How to Use AI to Categorize Test Vocabulary

Identifying Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 words used on state tests

Figuring Out Testing Vocabulary to Build Student Confidence

Post 1: Teaching for Understanding in a Test-Driven System

State tests place a heavy load on teachers. We are expected to ensure students understand the content, interpret complex questions, and navigate academic language, all within a narrow testing window.

At the same time, we are working to close gaps, prepare students academically, and protect meaningful learning. Test scores often feel personal. They influence how teachers and schools are judged, even though student performance is frequently shaped by language demands, not content alone.

This post kicks off a short vocabulary series focused on practical, efficient ways to teach vocabulary that actually supports comprehension. Test practice and review have their place, but one of the biggest barriers to success is often vocabulary. When students understand the language of a question, comprehension improves, and when comprehension improves, both learning and assessment benefit.

The first challenge is deciding which words deserve our attention.

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Sorting Words Into Tiers with AI

Start by locating released questions from your state’s prior assessments. Download the document as a PDF, then drag and drop it into your AI tool.

Use the following prompt along with the PDF:

Use the provided grade X state test. Locate and categorize all content-specific words, as well as additional words from the text, into Tier 1 (Basic), Tier 2 (High-Utility Academic), and Tier 3 (Domain-Specific) to support student comprehension.

That’s it.

In minutes, you have a categorized list that would have taken hours to create by hand.

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Now What?

Once you have your list, AI can help you turn it into something instructionally useful, especially when the goal is identifying which words are most troublesome for your students.

Step 1: Student Self-Assessment

Create a simple Google Sheet for each student.

Student #: ____________
Student Name: ____________

Rating Scale

• 3 = I get it and can explain it

• 2 = I kind of get it

• 1 = I’ve seen it but need help

• 0 = I have no idea

This gives students ownership while giving you quick insight into perceived understanding.

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Step 2: Let AI Organize the Information

Paste the results into your AI tool and ask it to organize the data in ways that support your teaching.

For example, you might first ask AI to create a student-by-student summary:

• Ava: ratio 3, contrast 2, variable 3, linger 1

• Marcus: ratio 2, contrast 1, variable 2, linger 0

• Elena: ratio 3, contrast 3, variable 1, linger 2

• Jordan: ratio 1, contrast 2, variable 1, linger 1

• Sam: ratio 3, contrast 2, variable 3, linger 2

This format makes patterns easier to spot before planning instruction.

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Step 3: Group Students by Need

From there, AI can group students in almost any way you need.

You might ask it to:

• Create word-by-word snapshots showing how students rated each term

• Identify words that need reteaching versus quick review

• Suggest flexible groupings for small groups, peer support, or extension

For example, AI might generate:

Word: ratio

• Strong understanding: Ava, Sam

• Partial understanding: Marcus

• Limited understanding: Jordan, Elena

Or a short planning summary:

• Words needing the most attention: linger, variable

• Words mostly secure: ratio

• Students needing targeted support: Marcus, Jordan

• Students who could support peers: Ava, Sam

This kind of organization allows you to plan intentionally without spending hours sorting data.

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Next Time

In upcoming posts, I’ll share vocabulary strategies that get students off screens, thinking more deeply, and working together as teams. This is where confidence starts to build—and where classrooms begin to feel less like test prep factories and more like learning communities.

Thanks for reading,
Debbie

If you have questions or want to share how this worked in your classroom, feel free to reach out.