This year, IMMERSE was selected as a grantee of Accelerate’s Call for Effective Technology program. The support will allow us to expand our AI-powered English program for newcomer and multilingual learners and evaluate its impact in partnership with the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University. The work is grounded in a shared goal: to strengthen communication capability for students who need consistent, high-quality language support from the first day they arrive in a new school system. 

What we will build and test

Throughout the 2025–26 school year, we will adapt our existing AI-powered English program for grades 6–12. The goal is to deliver accessible, structured practice that supports listening, speaking, and steady confidence in English. Each micro-lesson prepares students for real interactions in school environments and includes guided listening, adaptive practice, and supported dialogue with an AI tutor.

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The project will evaluate both effectiveness and implementation. We will study whether regular practice improves speaking and listening proficiency, increases willingness to communicate, and reduces the barriers students face in real conversations. We will also assess how often students use the program, which lesson features drive the greatest gains, and how easily schools integrate the system into their existing support models.

Where the pilot will take place

The Spring 2026 three-month pilot will run across four public school partners:

  • Cesar Chavez Middle School (The Circuit EPA) in East Palo Alto, California
  • Gulfport School District in Mississippi
  • Rantoul Township High School in Illinois
  • Isaac School District #5 in Phoenix, Arizona

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Across these sites, an estimated 740–800 students will participate. Roughly half will engage with the IMMERSE program. The other half will serve as comparison students in a quasi-experimental design intended to meet ESSA Tier 2 evidence standards. These schools serve diverse newcomer populations, many arriving from Latin America and entering the U.S. school system with limited prior exposure to academic English.

What we will study with Johns Hopkins University

Our evaluation with Johns Hopkins will focus on three areas:

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1. Student outcomes.
Students will complete pre- and post-program assessments, including a speaking test and short questionnaires measuring confidence, willingness to communicate, and language anxiety. Districts will also provide standardized English proficiency test data such as ACCESS, ELPAC, and ELPT for evaluation. 

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2. Engagement and usage.
We will analyze how students move through each stage of the program. This includes the time spent in lessons, engagement with different features, and the types of feedback students receive. These data will help identify which patterns of practice relate to stronger growth.

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3. Implementation in schools.
Johns Hopkins researchers will conduct classroom observations and end-of-semester interviews with educators. Their work will document classroom conditions, device access, scheduling, and the practical steps required to integrate the program in multilingual learner-rich settings.

Looking ahead

The findings from this work will guide how we strengthen the program for future K–12 partners. A public-facing white paper will be released in July 2026, followed by a comprehensive evaluation report to Accelerate.

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This project represents an important step toward building a consistent, evidence-led system that supports newcomer English learners with meaningful practice and measurable progress.