Flawed Algorithms Are Grading Millions of Students' Essays

Every year, millions of students sit down for standardized tests that carry weighty consequences. National tests like the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) serve as gatekeepers to higher education, while state assessments can determine everything from whether a student will graduate to federal funding for schools and teacher pay. Traditional paper-and-pencil tests have given way to computerized versions. And increasingly, the grading process--even for written essays--has also been turned over to algorithms. Natural language processing (NLP) artificial intelligence systems--often called automated essay scoring engines--are now either the primary or secondary grader on standardized tests in at least 21 states, according to a survey conducted by Motherboard.