Overview

The Using Generative Artificial Intelligence for Reading R&D Center (U-GAIN Reading) is a national research and development hub dedicated to improving elementary literacy through ethical artificial intelligence (AI) innovations. Led by Digital Promise Global in partnership with Amira Learning, the University of Pennsylvania, and MDRC, the center investigates how generative AI can improve elementary school reading instruction for students in first through third grades.

Elementary reading achievement strongly predicts later educational and life outcomes, yet too many students, especially English learners, lack sufficient guided practice with feedback that shows them what they need to improve. While teacher-led instruction is essential, teachers cannot provide all students with the individual support they need. U-GAIN Reading addresses this gap by exploring how AI-enabled tools grounded in the science of reading can supplement classroom instruction and adapt to each student’s strengths and needs.

The center pursues two overarching research questions: (1) How can generative AI be integrated into supplementary reading programs to improve growth for English learners and all students who are not yet reading complete sentences or paragraphs? (2) How can it improve proficient reading with comprehension for students who are ready for that greater focus? Building on the Amira Learning, an existing reading platform that serves over one million students across 800 school districts nationwide and that draws on more than 20 years of research, U-GAIN Reading aims to develop four innovations: two that enhance detection of students’ speech and engagement, and two that generate adaptive texts and interactive conversations about what students read.

The center’s research agenda starts with three early studies to examine the broader context for using generative AI to improve reading and comprehension outcomes for English learners, and to gauge how students learn on the current platform. Insights from these studies will inform the addition of four innovations designed to help English learners progress faster in foundational reading and early comprehension. U-GAIN Reading will then conduct three pilot studies to test AI’s promise for improving student learning outcomes.

U-GAIN Reading intends to produce practical knowledge about how generative AI can personalize reading practice, create more responsive dialogue about text, and promote student progress on a large scale. The center will generate evidence on the promise of these innovations in a widely used platform and share findings through research publications, briefs, and other practitioner-facing resources; public data sets; and training opportunities for researchers, educators, and policymakers.