District leaders exploring AI grading tools often struggle with where to start. A district-wide launch is risky, and a single teacher's experiment does not reveal much. A shared, well-known unit gives the pilot a clear focus.

Antigone works well for this purpose. It is taught in many high schools, the assignments are similar across classrooms, and the central conflict produces essays that are easy to compare. A district ELA team can define a common prompt and rubric and evaluate results side by side.

The goal of a pilot is not only to test the technology. It is to learn how teachers actually use it, what they trust, and where they need support.

Here is a framework for running a district pilot around an Antigone unit.

Define Success Before You Start

Decide which outcomes matter most and how you will measure them. Common goals include time saved per essay, speed of feedback, consistency across teachers, and teacher satisfaction. Clear metrics keep the pilot from becoming a vague experiment.

• Time spent grading per essay before and during the pilot
• Turnaround time between submission and returned feedback
• Agreement between AI-assisted scores and teacher scores
• Student use of feedback in revisions
• Teacher confidence in the quality of the comments

Start With a Small, Diverse Group

Recruit teachers who represent a range of experience and comfort with technology, not only enthusiasts. Include different grade levels and school settings if possible. This surfaces problems early and builds a more realistic picture of adoption.

Provide a short training on how the tool works and where its limits are. Teachers who understand what the tool can and cannot do are more likely to use it well.

Use One Shared Rubric

A common Antigone rubric across all pilot classrooms allows fair comparisons. Have teachers norm on a few sample essays first so human scoring is consistent. Then compare human and AI-assisted results to see where they align.

Differences are not failures. They point to places where the rubric needs clarification or where the tool needs adjustment.

Address Privacy, Fairness, and Communication

Families and staff will have questions about data privacy and fairness. Review the vendor's data practices with your district's requirements and explain plainly how student work is handled. Be transparent that teachers remain responsible for final grades.

After the unit, gather feedback from teachers and students and share the results with the wider team. A carefully run pilot gives leaders the evidence they need to decide whether to expand, adjust, or pause.