The Iowa Department of Education announced that 41 elementary schools will deploy an AI-powered tutor to provide personalized reading education support for students.
The state has invested $3 million in a grant program to support summer reading programs, including the personalized tutor. Students attending schools that have received grant funding will have access to an intelligent, personalized reading tutor. The goal of the tutor is to accelerate student achievement in foundational reading skills, including in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, vocabulary, and comprehension.
“Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential, and the Department’s new investment in statewide personalized reading tutoring further advances our shared commitment to strengthening early literacy instruction,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “This work builds upon our comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, evidence-based summer reading programs, and Personalized Reading Plans for students in need of support.”
For the program, the department is working with Amira Learning to deploy the company’s online literacy tutor, called EPS Reading Assistant, at no cost to Iowa schools. The EPS Reading Assistant uses voice-recognition technology to deliver in-the-moment tutoring, including corrective feedback and support to build essential reading skills. The Department of Education explained that as students read aloud, a digital avatar, named Amira listens, assesses and intervenes when a student struggles.
While the tutor will initially be available to grant-receiving schools, department leaders said that the tutor will be available to all public and nonpublic elementary schools through the summer of 2025.
