UAE private schools use AI to spot struggling students before they fall behind

Abu Dhabi: Private schools have adopted ‘smart alert’ programmes to monitor academic difficulties among some students. The programmes employ artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in data analysis, discover the educational challenges faced by students, and areas of weakness in academic achievement, and then develop a plan to help them understand their needs, and direct appropriate intervention and support. Schools confirmed that these initiatives come within the framework of the increasing trend of educational institutions towards moving from dealing with academic failure after it occurs to monitoring it and intervening to address it in its early stages. This is done through a system that relies on data and continuous follow-up, and combines educational assessment tools, the professional experience of teachers and support teams, and the use of AI technologies in analysing indicators and identifying educational needs. Schools also stressed the importance of partnership with the family in understanding factors affecting student learning, and monitoring the effectiveness of the interventions provided and developing them according to the student’s response and progress. Tiered models In letters sent to parents of students, the schools explained that they have designed three-level tiered models to support the needs of students at risk of academic failure. The first level is based on basic, comprehensive, evidence-based teaching, which is provided to all students in the class. This level focuses on building positive relationships and creating a supportive environment, and the student's progress is continuously monitored. Students who do not respond to interventions at this level are moved to the next level, which is for additional teaching, targeting students who are having difficulty making the necessary progress to reach their academic and behavioural goals. The third level of intervention, the "intensive level," focuses on intensive, specialised, and individualised teaching that requires specialised intervention directed to the student's needs and may include assistance from external specialists. The student's progress is also continuously monitored. The schools reported that they had developed intervention programmes using a comprehensive, systematic, and phased approach, based on an assessment of the underlying factors that led to the student being considered as one of the students at risk of academic failure, and meeting the needs of these students comprehensively, through cooperation between school and home, following a comprehensive approach in the school that seeks supported improvement in both contexts, implementing high-quality intervention programs, based on culturally and linguistically relevant research, adaptive teaching to support the inclusion process, and establishing the principle based on each student’s ability to learn and achieve their potential. Schools explained that the elements of the intervention program to support students at risk of academic failure also include integrating an evidence-based data collection and assessment system, including comprehensive and diagnostic screening, monitoring progress to guide decision-making at each level of support, using problem-solving techniques to deliver individual learning plans, using a positive, research-based behavioural approach in the school and classroom to support academic achievement and socio-psychological learning, in addition to implementing a collaborative approach to analysing student data and coordinating the intervention process. The schools urged families to cooperate in identifying any indicators or signs that might suggest academic difficulties in their children, and to share any relevant observations or information that could contribute to understanding the student's needs and the factors affecting their educational progress. They emphasised that an effective partnership between the school and the family is essential for the early detection of educational challenges and helps in taking appropriate measures in a timely manner, ensuring the provision of support and interventions tailored to the student's needs, and the continuous monitoring of their academic and behavioural development. An important tool Adnan Abbas, Executive Director of Al Nahda National Schools in Abu Dhabi. Picture credit: Supplied Adnan Abbas, Executive Director of Al Nahda National Schools in Abu Dhabi, affirmed that academic underachievement monitoring programmes represent an important tool for the early detection of challenges that students may face. He explained that their goal is not limited to identifying weaknesses in academic achievement, but extends to understanding the reasons and factors affecting the student's progress, whether academic, behavioural, social, or related to additional educational needs. He said: "These programmes allow the school to intervene in a timely manner and develop support plans that suit each student's needs, inste