Overview

Spurring the development of interventions that can double the rate of middle school math progress for low-income students.

The Learning Engineering Virtual Institute (LEVI) aims to create interventions that will double the rate of middle school math progress for low-income students.

Working in deep collaboration across teams and disciplines, LEVI will award organizations multi-year grants. Grantees will leverage advanced computational methods to develop, scale and implement AI-based tools that help low-income students succeed.

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Why Middle School Math

Student proficiency in math and literacy has declined in the past decade, with outcomes in middle school math exceptionally low in the United States. Math performance, especially among historically marginalized populations, is particularly poor. Nationally, only 26% of all eighth-grade students were proficient on the NAEP math assessment in 2022. But in Cleveland, only 2% of African American 8th graders scored proficient. Yet, math proficiency is critical to economic mobility and earning a living wage. Indeed, passing 6th grade math is one of the top predictors of high school graduation.
The Covid-19 pandemic has worsened learning outcomes. Between 2019 and 2022, the NAEP Mathematics Assessment scores declined across all race & ethnic groups and math score percentile levels among 8th graders in 51 states/jurisdictions.  

Why AI

The rise of ChatGPT and other large language models underscores the potential of AI to dramatically change teaching and learning. The LEVI teams are at the forefront of this change and include approaches as diverse as: 

  • Developing a hybrid human-AI app that gives tutors the ‘superhuman’ power to provide students with a precise dosage of tutoring at their specific learning level;
  • Customizing avatars using generative AI to increase student motivation and engagement;
  • Training an award-winning chatbot that delivers math tutoring with personalized feedback and prompting student reflection.
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LEVI is launching its first Applied AI in Education Lab.

This Lab will generate data, insights and knowledge to power both the LEVI teams and the field more broadly. The Applied AI in Education Lab is currently seeking input from students, parents and educators to optimize the utilization of AI in improving teaching and learning, both within and outside the traditional classroom setting.
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Our Teams