessment

West Virginia Department of Education

June 22, 2015

1984-2004

• Statewide writing assessment began in 1984.• Traditional paper-pencil assessment administered from

1984-2004.o Grades 4, 7 and 10o Approximately 20,000 students per grade levelo Hand scoredo Grade-level rubrics for scoringo Modified holistic scoring on 4-point scaleo Four genres – narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasiveo Results not included as part of state accountability data

West Virginia Writing Assessment

1984-2004 Grade 4 Rubric


1984-2004 Grades 7 and 10 Rubric


2005-2007• Online Writing Assessment from 2005-2007, except grade 4.• Paper-pencil test in grade 4

o Hand scored• Computer-based assessment in grades 7 and 10

o Artificial intelligence engine scoring• Approximately 20,000 students per grade level• Grade-level rubrics for scoring• Analytic trait scoring on a 6-point scale

o Five traits – Organization, Development, Sentence Structure, Word Choice, Mechanics

• Four genres – narrative, descriptive, informative, persuasive• Results not included as part of state accountability data• Scores on each analytic trait added to obtain a Summative Score and

Performance Level

WV Online Writing Assessment

2007 Grade 4 Writing Prompt• Imagine that you are on a magic carpet that takes you

anywhere you want to go. Tell about where you might go and what you might do.






Initial Challenges• Bandwidth - Connectivity• Number of testing devices/computer labs• Computer classes in labs• Security updates• Length of testing window• Concerns about keyboarding skills, particularly younger

students• Validity and reliability of artificial intelligence scoring

engine


Actions• State and districts increased bandwidth.• State and districts increased the number of testing

devices.• Nine-week testing window was established to address

technology concerns and reduce daily testing load. Window spanned from February to April.

• From 2005-2007, fourth graders continued paper-pencil testing because of concerns about keyboarding skills.

• State engaged teachers in reviewing computer scoring to help with teacher buy-in.


New Online Writing Assessment Field Test - 2008

• Expanded to grades 3-11o Hand scored

• Approximately 20,000 students per grade level• Grade-level rubrics for scoring• Analytic trait scoring on a 6-point scale

o Five traits – Organization, Development, Sentence Structure, Word Choice/Grammar Usage, Mechanics

• Four genres – narrative, descriptive, informative and persuasiveo Only narrative and descriptive at grade 3

• Passages added to prompts• Results not included as part of state accountability data


2008 Field Test• New prompts with passages• 136 prompts field tested – 2 genres at grade 3, 4 genres at

grades 4-9, 4 prompts per genre• 2 operational prompts selected per genre• New grade-specific, 6-point analytic writing rubrics• All student essays were hand scored• State staff and selected teachers participate in range-

finding• Hand scored essays used to training new AI scoring engine


2009-2014 Sample Grade 3

Descriptive Writing Prompt



This is where you will begin typing your essay. At the end of the paragraph, hit the enter key at least once to skip a line between paragraphs.

Do not hit the tab key to indent your paragraph. It will not work.



Grade 3 Student Survey• 85 percent of grade 3 students indicated they

preferred writing their essays on the computer than using traditional paper-pencil.


WESTEST 2 Online Writing Assessment – 2009-2014

• Grades 3-11o Artificial intelligence engine scoring

• Approximately 20,000 students per grade level• Grade-level rubrics for scoring• Analytic trait scoring on a 6-point scale

o Five traits – Organization, Development, Sentence Structure, Word Choice/Grammar Usage, Mechanics


WESTEST 2 Online Writing Assessment – 2009-2014

• Four genres – narrative, descriptive, informative and persuasiveo Only narrative and descriptive at grade 3

• Passages/prompts• Results not included as part of state accountability data• Online formative assessment practice program available

for schools to use


Later Challenges• Bandwidth/Connectivity

o Continued in some districts and schools but improved overall• Number of testing devices/computer labs

o Continued in some districts and schools but improved overall• Computer classes in labs

o Continued to be an issue but improved overall • Browser updates

o Test platform only allowed the use of Internet Explorero Microsoft auto updates sometimes created problems

• Accuracy and reliability of AI scoring in practice programo Created lack of confidence in summative scoring engine


Formative Assessment Practice Program – 2009-2014

• Writing Roadmap – shelf producto Shelf promptso Shelf rubrico AI scoring

• West Virginia Writes – customization of Writing Roadmap for West Virginiao WV passages and prompts (field tested)o WV writing rubricso Student responses from field test used to train AI

engine


AI Scoring Challenges• Teacher buy-in and understanding of AI scoring• Field testing sufficient number of prompts

o WV lost some prompts during psychometric analysis resulting in the need to repeat prompts in alternate years

• Rubric development for use in AI scoring• Initial hand scoring• Range finding• Training sets• Sufficient number of student responses to train engine

o Particularly finding sufficient number of student responses scored in the high range


Scoring Reliability• Validation Papers/Iterations• Second Reads• Comparability Studies

Artificial Intelligence Scoring

Importance of Comparability• Engine to Professional Hand Scorers• Engine to West Virginia Teachers


Vendor Validation


WV Comparability Studies


Benefits of Teacher Participation

• Professional development in using rubrics for hand scoring of student essays

• Improvement of instructional practices• Teacher buy-in of artificial intelligence scoring


Considerations• Involve teachers in prompt and rubric

development• Pilot testing and field testing important• Sufficient number of prompts should be included

in field test depending on sample size• Include teachers in range finding• Sufficient number of essays at each score point

necessary to train engine, particularly for highest score point


Considerations• Quality of training sets important• Engine must be calibrated to the scoring rubric(s)• Engine training is key• Vendor validation and read-behind studies• State comparability studies with state teachers• Ongoing engine training to account for potential drift• Provide practice program for teachers and students• Professional development for state teachers


Scoring Strengths and WeaknessesHuman Scoring Engine Scoring

Scoring accuracy dependent on training

Scoring accuracy dependent on training

Get tired, hungry, bored Doesn’t get tired, hungry, bored

Individual Scorer Bias No Bias

Easier to train – quicker More difficult to train- time-consuming

Can make inferences Has difficulty with inferences

Slow, expensive scoring Quick, less expensive scoring


Date post:	30-Dec-2015
Category:	Documents
Upload:	cameron-powers
View:	213 times
Download:	0 times

Artificial Intelligence Scoring of Student Essays: West Virginia’s Experience Vaughn G. Rhudy,...

Documents