English departments are increasingly asked whether they should use AI for grading. The question is reasonable, but the answer depends on what a tool can actually do. A concrete example helps, so consider a department teaching The Color Purple across five sections.

That unit produces hundreds of literary analysis essays with a shared prompt. Teachers want feedback that reflects their rubric, not a generic score. They also need to trust that students are being treated fairly.

Many tools promise speed and few explain how they get there. A useful evaluation goes past the demo and tests the tool on your own assignments. Bring real student work, with names removed.

Involve teachers from the start. Adoption succeeds when the people using the tool have a say in choosing it. Top-down purchases tend to gather dust.

Features that matter most

Look for tools that let you upload your own rubric and prompt. Feedback should map to specific criteria so students know what to fix. The tool should also make it easy for teachers to edit before anything is shared.

• Uses your rubric and assignment prompt instead of a fixed template
• Gives criterion-level feedback that teachers can review and edit
• Produces consistent results when the same paper is submitted twice
• Handles both typed and scanned handwritten work
• Protects student data with clear privacy and retention policies

Testing with a real unit

Pick twenty essays from a past Color Purple unit, spread across score levels. Run them through the tool and compare its scores with your own. Look for patterns in where it agrees and where it doesn't.

Pay attention to the feedback, not just the numbers. Does it notice unexplained quotations and thesis problems? Do the comments sound like something a student could use?

Questions about fairness and privacy

Ask how the vendor handles student data, including whether it is used to train models. Look for clear answers, and get them in writing. Your district's privacy team should be part of the conversation.

Ask about testing for bias, particularly with writing that uses dialect or comes from multilingual students. A vendor should be able to discuss it openly. If they can't, treat that as a warning.

Planning the rollout

Start small. Pilot the tool with a few teachers on one unit, gather feedback, and adjust. Then expand once you have evidence that it works for your context.

Set a clear policy about how AI feedback is used and how students are informed. Transparency reduces confusion and builds trust. Teachers, students, and families all benefit from knowing the rules.