Editor’s note: To mark new milestones in AI-driven learning, we're sharing how Henry County Public Schools in Kentucky successfully closed critical achievement gaps with the help of Gemini for Education. Jim Masters, the district’s superintendent, explains how they’ve integrated Gemini to deliver individualized, rubric-aligned writing feedback while prioritizing human connection in the classroom.

At Henry County Public Schools, a mid-sized rural school district in the Kentucky/Appalachia region, we serve our community with a simple conviction: technology should never be a flashy, expensive novelty. It must be a deliberate, evidence-based tool that closes achievement gaps, supports our teachers and enriches human interactions.

My goal was to adopt AI responsibly and integrate these tools in a thoughtful way. We first worked to cultivate a strong culture and effective frameworks — and then we implemented a strategy to introduce Gemini to streamline feedback for state writing prompts.

Providing writing feedback at scale

High-school writing feedback presented a hurdle for us. With 180 assigned students per teacher on average, our teachers simply do not have enough hours in the school day to provide the deeply nuanced, rubric-specific feedback each student needs, especially while balancing lesson prep, grading and countless other daily responsibilities.

While researching options, we found that the state tests utilized another company’s AI-powered scoring software. However, that particular platform proved cost-prohibitive for our district, prompting us to seek out different avenues. Since we’re already a Google for Education district, we decided to try Gemini – at no additional charge. In order to hone accuracy, our curriculum specialists and veteran teachers worked with administration to test Gemini against the state rubric and grading we have previously received. We tested until Gemini’s feedback matched what the state provided.

Enabling educators to deliver personalized teaching

With Gemini, we established a feedback loop that upholds academic standards and reclaims thousands of instructional hours. Gemini helps handle the repetitive aspects of providing personalized, state-rubric-aligned feedback on writing assignments, but educators review feedback before it’s shared back with students. Ultimately, Gemini helps educators provide high quality, personalized guidance while freeing up more time to spend helping students.

Improving student outcomes

The district measures the program success through student scores on state assessments. Before implementing Gemini-supported writing feedback, 33% of students were graded in the novice tier, indicating performance below grade level. After, 15% of students advanced out of the novice group to at, approaching, or exceeding grade level expectations.

As I reach my retirement after 29 years in education, I look back on this journey with immense pride in our team. We closed achievement gaps, and built a culture where students are cared for and staff are supported. By keeping our focus human-centric and our methods evidence-based, Henry County Public Schools has proven that AI doesn't have to diminish critical thinking — it can be the very key that unlocks it.