According to Beaumont ISD Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jenny Angelo, the district may soon be considering an artificial intelligence resource for purchase and permanent use to assist students struggling with reading.
As discussed in the June Board meeting, Amira Learning is a program the district is piloting for free this summer in their K-5 Reading Recovery summer program being held at Blanchette Elementary, which concludes this week.
Approximately 250 students have utilized the program, with plans to evaluate their progress in the coming weeks.
“The gist of it is that it provides reading support by listening to the child read aloud and then providing feedback to help improve their pronunciation and fluency. It also provides individualized practice activities based on how the child is reading, thereby providing specific support for their unique needs,” said Angelo, who added that the results are looking good so far.
“We have had a number of parents take the time to come into the school so they could tell us personally that they are seeing a difference in their child's reading abilities at home.”
Angelo said she intends to bring the purchase to the board for approval in August if the data review shows beneficial, which would allow a rollout to K-5 students across the district when intervention/tutoring time begins just after Labor Day.
According to AmiraLearning, the StoryCraft’s parent dashboard provides parents and guardians with the tools needed to support their child’s reading growth, which includes details reports of progress and achievements as well as customizable reminders. The program is designed to select reading materials based on the child’s personal interests and reading level.
The program is among those approved by the TEA for House Bill 1416 tutoring process, which according to Angelo means that any student who did not pass their Reading STAAR test and is now required to receive between 15 to 30 hours of additional tutoring during the 24-25 school year, would be able to utilize the program prior to testing in April.