CASE STUDY
Empowering Dual-Credit Students to Write with Confidence at Aldine ISD
Aldine ISD faced wide skill gaps in writing among students enrolled in dual-credit courses. With Packback, the district strengthened writing instruction and academic confidence without sacrificing rigor or burning out teachers.
Key Takeaways
Increased student writing stamina and quality across short and long-form assignments
Teachers shifted focus from grammar to content-based feedback
Students gained skills in sentence structure, thesis development, and avoiding passive voice
Packback scaled support for writing instruction in a high-need district
Situation
Students in Aldine ISD’s advanced history courses were facing major challenges in keeping up with the rigorous writing demands of dual-enrollment programs. At Eisenhower High School, Lezlee Brinkman taught juniors and seniors in a college-level U.S. History course that required everything from short discussion posts to an eight-page spring research paper. But most students lacked the foundational skills and writing confidence needed to succeed.
- Nearly 85 percent of students in Aldine ISD are classified as “at risk”
- Over 90 percent are economically disadvantaged, and nearly half are English language learners
- Students had wide achievement gaps and limited exposure to academic writing before entering the course
Action
To address this growing gap, Aldine ISD introduced Packback in all high school advanced academic courses for the 2023–2024 school year. Brinkman implemented it in stages, starting with weekly writing practice on Packback Questions and later adding Packback Deep Dives to support formal essays and research papers.
- Students used Questions for low-stakes practice and Deep Dives for structured long-form writing
- Packback’s AI-powered feedback helped students address grammar and structure before submission
- Brinkman focused her grading on historical analysis and thesis strength, not spelling corrections
- Real-time data helped her pinpoint areas for differentiated support
Result
Brinkman saw immediate gains in student writing confidence and classroom engagement. Students reported that Packback helped them learn rules they’d never been taught and write more clearly and purposefully. With Packback managing mechanics and feedback, Brinkman could prioritize what mattered most—critical thinking and historical insight.
- Students became more confident and capable writers, better prepared for college-level work
- Brinkman was able to spend less time correcting grammar and more time supporting content development
- The platform gave students structure and autonomy in tackling difficult writing assignments
- Packback helped build writing skills across the curriculum—not just in ELA
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