By C. Brandon Chapman
Washington state educators will soon have a powerful new tool to support elementary student well-being — thanks to a $150,000 grant from Microsoft’s 2025 AI for Good initiative, awarded to Educational Psychology Regents Professor Brian French.
French’s project is called E-WARNS: Developed from the Voices of our Communities using AI. It aims to deepen student engagement by identifying barriers to school attendance and promoting constructive conversations with schools and families.
It’s one of three College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences (CESHS) projects recognized by Microsoft this year for leveraging AI in service of public good. The other two belong to Tinting Li and Peng He.
With support from Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, French’s project will also help develop an elementary-level version of the Washington Assessment of Risk and Needs of Students (WARNS), a research-backed tool designed to identify students at risk of disengaging from school. Unlike traditional assessments, the new version will use large language models (LLMs) to incorporate insights directly from students, teachers, and caregivers.
French said this tactic will ensure the tool is rooted in real community experiences and needs.
“This innovative work is about ensuring the WARNS reflects the unique perspectives and needs of our communities through a more inclusive assessment development process by tapping into the voices of our communities,” French said. “With AI, we can build tools that reflect students’ lived realities and help educators intervene before a student is disengaged in the learning environment in our schools.”
The project builds on the success of the middle and high school WARNS tools and reflects the commitment of both CESHS and the Learning and Performance Research Center to developing data-informed strategies that foster safe, supportive learning environments.
French – along with Li and He – were recognized in a ceremony at Microsoft headquarters. WSU president Elizabeth Cantwell attended the event, highlighting the university’s growing role in ethical, AI-powered research.
Brian French was one of three faculty from the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences to be honored at the ceremony. Also in attendance was WSU president Elizabeth Cantwell.
“Through this support, we’re not just creating new tools — we’re building new possibilities for Washington’s students and schools,” French said. “It’s an exciting time for meaningful, community-driven change.”
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